Ready to Apply for Dem Summer?
Democracy Summer has equipped nearly 100 young leaders with
the experience they need to build successful careers in community
organizing, political advocacy and social justice work.
Become part of a growing network of young advocates working
hard to improve democracy in North Carolina and beyond!
HIRING TIMELINE
Jan. 5: Applications accepted
March 13: Application deadline
March 18-25: First interviews
(conducted via telephone)
March 28 or April 4: Second
interviews (Durham, NC)
Are you a good candidate for the
Democracy Summer program?
Visit our web site for info on ideal
candidates, minimum requirements
and application instructions!
www.democracy-nc.org
May 27-29: Mandatory training
June 1: First day of program
July 2-4: Holiday Break
July 31: Last day of program
Download an application
from our website today!
www.democracy-nc.org
About Democracy North Carolina…
“Democracy North Carolina
is a much-needed advocate
for good government and
an effective force for
improving our elections.”
- William C. Friday,
Democracy North Carolina is a nonpartisan
organization working to fulfill the promise
of “one person, one vote”  the bedrock
principle of equal rights and fairness. We
believe that people deserve a government
that is responsive to us and committed to
the public good. You can help us make this
a reality in our state!
Through research, public education, grassroots organizing and coalition
building, Democracy North Carolina seeks to develop local and statewide
networks of informed citizens working together on a racially and politically diverse reform effort to improve elections in North Carolina.
Democracy North Carolina ● 1821 Green St. Durham, NC 27705
Phone: 1-888-OUR-VOTE ● www.democracy-nc.org
DEMOCRACY NORTH CAROLINA
www.democracy-nc.org
“One Person, One Vote”
FULFILLING THE
PROMISE OF
DEMOCRACY
DEMOCRACY SUMMER
Democracy Summer is an innovative program that allows selected North
Carolina college students to gain hands-on experience working for fairer
elections and a citizen-driven government. The 2-month program provides
young leaders the opportunity to work as paid community organizers and
address two major barriers to better government in North Carolina: big
money in politics and low civic participation. Interns work under the mentorship of experienced Democracy North Carolina organizers.
Democracy Summer student
organizers work together in
teams to promote policies
that give voters more ownership of elections and NC
citizens more input into government policies. They are
committed to a range of
campaign finance reforms,
including voluntary publicfinancing programs that free
candidates from the money
chase and put voters at the
Democracy Summer ‘08 interns came from colleges across center of election financing.
North Carolina and mobilized voters for the 2008 Election.
In addition, Democracy Summer organizers expand civic participation in
their local communities by registering new voters, educating citizens
about the political process and teaching citizens techniques for building
permanent change through grassroots organizing.
“Democracy Summer was an eye-opening, life-changing experience,
the opening of a door to a new movement… for equality.”
- LeVar Crooms, DS Alum
Democracy Summer exposes young leaders to new ideas and new movements,
teaching them how to organize people around a shared vision for a better democracy in North Carolina. The program also equips young people with the tools
they need to continue working for positive social change in their communities.
This is the 10th year of the Democracy Summer program, and ten student organizers will be chosen to participate in this unique, paid internship.
Working For Democracy PAYS!
In the Footsteps of Freedom Summer
“Above all, Democracy Summer allows young people to truly take an
active roll in state politics and narrows the gap between the individual and the governmental process.”
- Sarah Biehn, DS Alum
Students work in
Democracy Summer Organizers earn
teams of two in one
a stipend of $2,300 for the summer.
of five locations:
Stipends are paid twice per month.
Summer, 1964:
College students converge on
Mississippi during what is now
known as Freedom Summer.
Student organizers, led by their
peers, register African Americans to vote, hold educational
classes and investigate civil
rights violations  all direct challenges to Jim Crow in the South.
Today, overt barriers to the ballot box and political power are gone, but
too many people remain shut out of the process. In the tradition of Freedom Summer, Democracy Summer combats the notion of apathetic
youth and promotes the idea that every citizen deserves to have his or
her voice heard in our political system. Everyone can make a difference.
Working for Change Today
Like Freedom Summer, Democracy Summer is unique: it challenges young people
by giving them the opportunity for real,
hands-on experience working with diverse
groups of people and leadership in the
field of grassroots organizing.
Democracy Summer ‘08 Alum Christina
Anderson, at right, with Rowan County’s
NC House Representative Lorene Coates.
Democracy Summer Organizers work toward three main objectives:
1. Education: Educating citizens about the influence of money on politics and the need for reform, including publicly financed elections
(Voter-Owned Elections).
2. Citizen Involvement in Reform: Training citizen leaders and involving them in the movement in order to make our communities
stronger and our government more responsive to the public good.
3. Grassroots Organizing: Mobilizing voters/citizens to engage (meet
with, call, write) and build relationships with state legislators and
other civic leaders in order to build momentum for reform legislation and lasting change.
In 2009, there will be teams in
Charlotte, Fayetteville, Durham,
Greenville and Greensboro, NC.
Students are often sponsored by individual donors and supporters of
Democracy North Carolina.
Student organizers work full
time (40 + hours per week) for
9 weeks during the summer.
Are you interested in sponsoring a
Democracy Summer organizing position?
The program begins with a
mandatory 3-day retreat-style
training held May 27-29 near
Chapel Hill.
Organizers engage in:
•
Public speaking presentations in front of a range of
audiences;
•
Media outreach, including
TV and radio interviews;
•
Meeting with local and state
elected officials;
•
Organizing meetings with
local civic and community
leaders.
Democracy Summer ‘08 student
organizers mobilized students,
registered new voters, educated
ex-felons on their voting rights and
participated in a variety of other
GOTV activities. This year’s
interns will build on the election
excitement that lingers in local
communities to increase civic participation and gain support for
pro-democracy reforms.
Call 888-OUR-VOTE for information
on how you or your group can
sponsor a student organizer in 2009.
The application deadline for
Democracy Summer is
Friday, March 13, 2009.
Early applicants receive
preference for hiring.
Visit our website for an application
and more information on
Democracy Summer:
www.democracy-nc.org