Students for Life of America
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This article relies on references to primary sources. (August 2007) |
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| Type | 501(c)(3) non-profit |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1988 Reorganized 2006 |
| Headquarters | Manassas, Virginia |
| Key people | Kristan Hawkins (Executive Director) |
| Area served | United States |
| Focus | Pro-life activism on college campuses |
| Members | 678 campus pro-life groups |
| Motto | Equipping the Pro-Life Generation |
| Formerly called | American Collegians for Life |
| Website | http://www.studentsforlife.org/ |
Students for Life of America (SFLA), also known as simply Students for Life (SFL), is a pro-life 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that seeks to end abortion, euthanasia, and infanticide by educating students about the issue and identifying pro-life student leaders and giving them the training, skills, and resources to effectively spread their message.[1] They send out field teams to organize new campus pro-life groups on American college campuses, and have started over 300 campus pro-life groups at colleges since 2006.[2] Students for Life has also founded Law Students for Life and Medical Students for Life.
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History [edit]
In 1988, students at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. formed American Collegians for Life, which was a student-run, volunteer-based organization that held an annual conference and developed a resource website and a publication.[3] Elizabeth Schmitz, Catherine Deeds, Michael Pauley, and Susan Meuller were among the founders of American Collegians for Life, who set up their organization as "a national coalition of college and university-based pro-life action groups." Until 2006, the base of operations for American Collegians for Life (ACL) remained in Washington, D.C. with a new set of student officers being elected every year at the annual conference, the conference being held on the eve of the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision.
From 1988 to 2006, ACL's main activity was the annual conference. In 2006, ACL became Students for Life of America, hiring a staff and opening a national headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. Kristan Hawkins became the executive director. SFLA changed its focus from conferences to a more active role on college campuses. Though the organization still continues to hold the annual conference, its activities have greatly broadened to do more direct campus organizing work and direct action. Since 2006, they have been very dedicated to starting new college pro-life organizations across The United states. The SFLA has started 278 new pro-life campus organization. There are now Students for Life groups in 48 states and the annual conference has doubled in attendance.[4]
Organization [edit]
In addition to student officers and staff, SFLA is also advised by a non-student board, some being former SFLA student officers.
SFLA has connects college students who are pro-life to each other using the annual conference and a national directory of college pro-life organizations on their website.
SFLA helps begin, develop, and train pro-life campus groups and provides them with resources, training, and activism ideas. SFLA networks with existing groups, sending them activism packs and providing guides such as “How to Make a Cemetery of the Innocents” and “How to Start a Pro-Life Publication.” They also keep in touch with these groups during the year and have a national student conference every year the weekend prior to the National March for Life in Washington, DC. This year 1,100 students attended the conference, which hosted such speakers as Bobby Schindler, breast cancer expert Dr. Angela Lanfranchi, and Steven W. Mosher, president of the Population Research Institute. SFLA encourages groups to volunteer with local Pregnancy Support Service Centers, engage the campus pro-choice movement in discussion and debate, and reach out to their fellow students with a pro-life message.
State federations [edit]
There are thirteen states that are involved with Students For Life of America. These organizations include Alabama Students For Life, Arizona Students For Life, California Students For Life, Colorado Students for Life, Georgia Students for Life, Students for Life of Kentucky, Louisiana Students for Life, Ohio Students for Life, Oregon Students for Life, Students for Life of Illinois, Students for Life of Michigan, Texas Students for Life, and Young Pro-Life Virginia.
References [edit]
- ^ SFLA Mission Statement
- ^ SFLA - What We Do
- ^ SFLA - History
- ^ http://www.studentsforlife.org/index.php/about/history/
