The Secular Student Alliance stands in solidarity with national civil rights organizations and secular advocacy groups to oppose the growing attacks against LGBTQ+ Americans. With the rise of harmful legislation and rhetoric, we remain steadfast in our commitment to building a society rooted in equality, respect, and dignity for all—where public policy is based on…

  For nearly 25 years, the Secular Student Alliance has stood steadfast in our commitment to nonreligious youth and the unyielding principle of state-church separation. Our students have made and continue to make significant strides in normalizing nonreligion, promoting secular values, and actively advocating for the separation of state and church at local, state, and…

  This fall, Secular Student Alliance chapters nationwide are mobilizing to educate their peers about the critical impact of Project 2025 and exposing efforts to restrict voting rights for youth and marginalized communities ahead of the upcoming presidential election. To spread awareness about the dangers of Project 2025, SSA chapters are hosting free screenings of…

  Last year, the Secular Student Alliance chapter at the University of Texas, San Antonio, took a courageous stand for reproductive rights during the National Day of Action for Reproductive Rights. Amid a harsh political climate in Texas, where some of the nation’s strictest abortion laws had taken effect, these students organized a protest and…

The Secular Student Alliance is announcing a partnership with The Satanic Temple on their After School Satan Club (ASSC) in public schools where religious clubs are present. This initiative is designed to offer students a safe and inclusive environment that emphasizes critical thinking, science, and the arts. The ASSC is founded on the principle that…

  The Secular Student Alliance is pleased to announce the appointment of five new members to its Board of Directors: Victoria Anderson (student member), Stephanie Hlywak, Joey Hunziker, James Modisette, and Dr. Eric Solomon.  Elected at the April Board meeting, these members will begin serving this month and will join the full Board along with…

  Congratulations to Dr. Ryan Bodanyi, who has been elected as the new Board Chair of the Secular Student Alliance! The Secular Student Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and the only national organization dedicated to atheist, humanist, and other non-theist students. Our mission is to empower secular students to proudly express their identity, build welcoming…

Written by Luke Fisher Since its decision on Trump’s ballot access, the Colorado Supreme Court has been confronted with an unfortunate reality – the ominous specter of violence looms over its justices, individuals tasked with upholding the bedrock principles enshrined in the United States Constitution. The source of this threat? The principled enforcement of Section…

After end-of-the-semester papers are turned in, and you take your final exams before the winter break, students can be excited and anxious about going home for the holidays.  College is an important time and amazing experience that shapes who you are and your values for the rest of your life. For most students, college is…

Andrew Seidel Speaks At WTAMU In Drag To Protest And Educate   In March, West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler canceled a student drag show organized by several campus student clubs including members of the Secular Student Alliance. In an email to all students, faculty, and staff, President Wendler cited his personal religious beliefs and…

While the First Amendment to the US Constitution guarantees us the freedom of, and from, religion, there have been an increasing number of incidents of high school students being forced into prayer in Oklahoma, Missouri, Alabama, Texas, and Florida. Unfortunately, Colorado students are not immune from this growing attack on the separation of church and…

For two hours in the first debate, 8 Republican Presidential candidates spouted canned responses with cheers from conservative baby boomers. The evening put a glaring spotlight on just how out-of-touch the Republican party is with the future leaders of our nation. Those candidates on the debate stage pandered to a small conservative splinter of the…

  The Secular Student Alliance Announces the Appointment of New Board Members The Secular Student Alliance (SSA) announced today the appointment of seven new members to its Board of Directors: Clinton Herndon (student member), Lishore Kumar (student member), Michael Bills, Olivia Fines, Ron Zakay, Stephanie McGreevy, and Wilds Ross. Andrew Seidel also joins SSA as…

  Open Letter to Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Regarding Faith-Based Outreach Hilda Solis, Holly Mitchell, Lindsay Horvath, Janice Hahn, and Kathryn Barger   Last year, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved funding for a consultant to explore effective ways and solicit feedback on how faith-based organizations can complement, and perhaps…

In an address to all students, faculty, and staff at West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler canceled a student drag show organized by several campus student clubs including members of the Secular Student Alliance. The show and its proceeds were organized to raise funds for the Trevor Project. While President Wendler stated raising funds…

