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 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.

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 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, 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. 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 Institutes
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
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.

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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
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 your 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. Partner
organizations will work with The Institutes 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 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.

mccaininstitute.org/programs/humanitarian-action