Students for Life of America supports more than 1,250 Students for Life groups in all 50 states. Our 20 full-time Regional Coordinators visit campuses every day to recruit, train, and mobilize pro-lifers. We strive to create effective and well-rounded student groups that are fighting abortion on multiple fronts. Since SFLA started, we have seen the impact our Students for Life groups have in their efforts to actively engage in all fronts of the pro-life movement. The most successful of these groups are those who find balance in seeking out opportunities to converse, convert, confront, advocate, and support.
There are five areas of engagement that are crucial to abolishing abortion in which effective Students for Life groups engage on their campus and in their community. These “5 Pillars” are Effective Education, Industry Impact, Public Policy, Rapid Response, and Supportive Services. All of the activities that our campus groups do and the trainings and resources that we offer fall into one of these five pillars.
Effective Education
Within this pillar, we want to make young people aware of the abortion crisis and recruit them to join our mission in confronting the crisis. This pillar also includes educating the members within our Students for Life groups, so that they can successfully go out and educate their peers about abortion and win them over to our movement.
Examples of Effective Engagement activities are: hosting a local pro-life speaker; organizing an SFLA training or tour display; attending a SFLA Regional Leadership Workshop or our National Pro-Life Summit.
Industry Impact
Over the years, a culture of abortion has been pushed by abortion industry leaders such as Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and NOW. The abortion industry is not only responsible for committing the abortions in their facilities, but they are working to further its acceptance and normalcy in our communities and schools. Systematically exposing the abortion industry and reducing the supply of abortion is essential to abolishing abortion in our lifetime. It is important that we always remember it is all about the approach. We believe in compassionate, peaceful, and non-violent interactions outside of abortion facilities.
Examples of Industry Impact activities for Students for Life groups are: joining a local 40 Days for Life campaign; exposing Planned Parenthood on campus; sidewalk counseling outside of a local abortion facility; reaching out to abortion workers.
Public Policy
The Pro-Life Generation must regularly speak out to demand legal protection of the preborn as well as their mothers from the predatory abortion industry. To do so, we need to secure and enforce pro-life legislation and eliminate pro-abortion legislation. We also want to ensure staunch pro-life people are in office passing life-affirming laws. Lawmakers want to see young people participate in public policy. After all, abortion affects our generation more than any other.
Examples of Students for Life groups engaging in the Public Policy pillar are: testifying before legislative committees; door to door campaigns; lobby days; calling campaigns to urge local elected officials to vote yes/no on an upcoming abortion-related bill.
Rapid Response
Rapid response is historically very important in social movements. Students for Life trains our campus groups and leaders to always be prepared to respond to those who oppose equality for the preborn. For Rapid Response, Students for Life groups are trained to be quick and constantly keep an eye on what the abortion industry is up to on their campus and in their community.
Examples of Rapid Response engagement include: protesting an abortion advocate speaking on campus; counter programming for a “Real Sex Week” on campus; organizing and participating in rallies to support pro-life leaders, clinics, and legislation.
Supportive Services
The pillar of Supportive Services aims to provide resources directly to those targeted and affected by abortion, so that students can choose life for their children and pursue a hopeful future for their families. Students for Life works with our campus groups and leaders to launch projects that address the real needs of pregnant and parenting students as well as actively promote local life-affirming organizations (e.g. pregnancy help organizations, adoption agencies, maternity homes) in their communities on their campus.
Examples of Students for Life groups participating in the Supportive Services pillar are: changing campus policies to help pregnant and parenting students choose life; referring students to life-affirming resources and pregnancy help organizations in their community; offering to drive pregnant students to appointments; hosting a baby shower for a pregnant student; starting a scholarship fund for pregnant and parenting students; advertising on campus for the local pregnancy help organizations; organizing donation drives.