  As a result of our lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education, the DOE announced that it is rescinding part of a regulation enacted by the Trump administration that forces universities to financially support religious student groups that discriminate. The Department of Education is inviting public comment on the proposed rule and is requesting…

We are strongly encouraging you not to sponsor or attend the National Prayer Breakfast. The annual event takes place in the first week of February and is framed as a large bipartisan forum for political, social, and business leaders to gather and pray together, but the reality is different. The National Prayer Breakfast is controversial…

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in 303 Creative v. Elenis, a case that stands to upend over fifty years of nondiscrimination law. The case involves a Colorado web design company that claims it has a free speech right to deny services to customers based on its owner’s religious beliefs. In particular, the owner…

Most Black Americans identify as Christian and are highly religious by traditional measures of belief. According to Pew Research, Black Americans remain more religious than other groups and more likely than the average American to stay in the religious tradition they were raised in. As a result, some predicted that young Black adults would resist…

We are pleased to introduce our 2022 student activist scholarship recipients. This year’s scholarship recipients exemplify the mission of the Secular Student Alliance by proudly expressing their secular identities, building welcoming and inclusive communities, and promoting strong secular values. We know they will continue to enrich our society through their activism. Please learn more about…

American Crusade: How the Supreme Court Is Weaponizing Religious Freedom Critically acclaimed author and constitutional attorney Andrew L. Seidel looks at some of the key Supreme Court cases over the last decade to show how a hallowed legal protection, freedom of religion, has been turned into a tool to advance privilege and impose conservative Christianity…

This morning, the Supreme Court’s religiously-conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the federally-protected right to a safe and legal abortion. This devastating and dangerous decision takes away fundamental rights and bodily autonomy from pregnant people, and will disproportionately impact people of color, people in rural communities, people with lower income, and women. In fact,…

On Friday, May 13, students from the Secular Student Alliance at the University of Texas, San Antonio hosted a live event and fundraiser at the UTSA campus with the popular Youtube show ‘Truth Wanted’ with host ObjectivelyDan. The show is about getting to the bottom of beliefs, whether it’s karma or Christ, Bigfoot or crystals…

Please join us in welcoming four new members to the SSA Board of Directors. Michelle Campbell has 17 years of experience working in education and the non-profit sector. She currently serves as the Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Middlesex College in New Jersey. As Vice President, Michelle leads a comprehensive institutional advancement division that…

Sarah talked about running for office when she was in elementary school and she has always been passionate about making a difference in her community! When student members of the Secular Student Alliance leave college, they go off to do great things.  We are proud to have Sarah as an alumna of the Secular Student…

Over the past 20 months with campus closures due to the COVID 19 pandemic, many nonreligious students were forced to be at home with unsupportive religious families and communities and cut off from their other nonreligious friends. Coming out of the pandemic, the Secular Student Alliance launched a nationwide organizing campaign, reaching 1.4 million students,…

There is only one race of people on the face of the earth: the HUMAN race, of which we are all members. The solution to the problem of the ignorance about ‘race’ lies in stopping the lies. Jane Elliott, internationally known anti-racism activist, educator, feminist, and LGBTQ activist, exposes prejudice and bigotry for what it…

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is filing an appeals court brief on behalf of the Secular Student Alliance, in support of an Indiana school district’s actions to rein in discrimination against transgender students by a religious music teacher. After Brownsburg High School music teacher John Kluge sought to avoid using the name of a transgender student, the…

Bobbie Kirkhart died on October 31, 2021, in her home in Los Angeles, CA. She was 78 years old. For nearly four decades, Bobbie was a fixture in atheist movement building. She served as President of both Atheist Alliance International and Atheists United, served on the board of Camp Quest and the advisory board for…

  On August 19, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it is reviewing and anticipates rescinding parts of a regulation enacted by the Trump administration that, among other things, forces universities to financially support religious student groups that discriminate. American Atheists and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, who are challenging this provision in…

Today, the national civil rights organizations American Atheists and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, on behalf of the Secular Student Alliance and a California university student, filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s Department of Education to challenge a recently published regulation that forces universities to financially support religious student groups that discriminate. “The…

Helena Robertson, president of the Secular Student Alliance at Vanderbilt University, is one of six student leaders invited to join the first Cohort of Interfaith Fellows, sponsored by the Office of Inclusive Excellence and the Office of Religious Life. The fellows will meet (virtually) weekly to discuss issues of peace, justice, religion and how to engage…

Growing up, Kayley’s family identified as “Chreasters,” going to Catholic Church on Christmas and Easter. When she started weekly religion classes in second grade, she said, “I always felt the most judged in the Church, the very same space where I was told to let God do the judging.” That disconnect in values led her…

Tuesday, September 29, 2020 4pm (pacific)  Register Here Join us for this exciting and informative training on how to successfully advocate for secularism in politics. Sarah Levin is a political strategist and veteran lobbyist. Formerly with Secular Coalition for America, Sarah is the founder of Secular Strategies.

