Jaime Raskin is a House Representative of Maryland’s 8th Congressional District, which includes the vast majority of Montgomery County. Apart from his accomplishments within the halls of Congress, Raskin has also founded Democracy Summer.
Democracy Summer is a summer internship program to educate high school students on the Democratic Party and election success methods at every level of government. This project is a program focused on the goal of growing and developing students in the political world. The program dives into the past of policy revolution, social change, and leadership and political authority skills to teach students how to advance and play a part in today’s political landscape.
Many Students in Montgomery County Public Schools ( MCPS) have participated in this program, especially those involved with advocacy, such as John F Kennedy Senior Harper Bender, who also serves as Senior Vice President in her school’s Student Government Association (SGA), who participated in Democracy Summer this previous summer. When asked about her experience, Bender stated, “ [ the program] did a really good job at bringing in guest speakers on a range of different topics.” As an attendee, she crafted connections and learned different topics and skills required for each part of the Democratic Party’s organization.
In particular, Bender continues by saying the program gave her “a better perspective on grassroots movements” and the steps required to plan party action. This was in response to asking Bender what she got out of the program after attending, in which she gave the Democracy Summer’s program a glowing review. The program features many influential political figures, such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and many more guest speakers. Attendants can gain these officials’ firsthand points of view in the political world, possibly for their debut in the Democratic Party.
Democracy Summer includes numerous topics like the Electoral College, the domestic and military budget, education policy, and civil rights. However, this program focuses on teaching its accepted applicants how to run a campaign and hosting at least one voter education or registration event.
There are two types of Democracy Summer Project programs: the Fellows and the Scholars. Both require extensive commitment from their students. For both programs, these six-week intensives contain workshops and seminars, which can be at least 4 hours a week, and in-person campaign organizing for up to 10 hours a week. Scholars and Fellows must also host at least one event with help from other fellows/scholars in their area.
Although the program provides Scholars the extra opportunity to meet with their Congressperson and campaign staff, House members choose Fellows from the Democracy Summer program for their campaign, while their Members of Congress must nominate those wishing to be Scholars to join the program.
For rising politicians or driven students with a cause they care about, this is a rare opportunity to expand and get an in-depth introduction to politics. Sophomore Benjamin Auerbach at Walter Johnson mentioned what he would hope to gain from this program, stating his goals of learning “how new voters undergo socialization and the skills that are required for political leadership and authority.” This is just one example of what hopeful attendees want to gather from the Democracy Summer project.
If you’re eager to enhance your political understanding or gain insights into effective campaign management, this program is worth considering for your summer. If you’re interested in applying to Democracy Summer or interning for Representative Raskin, you can find more information on Democracy Summer’s and Representative Raskin’s websites.
Article Written by Max Ekstein of Walter Johnson HS
Photo Courtesy of Democracy Summer Project