General Program
General Program
The Great Lakes Political Academy is a unique program designed to recruit and train individuals to lead successful campaigns in Michigan. GLPA runs a 12-week General Program in the Spring of each year for campaign staff designed to give fellows a well-rounded knowledge of all aspects of campaign management.
Strategy and Planning
The strategy and planning portion of the curriculum is intended to equip fellows with the knowledge and tools necessary for developing overarching strategies and modes of implementation for their campaigns. The subtopics include:
Lay of the Land
Plan Writing
Coalition Building
Field
The field portion of the curriculum explores the processes for developing and implementing a successful field program. The subtopics include:
Targeting
Turf Management
ID Reporting
Finance
The finance portion of the program details the day-to-day methods of raising revenue in the campaign environment. The subtopics include:
Financial Planning and Fundraising Tools
Call Time, Donor Research, and Compliance
Event Planning and Donor Messaging
Communications
The communications portion of the programs covers how successful campaigns utilize the press and other media to sell voters on a set of ideas about their candidate. Communications concerns the development and delivery of campaign messaging. The subtopics include:
Earned Media
Paid Media
Endorsements
Coordination
The coordination portion of the program focuses on how campaigns are massive community efforts that require the engagement of different organizations and groups. Working with other organizations and recruiting volunteers directly are the ways campaigns build their support and firepower. The subtopics include:
Volunteer Outreach
Database Management
Event Planning and Publicity
Apply:
The GLPA fellowship program is FREE for all accepted fellows. Sessions are held in Lansing and Ann Arbor on Sundays from 10 - 1 throughout the Spring for the General Program and the Fall for the Specialization Program. There is a virtual option for those fellows living in northern Michigan.
Fellows are expected to attend all academic sessions and complete coursework during the week between each academic session held on Sunday.
Applicants are required to provide background information, a resumé, a list of three references, and a one-page cover letter describing how they believe the program will help them accomplish their political and professional goals.
The Selection Committee, which consists of campaign experts, selects qualified fellows on the basis of experience, work ethic, and ability to learn skills necessary for effective campaign management.
The application window for the Spring 2025 GLPA general program has closed. Please consider applying to our Specialization program running in the Fall of 2025.