Secular Student Alliance
Encyclopedia
The Secular Student Alliance (SSA), founded in May 2000, is an independent, democratically structured organization in the U.S.
that aims to serve the needs of freethinking high school
and college
students. The Secular Student Alliance is based in Columbus, Ohio
. The SSA was formed "to organize, unite, educate and serve students and student communities that promote the ideals of scientific and critical inquiry, democracy, secularism, and human based ethics".
The Secular Student Alliance is an educational nonprofit whose purpose is to educate high school and college students about the value of scientific reason and the intellectual basis of secularism in its atheistic and humanistic manifestations. The SSA also offers these students and their organizations a variety of resources, including but not limited to leadership training and support, guest speakers, discounted literature and conference tickets, and thought provoking online articles and opinions.
As of February 2011, the SSA has over 250 affiliates in North America and abroad, including groups in Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia.
in Petersburg, Kentucky
. 304 students, atheists, and scientists attended, in order to familiarize themselves with the museum. One notable name in attendance was PZ Myers
, who also came to experience the museum firsthand.
The SSA also takes on paid and unpaid interns each quarter of the year. Previous interns have included:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that aims to serve the needs of freethinking high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
students. The Secular Student Alliance is based in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. The SSA was formed "to organize, unite, educate and serve students and student communities that promote the ideals of scientific and critical inquiry, democracy, secularism, and human based ethics".
The Secular Student Alliance is an educational nonprofit whose purpose is to educate high school and college students about the value of scientific reason and the intellectual basis of secularism in its atheistic and humanistic manifestations. The SSA also offers these students and their organizations a variety of resources, including but not limited to leadership training and support, guest speakers, discounted literature and conference tickets, and thought provoking online articles and opinions.
As of February 2011, the SSA has over 250 affiliates in North America and abroad, including groups in Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia.
Membership growth
The Secular Student Alliance (SSA) has experienced increasing membership growth since its founding. The number of SSA community college and university campus affiliates has expanded considerably in recent years:- 2007 - 80 groups
- 2008 - 100 groups
- 2009 - 159 groups
- 2010 - 219 groups
Events
On August 7, 2009, the SSA organized a trip to the Creation MuseumCreation Museum
The Creation Museum is a museum near Petersburg, Kentucky that presents an account of the origins of the universe, life, mankind, and man's early history according to a literal reading of the Book of Genesis...
in Petersburg, Kentucky
Petersburg, Kentucky
Petersburg is an unincorporated community in Boone County, Kentucky, United States. The community was established about 1800, known at the time as Tanner's Station. The Bullittsburg Baptist Church was founded outside former hamlets of Utzinger and Gainesville/Idewild, east and north of Petersburg...
. 304 students, atheists, and scientists attended, in order to familiarize themselves with the museum. One notable name in attendance was PZ Myers
PZ Myers
Paul Zachary "PZ" Myers is an American biology professor at the University of Minnesota Morris and the author of the Pharyngula science blog. He is currently an associate professor of biology at UMM, works with zebrafish in the field of evolutionary developmental biology , and also cultivates an...
, who also came to experience the museum firsthand.
Conferences
The Secular Student Alliance holds an annual conference.| Year | Theme | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Minneapolis, MN | |
| 2001 | Kicking Ass for the New Enlightenment | Columbus, OH |
| 2002 | Education Against Indoctrination | Chicago, IL |
| 2004 | Washington, DC | |
| 2005 | Connecting the Secular Movement with Other Communities | Columbus, OH |
| 2006 | We're Not in Kansas Anymore | Kansas City, MO |
| 2007 | Harvard Humanist Chaplaincy 30th Anniversary Gala/Symposium | Cambridge, MA |
| 2008 | World Humanist Congress | Washington, DC |
| 2009 | Columbus, OH | |
| 2010 | Columbus. OH |
Communications
In July 2005, the SSA created an online newsletter called the eMpirical. It currently has over 16,000 subscribers.Staff
The SSA currently has 8 paid staff http://www.secularstudents.org/staff:- Executive Director, August E. Brunsman IV
- Director of Campus Organizing, Lyz Liddell
- Communications Director, Jesse Galef
- Campus Organizer and High School Specialist, J. T. Eberhard
- Assistant Campus Organizer, Andrew Cheadle
- Assistant Campus Organizer, Nick Stancato
- Development Director, Ashley Paramore
- Event Specialist, Sarah Moglia
The SSA also takes on paid and unpaid interns each quarter of the year. Previous interns have included:
- 2009 Fall: Samantha Snyder and Cameron DeHart
- 2010 Spring: Nate Mauger and Nick Stancato
- 2010 Summer: Nick Stancato
Board
As of July 2011, the SSA has twelve board members.- Joe Foley, Chair, Board Member Since 2006
- Don Sutterfield, Vice-Chair, Board Member Since 2008
- Conrad Hudson, Treasurer, Board Member Since 2011
- Leslie A. Zukor, Secretary, Board Member Since 2010
- Frank Bellamy, Board Member Since 2011
- Evan Clark, Board Member Since 2011
- John Figdor, Board Member Since 2009
- Katie Hartman, Board Member Since 2011
- Nathaniel Mauger, Board Member Since 2011
- Jennifer McCreightJennifer McCreightJennifer McCreight , an American skeptic and atheist blogger, is a graduate student at the University of Washington. She is the architect of Boobquake, an experiment designed to test a claim made by Kazem Seddiqi, an Islamic cleric....
, Board Member Since 2010 - Shelley Mountjoy, Board Member Since 2009
- Brendan Murphy, Board Member Since 2011
See also
- List of secularist organizations
- Freethought Association of Canada