Activist Toolkit
A College Student’s Guide to Animal Activism
Are you procrastinating on a term paper by browsing online for animal advocacy resources? Mourning the dining hall’s lack of even a veggie burger option? How many hours have you been sitting in the campus computer lab, desperate for motivation – or a worthwhile distraction? As a student, you have the power to turn your compassion for animals into effective action. Take a few tips from below, add your own creativity, get out on campus, and get active! Start a new student animal advocacy group at your college or university. Take the initiative and step up activism on campus. Don’t be daunted – It’s not as difficult as you might expect!
* Gather together fellow advocates. Ask classmates, hall-mates, friends, and friends of friends if they are interested in joining the new animal advocacy group and advocating for animals on campus. You also might find interested students in other clubs whose concerns overlap with animal issues, such as the biology club or social justice groups like environmental or peace associations. Post fliers to recruit vegan and vegetarian students to the group, encouraging them to supplement a healthy diet with activism for “food animals.” Publicize your group on social networking websites such as Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter. (For a more in-depth guide to virtual advocacy, please see our Tools & Resources page for Armchair Activism 2.0.)
* Make it official. At most colleges, the student government or the office of student activities regulates associations and clubs. Contact them to ask about how to form a new group. Many schools will require that a student group have a faculty advisor, a list of a certain number of students who are interested in the club, and a constitution or mission statement. Don’t sweat it: Most professors are more than happy to support student clubs, and most schools can supply you with a sample constitution. When researching what is needed to start your club, find out: o What are the requirements for forming a new group? o What is the application process? o How does the budget for student groups work? How much funding could an animal advocacy group expect to receive, and how does one go about getting it?
* Introduce yourself to the campus. When scheduling the first campus-wide meeting, give yourself ample time to plan and publicize. Again, use social networking sites and fliers. (For a more thorough look at publicizing, please read below, “Spread the word far and wide across campus.”) o Because there is little that appeals to college students more than food, be sure to let your audience know that there will be free vegan snacks at the meeting. This may require you to spend money out of your own pocket, but don’t worry. Inexpensive vegan goodies abound, and they range from vegetable sticks and fruit slices to potato chips and Oreos. (Here’s a more extensive list of yummy vegan foods.) Alternately, you may find that your school will fund the new student group – in which case you could probably splurge for something a bit fancier, like vegan cupcakes or soy cheese pizza. If you can’t afford food and don’t yet have a school-supplied budget, consider holding a vegan potluck. You can also apply for funding from VegFund, whose mission is “to acquaint the general public with the joys of a plant based diet … by helping fund the distribution of educational materials & vegan food at local events.” o During the meeting, present your cause clearly and concisely. Give attendees information about the association’s mission statement and the types of activities and events that you’re planning to organize. Be accessible, and remember to include time for the other students to brainstorm with you. Having the opportunity to contribute their own ideas will give them a greater stake in the association and encourage them to stay involved. Spread the word far and wide across campus. In order for your new association to grow and make strides for animals, you’ll have to make some noise.
* Take full advantage of the tools your school offers to spread the word. Does the student government publish a directory of student groups or a calendar of group meetings? Make sure that you are listed in them. Are there listservs you can use to advertise your group?
* Tap into the school’s media outlets. Speak with the student newspaper about advertising space and rates; make sure to inquire about any discounts that school or student associations may receive. You could also pitch a story for the “Features” section, such as a profile of the new activist group or the cause behind it, and write letters to the editor. Similarly, contact the campus radio and television stations to discuss advertising spots and feature stories.
* Post fliers around campus. This will draw (almost) free attention to the association and expand your student base. Make the flier eye-catching and simple – don’t overload it with details – and scout out the most frequented sites on campus to post it. At some schools, you may need to get fliers approved or stamped before posting them, so leave ample time for them to be approved and returned to you.
* Again, create a page on social networking websites such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter. Network. As an activist, the best way to create more ripples in the water is to connect with other activists. As a student activist, making connections and building coalitions is especially important because these strategies enable you to bring your advocacy beyond campus. So neaten your hair, dust off your social skills, and get out there!
* Introduce yourself and your association to peer associations, including other student groups within your school, student groups from other colleges and universities, local associations within the community surrounding campus, and national organizations. Seek advice and tips. Meet potential members of your group. Explore the possibility of collaborating on large projects or events. For example, on campus, work with an environmental student group in campaigning to introduce more plant-based foods to school dining. Off campus, invite a local animal protection association to join you in demonstrating in front of a restaurant that serves foie gras. (Here are some tips on holding effective demonstrations.)
* Build relationships with teachers or professors at your school who teach subjects that relate to your cause (such as biology, philosophy or public policy) or who have direct experience in animal activism. Invite them to appear as guest speakers at the group’s meetings or events.
* Make connections with local businesses, such as co-ops, health food stores and book stores. Inquire about posting fliers and pamphlets in stores or setting up informational tables by entrances. Once a relationship is established, you may be able to pursue donations of products or funds for events that your student association organizes. In exchange for donations, offer to promote the business at the events, as well as at group meetings and on the group’s website.
