Summer is in full swing, and so is internship season for most campaigns! Summer interns are so much more than just temporary helpers; they are valuable contributors who can significantly impact the success of your campaign, whether that’s on the ground or in the office. Here are a few ways that you can best utilize your summer interns and maximize the impacts that they can have on your campaign and supporters.

1. Amplifying Outreach Efforts: Interns can play a crucial role in expanding the campaign’s outreach efforts. They can assist with canvassing neighborhoods, distributing campaign literature, and engaging with voters directly. While this is sometimes a dreaded job on campaigns, it’s a crucial role – one that interns are excited to do, as it gives them a front row seat to the candidate, their policies, and the issues that their community wants to talk about. Talk about being in the know!
2. Digital and Social Media Management: In today’s digital age, social media presence is vital for any campaign, and let’s face it – who knows how to keep up with all of the new platforms and trends? Interns, often younger and more tech-savvy, fill this need exactly. Aside from just knowing how and what to post, they often have their finger on the pulse of new trends that could bring a fresh set of eyes to your campaign.
3. Conducting Research and Analysis: Interns can often take on tedious research tasks such as gathering data on voter demographics, analyzing polling trends, or researching policy issues. You immediately get a fresh set of eyes that can give you new perspectives and analytical insights that you might have missed the first time around. 
4. Voter Registration and Mobilization: Interns can assist in voter registration drives, ensuring eligible voters are registered and informed about voting procedures. They can also help mobilize supporters to volunteer, attend events, and participate actively in the campaign. Their youthful energy can bring in crowds of all ages, getting people mobilized quickly! 
5. Providing Feedback and New Perspectives: Interns bring fresh perspectives and diverse backgrounds to any campaign team. Encouraging them to share their ideas and insights fosters innovation and ensures that the campaign remains relevant and responsive to changing dynamics!
6. Building Future Leaders: At its core, summer internship programs are investing in the next generation of political leaders and activists. By nurturing their passion for civic engagement and empowering them to make a difference, campaigns not only benefit in the short term but also contribute to long-term political engagement and leadership.

We were all summer interns once – what might seem like a lifetime ago for you is someone’s best summer ever just getting started. Your interns bring enthusiasm, new skills, and a fresh perspective to political campaigns. It’s important to strategically integrate these team members into various aspects of the campaign, from outreach and digital media to research and grassroots organizing. Your campaign can leverage these young talents to achieve greater impact and reach, while investing in the next generation of political leaders and activists. 

Did you know that with no per-user fees, all of your interns can have access to ContactDrive to help with those summer data projects? No more “intern1” usernames and adding another seat to your already expensive programs – we understand how important interns are to campaigns and organizations and want to make sure that everyone can get their hands on ContactDrive’s features. Learn more about how everyone on your team can get logged in and trained up by scheduling a live demo today!