CORVALLIS – The Willamette Valley Legislative Fellowship, hosted by Representative Dan Rayfield (D-Corvallis), is now accepting applications for the fall. The fellowship is geared toward local high school and college students and takes a traditional internship to a new level. Fellows will develop skills needed to work in the political and policy processes and are then given the opportunity to apply those skills.
“The goal of the fellowship is to provide students with tangible skills and professional experience that will prepare them for when they graduate,” Rayfield said. “We want to provide students with abilities that they will be able to use later in life.”
Fellows learn from subject matter experts through a unique guest speaker series. In policy development, fellows learned how to formulate practical and thoughtful policy. After developing their ideas throughout the program, the fellows then competed through a mock public hearing at the Capitol. After the 2016 Fellowship, the winning policy was drafted by Rayfield for the 2017 Legislative Session. During the session the fellows went to Salem and testified on behalf of their bill in the House Rules Committee.
Fellows also learned various political skills related to community organizing and campaigning. Fellows put their skills into action by writing scripts, recruiting volunteers, and organizing events. By the end of the fellowship the group traveled over 900 miles and knocked on more than 4,000 doors to assist with seven critical House campaigns.
The fellowship also allows students to earn college credit while simultaneously preparing them for legislative or campaign positions.
“The fellowship was not only a fun experience, but also gave me a chance to learn practical skills from people who are using them in the real world,” said Harrison Schrieber, Crescent Valley High School student and former fellow.
Applications for the program are open now through June 1st. To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter to Tony Lapiz at tony@danrayfield.com. Full details about the fellowship can be found at DanRayfield.com/Fellowship.
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