student alliance toolkit

mccaininstitute.org/programs/humanitarian-action

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The McCain Institute for International Leadership Student Alliance Against Trafficking Toolkit


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Student Alliance Against Trafficking Toolkit .............. 3 Introduction ............................................................................ 3 Event Planning ........................................................................ 3 Awareness Campaign Activities ............................................. 5 Marketing ............................................................................... 6 Proposed Timeline ................................................................... 7 Join the Alliance ................................................................. 8 About The McCain Institute’s Humanitarian Action Program 9


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“Trafficking is under everyone’s nose. You’ve seen it. You just didn’t know what you were looking at”

Cindy McCain Chair, McCain Institute Human Trafficking Advisory Council

Co-Chair, Governor’s Arizona Human Trafficking Council

THE MCCAIN INSTITUTE STUDENT ALLIANCE AGAINST TRAFFICKING TOOLKIT

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to The McCain Institute for International Leadership’s Student Alliance Against Trafficking! The mission of the Student Alliance is to unite a national network of students committed to combatting human trafficking, amplify awareness on the issue, encourage advocacy and deter related behaviors that contribute to sex trafficking in the United States. Together we can be a resounding voice in the fight to end sex trafficking. This toolkit is a resource to help successfully guide your efforts as your student organization develops a campus-wide awareness week focused on sex trafficking. EVENT PLANNING

Student-led, partner organizations will host a campus-wide Sex Trafficking Awareness Week beginning the week of January 25, 2016. Each campus has a variety of resources, opportunities and partnerships available to facilitate awareness week events, which allows each school the flexibility to tailor the Sex Trafficking Awareness Week to meet its needs and maximize success. Student Alliance partners will work with The McCain Institute to plan their events and customize their weeks. Partner organizations should also consider connecting with other relevant student groups, such as student governments for permits, administrative approval and funding; related student organizations and clubs to help promote the week to their memberships; and Greek life organizations to elevate the conversation and amplify messaging.


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Tested options for impactful awareness week activities include:

n Awareness tabling is an easy way to appeal to a mass amount of students and share resources to increase awareness of trafficking. Alliance partners can disseminate informational resource materials found at mccaininstitute.org/programs/humanitarian-action and engage students with awareness campaign activities. Snack items and T-shirt giveaways are a great way to attract an audience to tables, which should be strategically located around campus.

n Hosting a documentary screening is an entertaining way to

engage students and visually demonstrate the underworld of sex trafficking in the United States. Providing food is an effective way to encourage students to attend, and the screening can be followed by an interactive discussion. Compelling documentaries include “A Path Appears” and “Stuck in Traffick.”

n A survivor or expert speaker can provide detailed, first-hand

accounts of their encounters with human trafficking, which can be a powerful experience for students and change the way they look at victims of trafficking. Relevant speakers may be a professor who works on the issue, a nonprofit leader or a survivor-advocate.

n Campus awareness displays can be created by students or

provided by a local nonprofit to be placed in high-traffic areas on campus and spark conversation about the awareness week. An example of an awareness display is having a trained acting group demonstrate the recruiting process, how someone gets into “the life,” utilizing large-scale dioramas at a central campus location.

n Greek life engagement can grow volunteer participation and the

reach of the awareness week. Male partners play a critical role in the anti-trafficking movement. Informed and committed fraternities and sororities can be powerful leaders for this issue. Ideas for Greek engagement include hosting Greek-specific events with a requirement for a percentage of membership to attend, having members change their social media avatars to create unity or participate in a philanthropic sports game to raise money for and champion the issue.


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AWARENESS CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES

Creating an awareness campaign at your university can help expand the anti-trafficking message beyond events and make a lasting impression on your campus. Previous awareness campaigns developed by our founding partner, All Walks Project at Arizona State University include:

n “Ask Me” Bracelet Campaign: Students are provided information about domestic sex trafficking while they create a beaded “Ask Me” bracelet. Students pledge to wear the bracelet through the end of January and relay the information learned about trafficking to anyone whom inquires about the bracelet.

n STOP Sex Trafficking Campaign: Students decorate and write powerful messages against trafficking on a paper stop sign, which can then be collected and displayed around the school campus. Students are encouraged to take pictures with their stop signs and share them online. The campus display is an impactful symbol of those committed to STOP trafficking. Relevant messages can include the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) Hotline number: 1 (888) 3737-888, “Stop Sex Trafficking,” or “Sex Trafficking Happens HERE,” Encourage students to be creative!


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n See Something, Say Something Campaign: After students learn warning signs and red flags of trafficking, they enter the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline number into their cell phones as a pledge to be a vigilant advocate against sex trafficking.

