It is part of the school's mission to promote the political empowerment of women throughout the nation and the world, with a particular emphasis on emerging democracies. The five-day session, which is held on the Yale campus, follows the typical campaign time line, from the decision to run for office through what to do on Election Day. Other topics include fundraising, scheduling, polling and research, public speaking, ethics and maintaining political websites.
All students receive personal TV training.
The training session ends with a mock campaign at which students have the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned. Professionals in the political arena serve as instructors. These include public relations specialists, campaign consultants, pollsters, fundraisers and elected officials. Among the many notables on this year's roster are the syndicated humorist and popular television personality Regina Barreca, political pollster and television pundit Jeffrey Pollock, editor of Campaigns and Elections magazine and political consultant on CNN Ron Faucheux, New York Times reporter Jill Abramson and U.S. Representative from the Connecticut Sixth District Nancy Johnson. Members of the Board of Directors regularly attend sessions, providing students with unique networking opportunities.