* Contact alumni. Most colleges and universities run an Alumni Relations Office that maintains contact and career information for all graduated students. At many schools, this office also runs programs that put pre-professional students in touch with alumni who work in their field of interest or invite prominent alumni to speak at campus events. Ask the Alumni Relations Office at your school if they have access to a list of graduated students who work or have worked in animal advocacy and if they are able to provide you with that list. Then get in touch with the alumni to ask for advice and tips; invite them to speak at an event that your student group organizes or even at a weekly group meeting. Organize campaigns and events. This is where it really gets fun! Spend quality time with fellow advocates, reach out to the entire student body, engage the wider community – and effect change! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
* Hold special weekly meetings, such as a potluck or an animal-themed book club.
* Screen documentaries (such as Earthlings) followed by discussion sessions.
* Invite special guests to speak on campus. Many representatives of animal advocacy organizations are happy to lecture or give presentations at colleges. (Some will request a nominal fee, and many will speak for free.)
* Plant an organic vegan garden on campus and use it as an opportunity to advocate for plant-based eating.
* Campaign to introduce more vegan options to campus dining. (Contact us if you’d like some tips on how to go about it most effectively.)
* Especially during the holiday season, host a cooking demo to illustrate how to make delicious vegan alternatives to traditional holiday dishes (think Tofurkey). Include a tasting session, print out copies of the recipes to distribute, and provide additional recipes. Here are some delicious and easy vegan recipes to get you started!
* Organize a feed-in either on or off campus, in which the student group distributes free samples of vegan food, along with literature on various animal and veg issues, to the public. You can get free literature by e-mailing us.
* Organize trips to local vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants. Encourage group members to bring along their friends. Their guests might be vegans in the making!
* Encourage local food stores and restaurants to carry more vegan foods.
* Search for resources to help pull off an enticing and effective event. For any event that will include vegan food, contact VegFund – a wonderful resource that assists in funding activist events (such as vegan feed-ins and other outreach activities that require funding). For any event at which you’ll distribute pamphlets about animal issues (which you could do at every event), ask Farm Sanctuary to mail free literature to you. E-mail us.
* Browse Farm Sanctuary’s Activist Toolkit for an extensive list of guides to advocacy activities.
* Other campaigns could include: banning a fast food chain from your campus (or working with the fast food chain to create some vegan options); educating your peers and faculty about the cruelty of dissection and presenting alternatives; protesting animal testing at your school; and launching public awareness campaigns such as teach-ins or workshops. Activism doesn’t end on graduation day. When you pack up to leave campus for the last time, don’t leave your activism behind with your old textbooks. Bring it with you into the real world.
* Before you leave, cultivate leadership in under-class students. Student groups often die when the students who started them graduate and move on to the School of Life. Be sure your group avoids this fate by continually fostering up-and-coming activists and giving them prominent roles in organizing projects and events.
* Stay in touch with your alma mater. It could benefit you as well as the student association at your college to stay in contact with each other. The younger students can gain insight from your impressions of activism outside of school and network with animal organizations that you join after graduating. You can ensure that advocacy efforts for animals continue on campus and benefit from the activist energy that the student group generates. Consider making a binder of all the work your animal club did so you can pass that on to future student leaders.
* Explore careers in animal advocacy. From law to medicine to politics to community organizing, your profession can be integrated with your dedication to animals. As a recent graduate, you might be more interested in, and qualified for, an internship with an animal organization, such as Farm Sanctuary. Most internships are unpaid, but they aim to be educational and equip you to enter the job market as an experienced and qualified candidate. To begin your search, visit Farm Sanctuary’s internship opportunities page. You might also check out the employment/internship opportunities pages of other animal advocacy organizations. To browse an array of careers that benefit animals, visit these resources: o Animal Jobs Direct o World Animal Net o Idealist o Idealist Internships
* Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer. Volunteers provide an indispensable and endlessly appreciated resource to animal advocacy efforts, and opportunities to volunteer are plentiful. Would you like to sign on to a long-term project with an organization, such as campaigning and lobbying for an animal protection bill? Or would you like to spend two hours on a Saturday leafleting in your community? You can find these opportunities! Visit the Get Involved page of advocacy organizations such as Farm Sanctuary or search for demonstrations or events on websites such as Meetup.
* Finally, become more involved with Farm Sanctuary! Read up on our volunteer opportunities, employment opportunities, and our fantastic internship program. To step up your activism for animals immediately, join Farm Sanctuary’s Advocacy Campaign Team (ACT) and stay in the loop about national campaigns, local volunteer opportunities and inspiring activist stories. As a member of the team, you‘ll not only lend a hand to Farm Sanctuary’s advocacy efforts for farm animals but also explore ideas for your own student group’s activities and events and receive further advice and assistance.
February 11, 2011
SoyPunk
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