The McCain Institute for International Leadership

Student Alliance Against Trafficking Toolkit

mccaininstitute.org/programs/humanitarian-action



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 Institutes Humanitarian Action
Program
9

mccaininstitute.org/programs/humanitarian-action

Trafficking is under everyones nose. Youve seen it.

You just didnt know what you were looking at
Cindy McCain
Chair, McCain Institute Human Trafficking Advisory Council
Co-Chair, Governors Arizona Human Trafficking Council

THE MCCAIN INSTITUTE STUDENT ALLIANCE

AGAINST TRAFFICKING TOOLKIT
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to The McCain Institute for International Leaderships Student
Alliance Against Trafficking! The mission of the Student Alliance is to
unite and empower a national network of student activists to combat human
trafficking by amplifying awareness, encouraging advocacy and deterring
related behaviors that contribute to human trafficking in the United States.
Together we can be a resounding voice in the fight to end human trafficking.
This toolkit is a resource to help successfully guide your efforts as your
student organization develops a campus-wide awareness week focused on
human trafficking.
EVENT PLANNING
Student Alliance partners host Human Trafficking Awareness Weeks on
their school campus to increase visibility of this issue and equip peers to
identify and protect against human trafficking in their communities. Each
campus has a variety of resources, opportunities and partnerships available
to facilitate awareness week events, which allow each school the flexibility to
tailor the awareness week and maximize success. Student Alliance partners
work with The McCain Institute to plan their events and customize their
weeks. Partner organizations are also encouraged to connect 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 athletic
departments and Greek life organizations to elevate the conversation and
amplify messaging.

mccaininstitute.org/programs/humanitarian-action

Tested options for impactful awareness week activities include:

n Awareness tables are an easy way to appeal to a mass amount of
students and share resources to increase awareness of trafficking.
Student Alliance partners can disseminate informational resource
materials found at mccaininstitute.org/programs/humanitarianaction 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
human 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 human trafficking recruiting process or utilizing
large-scale dioramas at a central campus location.
n Partnerships with athletic departments and Greek life can grow
volunteer participation and the reach of the awareness week.
Informed and committed student-athletes, fraternities and
sororities can be powerful leaders on this issue as role models for
fellow students. Ideas for engagement include hosting events with a
commitment for a percentage of memberships or athletes to attend,
having members change their social media avatars to generate
awareness or hosting a philanthropic sports game to raise money
for and champion the issue.

mccaininstitute.org/programs/humanitarian-action

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 human 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 Human Trafficking, or
Human Trafficking Happens HERE, Encourage students to be
creative!

mccaininstitute.org/programs/humanitarian-action

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
human trafficking.
MARKETING
Effective marketing is a key factor to ensure success for your awareness
week. Each campus has 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] Human Trafficking Awareness
Week, the color blue and social media engagement using
#StudentsAgainstTrafficking. Efficient marketing strategies include:
n The McCain Institute will provide 150 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. Student
Alliance partners should use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
pages to promote awareness week events and remind RSVPs about
times and locations. Throughout the week, volunteers and
participating students can use these platforms to share their
experiences and raise awareness using
#StudentsAgainstTrafficking.
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, womens 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
schools website. Student Alliance partners can encourage their
memberships to share these articles on social media platforms.
PROPOSED TIMELINE
Student Alliance Human Trafficking Awareness Weeks are typically planned
in January to coincide with National Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
During the fall semester, partnered student activists will have coordinating
phone calls with The McCain Institute to plan events, organize an oncampus planning group, develop social media pages and plan a marketing
strategy. The below proposed timeline can be used as a guide:
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
schools 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.
n One Week in Advance
Flyers: Post or hand out remaining flyers around campus.
mccaininstitute.org/programs/humanitarian-action

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
RSVPd 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
universitys 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 you are a student who would like to create an anti-trafficking student
organization at your school or your existing student organization would like
to partner with The McCain Institute and join the Student Alliance Against
Trafficking, please contact Lindsay Scornavacco at lscornav@asu.edu for
more information. Partnered student activists will work with The McCain
Institutes Humanitarian Action team to organize Human Trafficking
Awareness Weeks sponsored by The Institute throughout the fall semester,
and participate in a Google Hangout with fellow student activists to share
experiences and make recommendations for future efforts in the spring.

mccaininstitute.org/programs/humanitarian-action

ABOUT THE INSTITUTES HUMANITARIAN ACTION PROGRAM

The McCain Institutes 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 Institutes 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 Institutes 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. Beginning January 2016, this effort
expanded to include Northern Arizona University, The University of
Arizona, Grand Canyon University, Paradise Valley Community College and
Desert Mountain High School, creating a unified voice against human
trafficking in Arizona.

mccaininstitute.org/programs/humanitarian-action