FAQ
What is Swing Semester 2008?
What is a political immersion program?
Who do you support?
What is a progressive? Aren’t you just basically Democrats?
Do your program participants have volunteer or paid positions?
Do you pay the participants in your program?
Who can participate in Swing Semester?
Do I have to be a student to do this program?
It’s already the summer - can I really still take off the fall semester?
What is included in living with a host family?
Does it cost money to do the Swing Semester program?
How did you pick the cities you will be in?
Who is behind this operation?
Who is funding this?
What is SwingBoard?
How structured is your program?
What does your logo represent?
I hear you guys were around in 2004. How is the 2008 program different?
What is a City Captain?
THIS IS SO FANTASTIC AND IMPORTANT! Where do I send my check?
Swing Semester 2008 is the nation’s first political immersion program.
Like the Peace Corps or Teach for America, Swing Semester 2008 provides a vehicle that enables participants to make a tangible difference in the world.
Like a semester abroad, Swing Semester 2008 combines real-world experience with an emphasis on education, placement with a host family, and even the ability to earn academic credit.
What is a political immersion program?
Swing Semester 2008 is a political immersion program. An immersion program is typically one that transplants you to a new place, sets you up to live among the locals, and has you learn through your experience - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The power of immersion cannot be underestimated. It’s about more than just gaining experience - it’s about gaining perspective. With an immersion experience, you enter ready to be challenged, and you don’t expect to be the same person when you are done. The kind of relationships created in these circumstances become part of the best memories of your life and give you direction long into the future.
The vast array of lifestyles and cultures contained in the United States mean that moving within its borders can be just as much of a change as moving overseas. Our democracy benefits from citizens who are willing to cross those unspoken boundaries within our own country, and grow perspective as they work to further progressive values.
Young progressives.
Swing Semester does not endorse or support any candidate or political party. Our sole focus is on building progressive citizens, and to us that means people taking ownership for their country beyond their love of any particular candidate or political party.
What is a progressive? Aren’t you just basically Democrats?
Progress is a road. Democrats are a bus. The bus is on the road, but the bus is not the road.
Do your program participants have volunteer or paid positions?
Participants choose the kind of job that they want.
These are real-world jobs with real-world salaries, and responsibilities outside of the Swing Semester 2008 program. Most participants elect to have paid positions, and can expect to earn between $3k and $5k during the ten-week Denver program or $2k to $3.5k during the seven-week Cincinnati program. We educate participants on available positions through Swing Board, and individualized job counseling.
Do you pay the participants in your program?
Swing Semester 2008 provides a vibrant community and context for young people who are working with organizations on the ground in swing states.
We do not operate our own field campaign, and we do not pay our participants.
Who can participate in Swing Semester?
Young people between the ages of 18 and 26 years old and swing state residents living in one of our program cities.
If neither of those is you, you may fit into our third and very important category: Swing Semester supporter. Contribute online or contact us to become a Swing Semester champion, with your own customizable fundraising page. And definitely spread the word to people you know who may want to participate or host!
Do I have to be a student to do this program?
Not at all. If you’re 18 - 26 years old and care about this country, this program’s for you.
It’s already the summer - can I really still take off the fall semester?
You may or may not be able to - depends on your school.
Contact us to talk about how we might be able to help you navigate matters related to leave of absence, financial aid, student health care, and earning academic credit. Although we won’t have all the answers on hand, we can work with you to get to them quickly.
What is included in living with a host family?
The only certainty in living with a host is having a private room in a program city.
Meals, transportation, and health care are the responsibility of the participant. However, our experience is that many hosts open their homes, their refrigerators, and their hearts. A good rule is to maintain a be-nice-and-people-will-feed-you mentality.
Does it cost money to do the Swing Semester program?
Yes. Swing Semester charges a program fee of $50.
We also offer NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS and a PERSONALIZED DONATE PAGE to support you in raising the money from your networks. We may even be able to help get you to your program city for free.
How did you pick the cities you will be in?
We worked with several expert advisers to select cities in swing states that we believe are going to be close in the general election this fall. In short, that’s where the action is.
Young people, alllll young people.
In 2004, our founders saw the urgency of the political situation and the lack of clear opportunities for young people to do something about it. They created Swing Semester as the answer.
A number of the people involved with the 2008 program now were participants then. In the years since, Swing Semester has collected a bunch of other talent and built a strong advisory council.
Viewers like you. Swing Semester 2008 is a community-driven, community-funded, and community-focused program.
Swing Board is our online job board. It lists entry-level opportunities to work on progressive efforts (issues, causes, campaigns) in swing states. Listed positions may be paid/unpaid, part-time/full-time, and are open to any political party.
Swing Board is for use by anyone who wants to work on progressive efforts in swing states this fall, and is not limited to our participants and program cities.
How structured is your program?
The Swing Semester 2008 program has very few elements that are mandatory, but includes an infinite number of aspects that are available to participants and hosts.
Over the course of the Denver program, there are three city-wide events. Participants are required to attend all three events, and hosts are strongly encouraged to attend. The Cincinnati program has two city-wide events.
Beyond that… Engage with some of the most cutting-edge ideas in the progressive world through weekly swing city reading groups. As your interest carries you or academic credit compels you, utilize the Swing Semester syllabus to delve deeper into the progressive world. Keep up with events in your city through the community calendar and show up for everything from bowling after to work to political trainings to registering voters at rock concerts. Contribute your own thoughts and perspective to the Reflection Initiative or design an event for your swing city community and use our funds to carry it out.
If you are a participant, keep in mind that all the program elements listed here are separate from the work that you will be doing at your job. And depending on what kind of job you choose, you may be working 90 hours a week or 30 hours a week.
What does your logo represent?
The Swing Semester logo is in the shape of a traditional academic seal. We designed our logo to reflect the essential message that theory (books) and action (voting) are better together than either is alone. The stylized American flag represents not just the political world, but the deep progressive patriotism that informs our work. Orange is a color which has become synonymous for democracy and fair democratic process in countries around the world.
I hear you guys were around in 2004. How is the 2008 program different?
Lots of ways – but they fall into two major areas.
For one, hosts no longer just provide housing – they have become central to our program. Over the course of the program, hosts engage with each other and form relationships that will last long beyond the election.
Working off the feedback of our 2004 participants, we now place a strong emphasis on education for participants and our extended swing state community. Our education component consists of weekly reading groups, author events, and an online syllabus.
There are two City Captains on the ground in each program city. City Captains are the leaders, organizers, and chief contacts in that city.
City Captains have a range of responsibilities, including:
• Working with hosts to organize swing city reading groups
• Guiding and approving funds for participant-led educational projects and events
• Updating the online city calendar to include social events, trainings, etc.
• Collecting submissions for the Reflection Initiative
• 24 hour troubleshooting and support for participants and hosts
• Keeping the momentum running through all parts of the program
Sound like a great gig for the fall? Send a resume with cover letter to jobs [at] swingsemester [dot] org!
THIS IS SO FANTASTIC AND IMPORTANT! Where do I send my check?
Why, we’re so glad you asked.
You may send your check to:
Swing Semester
1133 19th Street, NW
9th Floor
Washington, DC 20036
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