Written by Zoe Engels, Blog Contributor
As the Spring Semester gets underway, now is a great time to host a SODA event or start a chapter. To date, SODA’s members have educated more than 17,000 students about organ donation and registered more than 1,900 as organ donors. Such student advocacy on college and high school campuses can save lives, inspiring others to become advocates and say “yes” to organ donation.
If You’re Not Already Involved…
Host an Event
We know that every student’s schedule is different, so we’ll meet you where you’re at. If you only have a couple of free hours a week and want to move one step at a time, hosting an event is a great option. SODA supports events like bringing in organ recipients to speak to student groups, sharing donuts and discussions of interesting articles about organ donation, hosting organ donation drives, etc.
Start a Chapter
If organ donation is your passion, and you’re ready to dive in, make an impact, and rally your community around the cause, then starting a chapter is the perfect choice for you. This option is great for students who have a few free hours a week and are ready to commit to organ donation advocacy. Your high school or college chapter would join our growing community of 43 chapters!
Take our eligibility quiz to learn whether hosting an event or starting a chapter is right for you at sodanational.org/students.
If You’re Already Involved…
Host an Event
Are you ready to kickstart the Spring Semester? Consider hosting an organ donation drive in your school cafeteria, bringing in a speaker with Pizza and Perspectives, finger painting to bust myths and share facts about organ donation, etc. The advocacy options are endless!
Post on Social Media
Use your platforms to share your events and accomplishments with your community members. Whether you’ve just hosted an event and want to share it with your followers or have an event in the works, social media is a great way to advocate for organ donation and show everyone what your SODA chapter has been up to. We love to see and share your posts, too.
Get event inspiration and check out our social media templates at sodanational.org/resources!
We’re Here to Support You!
Students who lead a SODA chapter or host an event receive support from SODA National! We connect you with the community outreach team at your local Organ Procurement Organization, provide mentorship from our Student Outreach team, have a bank of online resources, and link you to other students through SODA’s Slack community. Plus, you’ll get free SODA swag, including t-shirts, tablecloths, and buttons!
Connect with our Student Outreach team to learn more about how we support our students by emailing students@sodanational.org.