Seeking Young North Carolinians for
Democracy Summer 2006

Work for a better democracy and get paid $2,000

What is Democracy Summer?
Democracy Summer is an innovative program in which selected North Carolina youth aged 17-24 gain hands-on experience working for social change. The eight-week summer program, now in its 6th year, provides young people the opportunity to be community organizers working to reinvent democracy in North Carolina. A Democracy Summer organizer is one of ten young people who work together to promote fair elections that give voters ownership over elections, rather than an elite or wealthy few. A Democracy Summer organizer is trained to be an advocate for many voting rights and campaign reforms in North Carolina, such as publicly financed elections and same day voter registration. Democracy Summer is a project of Democracy North Carolina, a non-profit and non-partisan organization based in North Carolina.

“Democracy Summer was a life-changing experience that has given me as much as I’ve put into it.”
- Maria Dillard, ECU student and 2003 Democracy Summer student

In the footsteps of Freedom Summer

In the summer of 1964, college students converged on Mississippi in order to test the foundation of democracy in America in what was known as Freedom Summer. These students registered African-Americans to vote, held educational classes, and investigated civil rights violations - all direct challenges to the Jim Crow laws and political elite who were disenfranchising African-American voters in the South.

Today there are far fewer barriers to the ballot box, but elections remain a place for the elite. Skyrocketing campaign costs act as a modern-day poll tax, with only the wealthiest or those connected to the wealthy able to run for and win office.

In the tradition of Freedom Summer comes Democracy Summer. Just as with Freedom Summer, college students are devoting their summer to improve democracy in a southern state – this time to get big money out of politics in North Carolina. Democracy Summer cultivates the leaders of tomorrow’s civil rights struggles with real-world organizing experience today.

About the Program

• Throughout the summer a Democracy Summer organizer: gives public presentations, conducts a door-to-door canvass, meets with elected officials, plans community rallies and forums, signs up democracy volunteers, receives a 3-day retreat training, is an advocate for campaign finance reform and voting rights issues in NC, works in a team of 3-4 students from various universities, and is paid $2,000 for his/her work.

• Dates of Democracy Summer: May 23 - July 28.

• A Democracy Summer position is a full-time job. Students who take summer courses are not eligible; however many past participants have received course credit for participation in the program.

• Democracy Summer organizers are typically based out of offices in Charlotte, Greenville, and Carrboro and work across a region near where they are based.

• Democracy Summer is open to young people aged 17-24 (not open to graduate students).

• Women and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply. All majors and all ages encouraged to apply.

How to Apply for the 2006 Program

Email or mail a cover letter and resumé to:

Democracy Summer Program
Democracy North Carolina
105 West Main St.
Carrboro, NC 27510
info@democracy-nc.org

For questions or for more information call (toll-free):
1-888-687-8683