Across every program, we focused on meeting the moment, and laying the groundwork for victory in 2026 and beyond. From supporting outgoing 2024 campaign staff through ourJob Search Accelerator, to upskilling people and program managers through Arena Academy 201, to gathering organizers and leaders for deep reflection at our Power Building Retreat, to mobilizing thousands of civic leaders through our Power Rising Summer Series, we invested in the talent that powers our movement.
We also invested in tools that help connect leaders across the Democratic ecosystem and took bold steps to ensure that we can radically scale our work to recruit, train, and support the campaign staff needed to build persistent Democratic majorities.
During a year that featured unprecedented attacks on American democracy and our freedoms, we knew business-as-usual approaches wouldn’t suffice.
That’s why, this fall, Arena made the strategic decision to join Zinc Collective, bringing together the two leading Democratic talent pipeline organizations under one roof.
This merger brings together the resources, reach, and brainpower of our respective organizations to ensure that Democratic campaign staff have the skills to meet the moment and win—from the fundamentals of organizing, to advanced digital and data tactics, to AI, authentic social media strategy, and more. Read more about the merger here and here.
Together, Arena and Zinc Collective will be able to drive more impact, deliver more victories, and, collectively, be more than the sum of their parts.
In the final stretch of 2025, we’ve focused on turning this year’s momentum into a powerful launchpad for 2026, fully integrating our organizations and mapping out programming for the year ahead.
We’re moving forward with a clear commitment: to prepare campaign staff with the practical skills and modern strategies needed to win in a fast-changing political landscape. Through our programs, campaign staff will learn to run smart, modern campaigns that use digital communication effectively, navigate emerging technologies like generative AI responsibly, and apply the latest best practices on the ground. We’ll continue connecting top talent with the most important races and ensure that campaign operatives have the support, guidance, and resources they need to build meaningful careers, help Democrats take back the House in 2026, and continue delivering victories for years to come.
We can’t wait to share more about what’s coming up and how you can participate! Keep your eyes open for our next training date and application!
And, in the meantime, take a look at all we’ve done together this year:
If Arena’s work has mattered to you or if you believe in building a stronger, more resilient Democratic talent pipeline, I hope you’ll consider making a year-end gift. Every dollar fuels the training, tools, and infrastructure we need to take back the House and elect Democrats at every level next year.
At Arena there are no “off-years,” and this year was action-packed. We kicked off the year with our Job Search Accelerator, a one-of-a-kind program designed to keep top talent in the fight. This series of 28 virtual events featured career experts, networking opportunities, and exclusive job search resources. Participants joined from 47 states and territories, with a whopping 2,393 individuals signing up for 8,300 training sessions. Read more about this program designed to retain top talent here >>
In February, we held our largest Arena Academy 201 to date, focused on delivering people and program management skills to seasoned campaign leaders. Over 2.5 days we trained 210 experienced political professionals. Graduates of this cohort hailed from 37 states, with 55% identifying as women, 50% identifying as BIPOC, and 43% identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community. Read more about Arena Academy 201 Management Skills here >>
In April, we held a Power Building Retreat, gathering key campaign operatives to reflect on 2024 and plan for the future. In the room were operatives who powered winning red-to-blue congressional races, organized young voters in battleground states, built power in rural areas, led on issues like abortion access and disability rights, and helped eke out critical Senate victories. Read more about this one-of-a-kind strategy retreat here >>
All summer long, we gathered campaign staff, activists, organizers, and everyday people to help them learn to take meaningful action that meets this moment. Our Power Rising Summer series reached 2,307 people across 20+ events in collaboration with 23 partners. Learn more about Power Rising Summer here >>
And alongside the programs we ran to help campaign staff, candidates, and volunteers adapt and build winning campaigns, we developed new on-demand tools and resources. This included rolling out our new mentorship and networking database, Arena Connections, and reaching 99K+ Arena Toolbox downloads.
I feel more confident in myself. I also feel hopeful, too, because I met so many people that want to change how campaigns are run.
Thank you for a great training and thank you for providing scholarships. I would not have been able to do this without that support!
The overall kindness and concern to present such thoughtful training shone through every day at every moment of the trainings by all the Arena staff. This was also extremely appreciated given that we are handling not only the massive loss of the last election but the daily dismantling of democratic norms that in my case, have brought my spirits down to a place of carrying heartbreak around with me.
This has been an amazing experience. Arena Academy 201: Management Skills made me realize A.) that I’m not alone in so many of my ideas and experiences and B.) that, while I’ve been showing up as a leader in countless roles, I’ve been struggling with my skills as a manager. I now have the foundation to start improving. Thank you <3
The agenda, slides, workbooks, and pre-work docs were all so well-organized and well-written. Everything was where it was supposed to be, it was all updated, and very useful. Also, every single session facilitator or trainer was well-prepared, extremely knowledgeable about their topic, and a confident presenter. I was so impressed!
Just wanted to say that I feel like I’m getting somewhere during this jobless time with Arena. Thank you to everyone!
I really enjoyed hearing from the panel about how RCV has been gaining popularity in NYC. Hearing about the 2021 initial RCV in NYC and how it has been used in primaries only there was informative. I live in Michigan, and there is momentum for a RCV ballot initiative.
Arena Rocks! I never imagined this much support and guidance. Thank you for facilitating.
If Arena’s work has mattered to you or if you believe in building a stronger, more resilient Democratic talent pipeline, I hope you’ll consider making a year-end gift. Every dollar fuels the training, tools, and infrastructure we need to take back the House and elect Democrats up and down the ballot next year.
