Answering the Call

Our democracy needs servant leaders who put their communities and country first. Are you ready to answer the call?

Answering the Call engages participants in the personal reflection necessary to understand what kind of leader they can become, and in what ways they can lead through politics. Check out our FAQs for more information.

In Answering the Call, you'll explore the pathways into politics...

Considering a run for local or national office?
Public service should be about actually serving the public, not one’s own self interest. Unfortunately, the toxicity of our politics has increasingly driven away the very people who are best equipped to lead. That’s where we come in. Learn more.
Curious about staffing a campaign?
The difference between a candidate winning or losing can be decided by the strength of their campaign team. Some of the best staffers we’ve worked with had zero campaign experience — but they did possess courage, empathy, and a commitment to public service. Learn more.
Want to engage more deeply as a citizen?
A government of, by, and for the people is dependent on the people. Simply being clear on the values that bind you to your neighbors and fellow citizens is a crucial part of protecting and revitalizing American democracy. Learn more.
Answering the Call is as simple as 1…2…3
  1. View session schedules and times here. The application includes two short answer responses. Our admissions team reviews those responses for every applicant, as they provide valuable insight into your motivations for applying. We encourage you to set aside at least 10 minutes to thoughtfully complete this section. You are given the option to save your progress and resume the application at a better time, if needed.
  2. Upon acceptance, fill out an enrollment form. You should hear back from the team about your application status within two weeks. Once accepted, you will need to fill out an enrollment form that takes less than 2 minutes to complete. This form confirms your spot in the program.
  3. Attend your Answering the Call session(s) with an amazing cohort of servant leaders. Participants come together in small cohorts. There is no pre-work; participants are expected to complete reflection exercises during the program (one-day cohorts) or in between each session (five-week cohorts).
Take your next step in civic leadership.

Prepare to run.

Hannah • Peace Corps • ATC 2017

There are three questions servant leaders should be able to answer before launching a campaign – where, how, and why. Answering the Call engages servant leaders in the most critical of these: why. The best public servants are those who are clear about why elected office is the best way for them to turn their values into action.

"I appreciate how the program focused not on learning a formula to get elected, but on understanding what it would feel like for ME, with all my strengths and weaknesses and values and priorities, to run for and then be in office.”
- Hannah • Peace Corps • ATC 2017

Support a servant leader.

Service to Politics Conference

Good leaders need people who can keep them accountable. It takes just as much courage and empathy to be the person who acts as a gut check for a candidate or elected officeholder during turbulent times. Through asking the right questions in Answering the Call, you may learn that your leadership can have its biggest impact in a supporting role.

“New Politics demystifies the political campaign process. I'm looking forward to applying the skills I've learned out in the real world!
- Bobby • U.S. Navy • Staffing School 2022

Be an engaged citizen.

Lisa • U.S. Air Force • ATC 2018

Answering the Call brings servant leaders together from different backgrounds and experiences and focuses on shared values and commonalities. This alone can serve as inspiration for you to simply be a better neighbor and citizen.

“Everyone that feels that calling to serve should take this course...you will be surprised in what you will learn about how you may want to focus on that calling!"
- Ann Marie • U.S. Air Force • ATC 2020

More answers to common questions.

What are the goals of Answering the Call?
Answering the Call engages participants in the personal reflection necessary to understand what kind of leader they can become and in what ways they can lead through politics. At the end of ATC, participants will have:
  1. Identified why they served and how this influences their continued civic engagement
  2. Gained clarity about the role they should play in revitalizing our democracy
  3. Gained access to a robust network of resources, mentors, and likeminded servant leaders
How will reflection and discernment help me if I want to go into politics?
Being clear on your deepest sense of mission and your “Why” for going into the political arena makes you stand out as a candidate. Answering The Call participants graduate feeling more confident in their decision to go into the political arena and have more success in seeking out resources because they’ve reflected on what it would mean to serve in politics.
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