Secular Student Alliance
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox organization The Secular Student Alliance (SSA) is an American educational nonprofit organization whose purpose is to educate high school and college students about the value of scientific reason and the intellectual basis of secularism in its atheistic and humanistic manifestations. The SSA also offers these students and their organizations a variety of resources, including leadership training and support, guest speakers, discounted literature and conference tickets, and online articles and opinions.Template:Citation needed Starting in 2024, Secular Student Alliance partnered with The Satanic Temple, another organization promoting secular values among students, in supporting After School Satan clubs in public schools which also host religious student clubs.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
HistoryEdit
In 1999, the students on the Executive Council of the Campus Freethought Alliance, along with some other students, faculty advisers, and off-campus supporters, decided that a national student organization needed autonomy (the Campus Freethought Alliance was governed by the Council for Secular Humanism).<ref name="Secularstudents.org">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Therefore, in April 2000, a majority of the members of the Campus Freethought Alliance Executive Council decided to become independent from the Council for Secular Humanism.<ref name="Secularstudents.org"/> The Secular Student Alliance was thus founded in May 2000 by eight student leaders from the grassroots secular movement.<ref name="Secularstudents.org"/> It was organized under the nonprofit corporation laws<ref>Chapter 1702: Nonprofit Corporation Law, Ohio Revised Code.</ref> of Ohio on November 21, 2001.<ref>The "Articles of Incorporation" of the Secular Student Alliance were filed on November 21, 2001.</ref> The corporation's principal office is located in Columbus, Ohio.<ref>The SSA's principal office is located in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio. "Corporation Details", Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved August 14, 2012.</ref>
The SSA is an independent, democratically structured organization in the U.S. that promotes freethinking high school and college students. The SSA was formed "to organize, unite, educate and serve students and student communities that promote the ideals of scientific and critical inquiry, democracy, secularism, and human based ethics".<ref name=ABCNEWS>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In January 2012, the SSA had over 312 affiliates in North America and abroad, including groups in Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia.Template:Citation needed<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In June 2013, the SSA announced that with the Freedom from Religion Foundation, it will work on educating students on their rights and will assist with rectifying violations.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> The SSA is a founding member of the Secular Coalition for America.Template:Citation needed
In October 2015, SSA tweeted that it "desperately" needed $100,000 by the end of the month. Executive director August Brunsman said fundraising had lagged.<ref name="desperate">Template:Cite news</ref> In October 2017, shortly after the hiring of new Executive Director Kevin Bolling, the organization relocated from Columbus, Ohio, to Los Angeles.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Membership growthEdit
The SSA experienced increasing membership growth from its founding in 2000 until 2012.<ref>Niose, David (July 17, 2012). Nonbeliever Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans. Palgrave Macmillan. Template:ISBN. "Founded in 2000, the SSA had less than fifty campus affiliates in early 2007, but by 2011 it had over 340".</ref> Since then, it has steadily contracted to 237 groups in 2025. As of May 2018, the SSA's Board of Directors has twelve members.Template:Citation needed The number of SSA community college and university campus affiliates has expanded considerably in recent years:<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- 2007 – 80 groups
- 2008 – 100 groups
- 2009 – 159 groups
- 2010 – 219 groups
- 2011 – 240 groups<ref>Winerip, Michael (April 3, 2011). "Teenagers Speak Up for Lack of Faith". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-06-03.</ref>
- 2012 – 413 groups
- 2013 – 407 groups<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- 2018 – 276 groups<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- 2019 – 312 groups<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- 2025 – 237 groups<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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EventsEdit
On August 7, 2009, the SSA organized a trip to the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. 304 students, atheists, and scientists attended, in order to familiarize themselves with the museum.<ref name=ABCNEWS/> One notable name in attendance was biologist and science blogger PZ Myers, who also came to experience the museum.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Since 2009, the SSA has held their Annual Leadership Conference over the Summer which aims to train student leaders and group members in leadership skills and grassroots organizing.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2013, the conference was split into two locations (East and West).
ConferencesEdit
The SSA holds an annual leadership conference.Template:Citation needed
| Year | Location | Theme | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minnesota) | ||
| 2001 | Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio) | Kicking Ass for the New Enlightenment | |
| 2002 | Chicago, Illinois | Education Against Indoctrination | |
| 2004 | Washington, D.C.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
|
| 2005 | Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio) | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| 2006 | Kansas City, Missouri | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| 2007 | Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts) | Harvard Humanist Chaplaincy 30th Anniversary Gala/Symposium | |
| 2008 | Washington, D.C. | World Humanist Congress | |
| 2009 | Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio) | Freethinking Friends & Secular Cephalopods | |
| 2010 | Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio) | ||
| 2011 | Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio) | ||
| 2012 | Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio) | Contrary to Popular Belief | |
| 2013 | Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio) and University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Las Vegas, Nevada) | Contrary to Popular Belief | |
| 2014 | Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio) and Arizona State University (Tempe, Arizona) | Contrary to Popular Belief | |
| 2015 | Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio) | Contrary to Popular Belief | |
| 2018 | Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio) | Curiosity Courage Compassion | |
| 2019 | University of Southern California (Los Angeles, California) | Better Together | |
| 2021 | Virtual | Think Forward Move Forward | |
| 2022 | Virtual | Think, Prepare, Advance | |
| 2023 | University of Missouri-St Louis | ||
| 2024 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | ||
| 2025 | University of Cincinnati |
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
Further readingEdit
- Hibbard, Laura (July 17, 2012). "Teacher Allegedly Brags To JT Eberhard Of Secular Student Alliance That Atheist Student Group Was Blocked (PHOTO)". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
- Supiano, Beckie (February 27, 2011). "A Group for Secular Students Finds Its Way on a Christian Campus". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
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- Brunsman, August E (December 28, 2005). "A Brief History of the Secular Student Alliance" Template:Webarchive. Secular Student Alliance. Retrieved 2012-08-13.