Yale Program aims to put more women in office

Studies have shown that when women run for political office in the same categories as men, they win just as often. However, the number of women in politics--11 percent in the House and nine percent in the Senate--still pales when compared to the number of men. The Women's Campaign School at Yale, an intensive, week-long program run in conjunction with the Law School and the women's and gender studies department, is trying to to be a part of the solution, offering women comprehensive training in how to run campaigns.

COURTESY THE WOMEN'S CAMPAIGN SCHOOL AT YALE The Women's Campaign School at Yale gives budding female pols a four and a half day crash course in public speaking, media skills, and fund-raising techniques.

Andree Brooks, a former New York Times reporter and an associate fellow of Jonathan Edwards college since 1989, founded the Campaign School in 1993. Brooks recognizes that while women were increasingly successful in business and other professions, few women were making the leap into politics. "They needed a jumpstart," she said.

Cathy Allen, a prominent political consultant and owner of the political consulting firm Campaign Connection, praised the program. "The Yale [Campaign] School takes a leadership role. It is by far the most comprehensive training program. For a week's work, women receive a lifetime's use," she said.

The Yale program has been so successful that similar programs for women have used it as a model. "Right now we are being copied by a program at Cambridge, and a graduate is trying to start a similar program on the West Coast," Brooks reported.

But Brooks isn't getting ahead of herself--the Yale program still has needs. "We are moving slowly. This is the year we have raised enough capital to have a full-time executive director," he said. He explained that two criteria had to be in place for the school to take off. "First, the training had to be non-threatening in a non-party environment. Second, the training had to be at a certain time of the year, at a visible institution."

Brooks turned to Yale because of her own affiliation with the school and because of its reputation as a training ground for many successful politicians. "I liked Yale because it wasn't a women's college--it was where the boys were trained. " Brooks said.

While the program initially suffered from lack of support, the women's and gender studies department and the Law School eventually signed on as sponsors. From that point, Brooks had to form a non-profit organization because the program was not academically based. Currently, its board of trustees includes Representative Barbara Kennelly (D-Conn.) and Audrey Rowe, the executive vice president of the National Urban League.

The Women's Campaign School provides a training uniquely technique-oriented and non-issue-based. Since 1994, 40 to 50 women from around the country and the globe have met at Yale for the school's full session every June. Students participated in four and a half days of intense workshops, which covered the specific aspects of running a political campaign.

The workshops ranged from fund-raising techniques, to public speaking and media skills. The session culminates in a mock campaign and critique.

The session also offers a fantastic opportunity for women politicians to network with one another. "The Women's Campaign School is a supportive group," Laurel Anderson, the School's new executive director and a 1995 graduate of the school, explained.

In keeping with the school's mission to provide inside training for outsiders, the sessions do not delve into issues. This differentiates the school from other training programs for women like the ones offered by EMILY's list, which trains Democratic, pro-choice candidates. Nor does the school require its students to have had previous political involvement, differentiating it from programs like the Women's Campaign Fund.

Teachers of the workshops include politicians and campaign managers, both Democratic and Republican, independent political consultants, and a variety of media figures. "Because of the rapid changes in the field, teachers tend to be professionals who work in campaigns [as opposed to Yale professors]," Brooks explained.

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