One weekend in June at a charming old church sanctuary within earshot of the State Capitol, two different groups of people gathered for a training with NCAE’s two separate summer voter outreach programs. On one side of the room were NCAE members from across the state, and on the other side were professional canvassers — paid and trained to do door-to-door organizing. In all, more than two dozen North Carolinians of different stripes were spending a couple of hot summer days working together.
One of those gathered was Barbara Sexton, Director of Student Services at Lewisville Middle School in Forsyth County and longtime NCAE member, who arrived in Raleigh not knowing what to expect. Barbara was curious and eager to make a difference and at the urging of another member signed up for NCAE’s Battleground Summer program.
Battleground Summer empowers NCAE members to step up and take an active role in community advocacy. By knocking on doors and engaging directly with community members, Battleground Summer canvassers develop important skills, learning how have deep face-to-face conversations that build support for public schools.
As Barbara walked in the room the first day, she saw a lot of new faces. Some were fellow educators and others were professional canvassers. NCAE was trying something new, a blended canvass where members and professionals trained together so that both groups could learn from one another. Members were able to share experiences in their classrooms and workplaces, and the professional canvassers shared the skills of their craft in door knocking.
“I didn’t know being a professional canvasser was something you could do, but I learned so much from them about the techniques of canvassing and how to use my own personality to make connections with people at the door,” recounted Barbara about her blended training. “Working with these professionals really set my mind at ease about the work we were going to do.”
The professional canvassers were there for more than just two days of training, they were working with NCAE on the We ♥ Public Schools canvass program. While the Battleground Summer program features members focused on deep conversations, the We ♥ Public Schools canvass widens our reach.
Professional canvassers can target a broader audience, bringing their expertise and efficiency to our cause. Their involvement allows us to cover more ground and ensure that our advocacy efforts are both widespread and impactful. By the end of the summer, the program will have reached 60,000 doors and recruited thousands of public school supporters to join our coalition.
Both programs, Battleground Summer and the We ♥ Public Schools canvass were working towards identifying public education supporters through signatures on our We ♥ Public Schools pledge.
So far this summer, the two programs combined have identified more than 4,000 public education supporters! But of course, that’s not the end.
Identifying supporters is only the beginning of establishing valuable relationships within our communities.
Throughout the program, Barbara gained a much deeper understanding of how all the pieces fit together—building personal connections and listening to our neighbors can foster a sense of community and shared purpose.
Quote byBarbara Sexton , Forsyth County Member
For Barbara and her fellow Battleground Summer participants, they also left with a renewed sense of commitment and a deeper understanding of how to contribute to the broader movement for public education.
