Travelling Candidate Training Comes to Wheeling: Non-partisan workshop offered for those interested in running for office

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Lewisburg and Martinsburg has had one, Charleston’s is on the 6th, and then its Wheeling’s turn. If you’ve ever wondered about running for office, from dog catcher, to school board, to state office, now is the time to find out how. The Candidate Training Academy is coming to Wheeling on the 8^th of December.

At this non-partisan event for potential candidates and their campaign volunteers, the nuts and bolts of running for office will be shared by both elected officials and state experts.

The day-long training will include interactive sessions on Stump Speeches and Communications, Asking for Money, and Getting Ready to Run. Participants will learn about the first steps they’ll need to take to decide what to run for, and how. There will also be panel discussions with Board of Education member Sarah Koegler, Senator Jack Yost, Delegate Erika Storch, staff from the Secretary of State, and other experienced leaders with tips on running campaigns and sharing resources available to candidates. The day will end with a candid, one-hour conversation with these legislators about what they have learned from their own races.

“If we want our government to be more representative and more responsive, it means that we have to get more people to take the courageous step of running for office,” said Stephen Smith of the WV Healthy Kids and Families Coalition, who will lead some of the trainings. “If you have ever thought of throwing your hat in the ring, this is the training for you.”

These trainings are being organized by a diverse coalition of partners – including the Our Children, Our Future Campaign, the WV Chamber of Commerce Executives, the WV AFL-CIO, the WV Citizen Action Group, the WV School Board Association, Generation West Virginia, WV Healthy Kids and Families Coalition, Youth Services System, and the WV Community Development Hub.

This fourth and final training will take place, from 9am-5pm at the Youth Services System, Inc., 87 15th St, Wheeling, WV. A Charleston session is scheduled for Saturday, December 5^th. Registration is online at www.ocofwv.org/dosomethinggreat. The price is $50 for candidates, with a special $20 rate for students and campaign workers. Organizers say that the training is designed for folks ready to run now or who might consider a run in the future.

Our democracy depends on our active participation in the electoral process. Voting is only the beginning. Citizens are encouraged to become active in the campaigns of candidates they support. When there aren’t candidates running that you support, then it’s time to consider running for office! This training could be the first step in your new political career.