<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"We all know that every vote counts in an election, but what about every volunteer? Working for a presidential campaign is a way for an individual to directly help implement governmental change. Campaigns welcome high school and college student volunteers, and they play integral roles in the election by registering and mobilizing new voters. We interviewed two young political leaders who represent their parties on college campuses. Alejandra Salinas, a 21-year-old senior at the University of Texas, is the national president of the College Democrats, and Alex Schriver, 23, works out of Washington D.C. as the chairman of the College Republicans. The College Democrats and the College Republicans are present on over 1,000 different campuses across the country, and Alejandra and Alex each oversee over 100,000 student members. They've outlined how you can join a campaign, what you can expect to do, and why you'll benefit from political activism. \n\nHow do I sign up?\n\n Attend a College Democrats or Republicans meeting.\n\n \"When you go to a campus meeting, all the campaigns basically come to you,\" says Alejandra. \"Official representatives pitch campaign positions and offer you free food. It's how I got my start in campaigning, and how most other college students get their introduction as well.\"\n\n Search the web to find your candidate's local offices.\n\n \"If you're not on a college campus or you're still in high school, I recommend going to a website like Young Americans for Barack Obama and signing up for email updates,\" says Alejandra. \"Find out where your candidate's local office is. Go in and say you'd like to volunteer for an hour or so, and they'll get you working on a number of different, interesting projects you want to do. If you live near a college campus, you can get in touch with the College Democrats representatives, who will be more than happy to connect you with all of their contacts.\"\n\n Use social media.\n\n \"Local political parties, which include county parties and even state parties, are going to have a variety of opportunities to get students plugged in,\" says Alex. \"Some of our best volunteers around the country are young people, and obviously that includes college students, but that also includes high school students. I would encourage students to look at Facebook and Twitter pages, where a lot of times parties will post opportunities that are more up-to-date.\"\n\nWhat will I do as a volunteer?\n\n Speak directly to voters.\n\n \"There are two different routes that you can take,\" says Alejandra. \"One is to go to the office and make phone calls or canvass, which includes knocking on doors, collecting information, and registering and speaking to voters.\"\n\n Reach out to other students.\n\n \"The other path is to do something more unconventional,\" says Alejandra. \"A lot of students host house parties to engage political discussion. Another event is a 'Dorm Storm,' where a lot of students get together and hand out fliers in the dorms about the campaign's issues.\"\n\n Employ your digital skills.\n\n \"Young people bring a sense of energy to campaigns,\" says Alex. \"When it comes to social media, I think that they have skill sets that maybe older folks in the campaign may not have.\"\n\nWhat is the time commitment?\n\n Create your own schedule.\n\n \"It's up to the volunteer,\" says Alejandra. \"If you want to spend an hour per week at an office, or an hour a week with friends tabling on campus, that's an option. If you want to spend six or seven hours a week working for the campaign, that's an option too.\"\n\n \"People in high school are confined by their class schedule and limitations of whether they have a car, but there's always an abundance of work on political campaigns, so the sky's the limit,\" says Alex. \"I think the more time that they put in, the more that they are able to get out of the experience.\"\n\nWhy should I volunteer?\n\n To develop an understanding of the political system and your personal stances.\n\n \"I think it's important for young people to understand how political campaigns work and how they effect change in government,\" says Alex. \"Use volunteering as an opportunity to learn what others have to say and refine your political beliefs. Also, you'll feel a sense of accomplishment from working for a campaign and getting to experience so many different things, from knocking on doors to making phone calls or working in headquarters.\"\n\n To make an impact regardless of your age.\n\n \"It's kind of cheesy, but volunteering taught me I can change the world,\" says Alejandra. \"When you're eighteen, some people don't take you seriously and it's hard to get recognized. But in politics, whether you are fifteen or fifty, your voice can have the same impact.\""^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-to-volunteer-political-campaign>