Actions
Below is a list of suggested actions you can organise at your school, either by yourself or with others. All actions can be used for the various animal rights issues. This is a guide only and individual creativy is a must. If you need help in organising an action (ie. flyers to hand out, planning of a campaign etc), contact us and we'll be more than happy to help :)
Actions are listed in order of difficulty:
1
- Design posters and put them up in the classroom, or with the school's permission, put smaller posters (A4 size), around school. Try to plan where you put the posters, eg factory farmed ones near the canteen, or anti-dissection ones in the science building.
- Design info flyers and hand them to students at lunch time. This is very effective when paired with a stall or info day, as students can take the info with them.
- Petition Hour- just like flyers, this works fantastically with another action, ie a guest speaker, stall, or info day. Perhaps have a petition drive, especially when an event involving parents is happening, so you can collect more signatures.
2
- Stall- organise an info stall about the different animal cruelty issues. This is a fantastic way of talking to students, perhaps gain support to form a club, as well as hand out info and sign petitions. All you need is a table, chairs, information and a lunch time.
- Video session - choose a short doco and screen it in your club's room, or with prior planning with a librarian, screen it during a lunchtime. Hand out info related to the topic and get students to sign petitions. Perhaps have a movie session spanning a couple of lunchtimes.
- Invite a guest speaker for class- arrange with your teacher if it's possible to have a guest speaker visit your school. This is quite useful if you have an assignment or project. Once you have organised the go-ahead, then contact an organisation and ask them to speak at your school.
3
- Fundraiser - choose a local animal charity that is in desperate need of help and run a fundraiser on their behalf. The best fundraisers centre around food. Offer vegan cakes, biscuits and cookies. Another idea is to have a raffle and sell tickets. Approach a charity or business asking them to sponsor your fundraiser.
- Invite a guest speaker to your school - Contact a guest speaker to talk at your next assembly or information day. Combine it with an info stall, or petition drive afterwards.
4
- Organise an "Animal Day" in which all the students in your year spend the day discussing and doing projects about animals. Display the work in the library or someplace where it'll be seen by others and parents.
- If you're involved in a Drama class or Performance class of some sort, arrange with the teacher to do a short performance piece about a topic. Perform it at the next assembly or parent-teacher night.
- Start a CAMPAIGN!!
What's A Campaign?
A "campaign" is the term used to describe a series of actions about a particular issue, rather than one action. It involves a long term plan with a series of smaller actions over a period of time. Instead of organising actions at random, it would be best to concentrate on one issue that you feel passionate about and work towards educating others.
Think of a campaign as a piece of writing, for example, an essay. You need to introduce the topic then concentrate on sharing all the info about that topic, ending it with a conclusion. Below are some examples of campaigns:
Goal: Canteen To Stop Using Battery Eggs
Time Frame: 10 weeks
Actions:
- Approach the canteen about their use of battery eggs. If no change - - campaign time!
- Research- Get info about free range options, ie suppliers, cost etc
- Show a video about battery cages.
- Have an info stall at lunch time handing out info about battery hens. Put posters up.
- Have a petition " Stop Battery Eggs at [Insert school's name]'s Canteen"
- Write an article for the school magazine or newsletter asking for parent support.
- Approach the canteen once again with the info, student petition
Goal: Stop Melbourne Cup Day - Lucky Dip (Teacher Event)
Time Frame: Two weeks before the Melbourne Cup (November)
Actions:
- Put up posters showing injured and abandoned horses disgarded by the Racing Industry.
- Design an info pamphlet and hand it to all the staff members.
- Hold an info session and have students sign a petition and write letters to their teacher urging them not to participate.
- Write an article for publication for the local newspaper.
- Approach the staff and hand them the letters of objection and petition.
Other campaign suggestions: Vego option available from canteen; if an art student, organise with your teacher to have an art exhibition celebrating animals; "Say No To Petshops" campaign before Christmas; Cruelty-Free Day;
Have a fantastic idea but have no idea how to get it happening?? Contact us and we'll help you get started.
Are you a student about to do dissection? Go here for a guide on how you can object to and stop dissection!
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