Written By: Justin Reuter, Director of Campus Organizing
It's my favorite time of year: School is back in session, fairs and festivals are everywhere, and it’s still HOT outside. This time of year also means the Campus Organizing Interns are frantically getting ready for a big year. In August and September, you can expect to see the Campus Organizing Interns and their Committee Members building relationships across the entire campus.
Campus Organizing Interns started work even before the first day of classes. Soon after they started on August 3, the Campus Organizing Interns began recruiting students to their committees. Interns were instructed to build a wildly talented, deeply passionate, and knowledgeable team. Campus Committees are expected to complete a wide array of tasks and meet a variety of objectives throughout the year; therefore, it is imperative that Campus Organizing Interns build a team that can help them excel in areas in which they need reinforcements. Based on what I’ve seen and heard about up to this point, I am confident our teams will be more productive than ever before.
One of the first tasks the Campus Organizing Interns will need to complete is reserving a table for their student club/activities fair. The plan is to have a table at the fair in order to inform students of who we are as an organization and persuade students to get involved either as a committee member or an action team member or simply to receive our emails. Some universities have already had their activities fair, but if yours is coming up, look for our very attractive tablecloth, display banner, and our very fun promotional items. We would love to connect with you.
In addition to the activities fair, Campus Organizing Interns have been watching webinars on how to plan a National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) event. NVRD is scheduled for September 26, 2017. Again, look for the Students United table, and there you'll see very dedicated campus committee members encouraging students to register to vote. Our organization has a deep commitment to civic engagement, so there is no doubt that we support NVRD and support anyone on the state universities getting involved in the democratic process.
We also support new leadership opportunities and leadership skills development with our team members. The Campus Organizing Interns will be joining the Board of Directors on September 9 and 10th for Heart of the Leader Training. While there, the Interns and Board Members will learn how they can grow as a leader and help our organization reach new heights.
Shortly after that on September 15 and 16th, the Campus Organizing Interns and Committee Members will be attending the Campus Committee Retreat. The Campus Committee Retreat is a fun and informative gathering of the Campus Committee Members from all of the seven state universities. It will be our first time interacting face-to-face, so everyone can expect a lot of team builders and fun times. They can also expect to learn the ins and outs of student engagement, our mission and strategic plan, and how to be an effective and inclusive organization.
The next time you see a Campus Committee Member or your Campus Organizing Intern, offer them a high-five or a cold water because they're working hard and it’s still HOT outside.