As the local Democratic Party, the SLOCDP stands for the overarching tenets of Dignity, Stewardship, Integrity, and the active pursuit of Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice for all, by engaging the community through participation in the democratic process.

• Length & Hours: ~10 weeks, 100–120 hours (10–12 hrs/week) to align with Cal Poly Journalism (JOUR 444) and Political Science (POLS 386/POLS 586) requirements.

• Eligibility: Those in or past their third year receive preference; applications will be reviewed for prior experience and demonstrated commitment to civic engagement.

• The program will maintain a 1:3 coordinator-to-intern ratio, ensuring close guidance.

• Mentorship: Each intern will be paired with an Executive Board member for guidance, with opportunities for shadowing alongside elected officials and party leaders.

• Civics seminar (local government process, civic engagement, and voter registration basics)

• De-escalation training (practical skills for political fieldwork and community outreach)

• Weekly 3-hour HQ shift (operations, volunteer engagement, community outreach)

• Attendance at local government meetings with reporting and public comment opportunities

• One-on-one engagement with elected officials and candidates

• Direct mentorship from SLOCDP Executive Board members

• Monthly attendance at the SLO County Central Committee meetings

• Attendance at local Democratic Party club meetings

• Journalism Interns

  • Support press releases, op-eds, and traditional media engagement.

  • Create social media content (short-form videos, interviews, graphics).

  • Collaborate with the SLOCDP Communications Team to expand media outreach.

  Political Science Interns

  • Gain campaign field experience (canvassing, phone/text banking, postcarding, lit drops; max 1/3 of total time per POLS guidelines).

  • Research and report on policy issues at the local and state levels.

  • Liaise with elected officials, candidates, and community organizations.

• Ongoing supervision and support

• Bi-monthly coaching sessions

• Regular feedback and expected outcomes

• Opportunities and activities that build on the interns’ interests and skills

• Career connections, mentorship, and networking opportunities within the organization/industry

• Recommendation Letters

• Complete tasks assigned.

• Report difficulties with task completion at bi-weekly Zoom intern check in or weekly email check in.

• If a task was time sensitive and not completed, another task must be completed with Supervisor’s direction and guidance.

• Attendance at one SLOCDP monthly meetings.

• Attendance at local democratic club monthly meetings.

• Attendance at school’s democratic club meetings.

• Attendance and participation in a local government meeting, (School Board, City Council, Board of Supervisors meeting). Public comment must be made at the meeting or a publish-ready summary prepared.

• Responsibility for completion of the intern timesheet that will be shared with supervisors prior to Finals.

• All products created as an intern belong to the SLOCDP.

This program is structured for academic credit internships through Cal Poly’s Journalism and Political Science Departments. Students must enroll in JOUR 444 or POLS 386/586 to earn course credit, with SLOCDP serving as the internship provider. Additionally, non-credit volunteer roles are available year-round through our Headquarters Team, offering flexible engagement opportunities for students not pursuing credit.