School Is Back. So Is SODA.

Written by Nicole Nidea, Executive Director

What can happen when a student decides to start a conversation?

Maybe a classmate learns for the first time what it means to be an organ donor. Maybe a friend finally registers. Maybe someone shares a personal story that changes the way an entire community thinks about donation.

Since 2014, SODA: Student Organ Donation Advocates has helped those conversations educate 411,236 people about the importance of organ, eye, and tissue donation and inspire 20,428 donor registrations.

And we're just getting started!

Our growth continues to be guided by two priorities: sustainability and high-impact chapters. We want chapters to have the foundation they need to thrive year after year, while also giving student leaders the tools, knowledge, and opportunities to save and heal as many lives as possible.

This fall, we're putting that second goal into action in several exciting ways:

• The fourth annual SODA Campus Challenge: Last year, students registered 56% more donors through the Challenge than the year before, demonstrating what is possible when students come together around a shared goal. This year, we'll once again bring student-led teams across the country together for a season of friendly competition, collaboration, and focused advocacy with the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations, the Eye Bank Association of America, Donate Life Texas, Sanofi, and Second Chance Fundraising.

• Our new Donation Education Course: Developed to give students a strong foundation in donation education with help from Hearts for Russ, the Course will help student leaders feel prepared and confident when talking about donation in their communities. Chapters will be able to use the training when additional education is needed, with the support of their local organ procurement organization. By ensuring students have accurate, meaningful information before they advocate, we can help them become even more effective ambassadors for donation.

• Building connections to strengthen our partnerships at conferences: We'll be taking what we learn from our chapters into the field this fall. SODA will be actively engaged at The Alliance's National Critical Issues Forum, the REIMAGINE Center’s Annual Symposium, and the Donate Life America Annual Conference. These opportunities allow us to learn from our partners, strengthen our programming, and celebrate the students leading our lifesaving movement on their campuses.

  
  

These initiatives will help us not only have more chapters but stronger chapters that are equipped to make a lasting difference. When students have the knowledge, resources, and support to lead effectively, a single campus can become the starting point for more “yeses” to organ, eye, and tissue donation.

We’ve been busy preparing for the school year this summer! One highlight was attending the HOSA–Future Health Professionals International Leadership Conference, where we met some of our rockstar student leaders and hosted a workshop on donation and transplantation careers with Donate Life Indiana.

Thank you for helping us build that future. Your support makes it possible for students across the country to turn their passion for donation into action, creating stronger chapters, greater impact, and ultimately, more lives saved and healed.

We can't wait to see what this next school year brings!