MARKETING

Effective marketing is a key factor to ensure success for your awareness week. Each campus will have distinct areas for bulletin space and ways to reach students, so schools should customize their marketing plans to reach the maximum number of individuals. Consistent marketing for Student Alliance partners will include the title “[School Name] Sex Trafficking Awareness Week,” the color purple and social media engagement using #StudentAllianceAgainstTrafficking. Efficient marketing strategies can also include the following:

n The McCain Institute will provide 100 Student Alliance T-Shirts for each participating school. These T-shirts can be worn by awareness week volunteers and be used for giveaways at events to spread the awareness message across campus.

n Social Media is a vital tool for every marketing plan. Alliance partners will create a Facebook page and event for the awareness week to attract students to planned events. Throughout the week, volunteers and participating students can use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to share their experiences and raise awareness using #StudentAllianceAgainstTrafficking.

n Club meetings and classroom presentations are an opportunity to speak to related groups about the awareness week and request their participation. Related class subjects may include human rights, social justice, women’s rights or child safety.

n Flyers are an effective way to reach students across campus. They can be distributed at student events or on campus malls to advertise the awareness week, or they can be displayed on walls and bulletin boards in appropriate areas.


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n University Listservs should be utilized as a mass marketing opportunity to inform students about the awareness week and recruit volunteers for events.

n Lawn Signs, also known as H-stake signs, can be placed around campus to remind students of the dates and activities of the awareness week. Ensure your school permits these signs before placing them around campus.

n Media coordinators at your school can aid in marketing awareness week events by writing an article in advance or posting on your school’s website. Alliance partners can encourage their memberships to share these articles on social media platforms.

PROPOSED TIMELINE

The Student Alliance Against Trafficking Sex Trafficking Awareness Week will take place the week of January 25, 2016. During the fall semester, partner organizations should schedule phone calls with The Institute’s Humanitarian Action team, organize an on-campus planning group, develop social media pages and plan a marketing strategy. The below proposed timeline can be used as a guide to facilitate a successful event.

n Two Weeks in Advance Flyers: Post half of the flyers around campus. Schools with poor weather during this time should post most of these flyers indoors if possible. Online: Invite members of student organizations and distribution lists to the awareness week Facebook event. Facebook will remind your attendees of the event, as it gets closer. University Listservs: Place an event announcement in your school’s listserv or newsletters asking for volunteers for your event. This allows you to attract extra help while also advertising the awareness week. Lawn Signs: Place half of the lawn signs in approved areas around campus.


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n One Week in Advance Flyers: Post or hand out remaining flyers around campus. Online: Encourage your members and friends to invite their friends to the event on Facebook. Post a picture of the awareness week T-shirt on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Post a picture of the type of food(s) that will served throughout this week on the Facebook group page to help remind those who have already RSVP’d and to entice additional RSVPs. Have your members share a link to the Facebook event (or other relevant links) on various related Facebook groups (i.e. a “Class of 2018” page, your student organization group page, their own timelines, etc). University Listservs: Place an event announcement in your university’s listserv or newsletters. Lawn Signs: Place remaining lawn signs in approved areas around campus.

n One Day in Advance

Send out reminders to email distribution lists. Post to the Facebook event to engage your RSVPs. Have your members continue to promote the Facebook event page on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Post a picture to get students excited about the week and have your members share it.

n During the Week

Take pictures of the different events throughout the week and post them on various social media platforms. Send out reminders over email and social media to ensure your RSVPs remember to come to events.

JOIN THE ALLIANCE

If your student organization would like to partner with The McCain Institute and join the Student Alliance Against Trafficking, please contact Lindsay Scornavacco at [email protected] for more information. Partner organizations will work with The Institute’s Humanitarian Action team to organize Sex Trafficking Awareness Weeks sponsored by The Institute throughout the fall semester, and participate in a Google Hangout with


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fellow partner organizations following the January awareness week to share experiences and make recommendations for 2017. ABOUT THE INSTITUTE’S HUMANITARIAN ACTION PROGRAM

The McCain Institute’s commitment to strengthening character-driven global leadership is reflected in its own efforts to support humanitarian action. Through the activities of the Humanitarian Action program, The McCain Institute has become nationally recognized for its work to counter human trafficking. The Institute’s high-level Human Trafficking Advisory Council, chaired by Mrs. Cindy McCain, taps into the knowledge and experience of leading experts in the field to help guide The Institute’s work.

In January 2015, The McCain Institute partnered with All Walks Project at Arizona State University to present the Inaugural Sex Trafficking Awareness Week. The ASU student government estimated this week reached more than 20,000 university students, and the effort encouraged the development of the Student Alliance Against Trafficking.

student alliance toolkit

Documents

awareness of trafficking

student alliance partners

awareness week events

student governments

campuswide awareness

event planning student

awareness campaign activities

relevant student groups