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The eight women who attended Camp Wellstone training last weekend had an overwhelmingly positive reaction to what they learned and how they believe it will help them in their future work.

The positive response is not surprising since during its 14 year history, Wellstone training has gained a reputation for being among the best in the country.  “We believe politics shouldn’t be about money and power games – it should be about the improvement of people’s lives,” says the Wellstone website. “That’s the kind of politics Paul Wellstone embodied: one where we all do better when we all do better.

“With a radical, resurgent conservative movement on the rise, it’s the kind of politics we need now more than ever.We believe that electoral politics, public policy, and grassroots organizing can be woven together to create progressive change. We call it the Wellstone Triangle, and it anchors everything we do.”

In keeping with the Triangle idea, participants in Georgia’s Camp Wellstone chose one of three tracks for training: Candidate, Campaign or Grassroots Organizing. The WIN list scholarship WINning women selected to attend Georgia’s Camp Wellstone were: Sherri Allen, Ta’Sha Barber, Caroline McKinley, Daisy Ross, Dawn Singletary, Amelia Weltner, Elizabeth Whitmore and Helen Willis.

Enrolled in the Grassroots training track, Daisy Ross said learning to recognize different leadership styles and understanding what prospective supporters need will be essential to the work she is doing in Macon to preserve a community school. She also looks forward to applying the strategies she learned about building up a network of support for her cause.

“This weekend truly took me outside of my comfort zone and allowed the opportunity for me to examine techniques using my natural leadership style to develop strategies to support an important cause,” she said of the experience.

Participating in the Campaign Management track, Ta’Sha Barber said the Wellstone training built on the knowledge she had going into the training and helped her learn to become more aware of how to train someone else who works on her team.

Amelia Weltner, who is also a member of the 2016 WIN Leadership Academy Class, chose the Campiagn Management track and said the program taught her a great deal about areas she was not as familiar with, and trainings on the topics she did know gave her the opportunity to come to think about them from a different angle and perspective. Further, she said she met some inspiring people.

After the training, Weltner said she feels, “more confident in what I am doing, and got to think about how I can contribute in different ways.” She said during the weekend she met people she hopes to work with and some she has already started working with.

“I’m incredibly grateful for WIN List for sending me to Camp Wellstone. I left with new skills, newfound confidence, and new friends. It was inspiring to see my peers commitment to advancing progressive change, and fascinating to learn about how everyone contributes.” Weltner said. “It was a truly life-changing weekend.”