The Catt Center hosted its third sold-out Ready to Run™ Iowa workshop on March 8. This workshop marked the midway point of the 2013 campaign training series.
In response to feedback from past program participants, assessment of the program by Catt Center staff, and scholarship on the influence of campaign training programs on women’s political participation, the center has successfully transitioned the program from a one-day seminar to a series of six monthly workshops. This new format has more than doubled the amount of instruction participants receive.
Thus far, each workshop – January through March – has been filled to capacity and included more than 50 participants from across the state. The sessions have garnered positive participant feedback.
“I like the new format. Hopefully splitting them [the workshops] up will enable more women to attend at least one or two,” said one participant. Another participant said she was “excited for the next one.”
“The new format seems to be well-received,” said Valerie Hennings, scholar-in-residence at the Catt Center. “We can now give each topic the time participants need to really soak up what the speakers are saying.”
The 2013 Ready to Run™ Iowa series kicked off on Jan. 18 with “Introduction to Iowa Politics,” a workshop designed to answer the most common questions about politics and government in Iowa. It featured sessions on Iowa’s electoral process, party politics and resources, and women’s political status in the state. The Feb. 15 workshop, “Launching Your Campaign,” provided an overview of the key elements of a campaign and included a discussion of campaign resources for women and tips and strategies for women candidates.
“There was a nice group of panelists for the candidates,” said one Feb. 15 workshop participant.
The March 8 workshop, “Navigating the Routes to Public Service: Appointment to Boards and Commissions,” focused on how to successfully position oneself for appointment to a municipal, county or state board or commission.
Limited seating is still available in the April, May and June workshops. To register, visit the Catt Center’s website. The fee for each workshop is $20, which includes workshop materials, a parking pass and light refreshments.
The 2013 Ready to Run™ Iowa workshop series is sponsored in part by the Ames Chamber of Commerce, the League of Women Voters of Ames, the League of Women Voters of Iowa, and the Women’s and Diversity Grant Program through the ISU Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost. Mediacom has provided support through the airing of a public service announcement (PSA) produced by members of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences communications staff and ISU’s News Services team. This PSA can be viewed on the Catt Center’s YouTube channel.
Ready to Run™ Iowa is a statewide, non-partisan campaign training program designed to recruit and train women for elected and appointed office and encourage them to become involved in public life as leaders in their communities. The Catt Center has offered the program every other year since 2007.
Please visit the Ready to Run™ Iowa Facebook page for the latest information on the 2013 workshop series.