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Women gained "The Winning Edge" for elections and learned how to build a successful campaign at the Pennsylvania Women's Campaign School on January 19-21, 2007, at Chatham College in Pittsburgh. Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Center for Women, Politics and Public Policy at Chatham College and the Pennsylvania Women's Campaign Fund (PWCF), the two-and-a-half day intensive workshop led by facilitator Diane Cromer, owner of a Washington-based strategic communications firm, covered topics including messaging, communications crisis, managing criticism, raising money and voter trends. Participants worked in teams to simulate a real-life political campaign and had the opportunity to network with local women elected officials.

Ms. Cromer says, "Victory results when a campaign and candidate know how to make the right decisions at the right time and that comes from experiencing campaign situations. This case-based school provides that hands-on practice and that is why it can create the winning difference."

Tuition was $100, which covered registration, instructional materials, and meals. A limited number of scholarships were available through the Women's Campaign Forum to assist in the cost of registration, travel, or childcare.

Campaign School Gives Women the "Winning Edge"                                                Top
By Sharon Larimer (Winning Edge Campaign School participant)
Originally published in the Winter 2007 Newsletter

Why should I run for office? Why would people vote for me?

These questions were answered for the nearly 40 women who attended the Winning Edge Campaign School at Chatham College (Pittsburgh, PA) from January 19-21, 2007. The intensive school trained the women to run for office or to serve as a campaign professional through a simulation which covered the critical components of a campaign.

The program was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Women's Campaign Fund (PWCF) and the Pennsylvania Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy at Chatham College (PCWPPP).

Financial support and scholarships were provided by The Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University and the Women's Campaign Forum.

"The School features the fundamentals of messaging, targeting and fundraising, while participants create a campaign prospectus and work through the intricacies of a state house race," noted Dr. Allyson Lowe, PCWPPP Center Director and PWCF board member.

Diane Cromer, a nationally recognized strategist, led the training with assistance from a bi-partisan team: Eileen Parise of Global Resource Solutions, Lisa Friel of Friel & Associates, and Jann Chirdon of the Lisa Bennington campaign.

One of the highlights of the program was Saturday's panel discussion featuring Rep. Lisa Bennington (D-21), a Chatham alumna, and Rep. Barbara McIlvaine Smith who took time out of their busy schedules, and Rep. Bennington from her 30th birthday, to share recent campaign experiences and answer questions.

At the end of the 30 hour training, participants were exhausted, but enthusiastic about putting their newly acquired skills to the test on the 2008 campaign trail!