How closely do your values align with the two candidates for President of the United States? Use our Presidential Debate Scorecard as you watch the first debate on September 29. Begin by indicating to what degree you agree or disagree with a list of values statements. Then, as you listen to the debate, mark where…

Graduation is an important milestone and benchmark of achievement for all students. The class of 2020 enters an increasingly connected and complicated world, in which the values of compassion, equality, and justice are needed more than ever. Our atheist, humanist, and nonreligious graduating students have a unique opportunity to create the future they want to…

‘Much Better Sex’ is traveling to five universities this spring, beginning with Utah State University, on February 28 (RSVP). Sponsored by the Secular Student Alliance, the program will address questions such as: ~ What does science say about sexual satisfaction? Sexual “normality”?   ~ Which common beliefs about sex aren’t true? ~ Can you really…

The Secular Student Alliance is pleased to offer a growing number of scholarships this year. SSA Student Activist Scholarships Several $3,000 scholarships are available this year, up from $2500 because of special donation. We continue to offer several $1,000 scholarships as well. One of the $1,000 scholarships is reserved for a secular student attending an…

We hope you will join us in Cincinnati on April 19-21, 2019, for the American Atheists 2019 National Convention! Three days of speakers, workshops, community events. The next generation in the United States is more secular and social justice-oriented than previous generations. SSA executive director, Kevin Bolling will speak about the mindset of millennials and…

The SSA Conference is not only our biggest event every year but it is also the only student-focused secular conference in the United States. It’s the time where our students from all across the nation get together to meet each other and be a part of the secular community on a much larger scale. Every…

The first episode of the new podcast, Secular Student Life, launched today with a informative and inspiring conversation with student leader, Lisa Daugherty, from Ivy Tech College, and a short word from SSA executive director, Kevin Bolling. Hosted by National Organizing Manager, Ryan Bell, the Secular Student Life podcast will air at least monthly with…

We know that what happens in high schools and on university campuses today is a glimpse into what will be happening in our country in the future… and we could not be more excited! We are pleased to introduce our 2018 student scholarship recipients. Please take a moment and read the short biographies of these…

Secular Student Alliance chapters in states across the country registered voters ahead of the 2018 midterm elections as part of a wave of new, younger voters that erupted onto the scene this year. It’s still too early to say exactly how many young adults turned out to vote but according to CIRCLE at the Tufts University…

This article originally appeared in the Trinitonian on November 5, 2018. The TU Secular Student Alliance is being formed in Trinity University as a way to help students understand what it means to be non-religious and allows for secular students to have a presence on campus. According to junior Alex Bradley, club president, TU Secular…

From March 10-16, 2019, students from the Secular Student Alliance will be traveling to Puerto Rico to assist in the work of rebuilding homes. In the fall of 2017, Hurricane Irma landed in Puerto Rico with the strongest winds the island has ever seen. Not long after, Hurricane Maria’s 155 mph ferocious winds struck the island, leaving a trail of destruction…

The following article was originally published at Humanist Voices, by Scott Douglas Jacobsen. Raghen Lucy is a sophomore at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Growing up in Williston, North Dakota, she did not have an outlet to express her atheism and advocate for secularism until she got involved with the Secular Student Alliance in 2017. She…

by Julienne De Guzman A few weeks ago dozens of SSA chapters participated in Ask An Atheist Day on their campuses. From the University of Alaska Fairbanks to Penn State University to the University of Puerto Rico and all the states in between students engaging in conversations with believers and non-believers alike. Most set up…

Re-posted from the Center for Religion and Global Citizenry at University of Wisconsin-Madison Gwen Salm is the Vice-President of Atheists, Humanists, and Agnostics, the SSA chapter at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The following first person account of her journey to secularism appeared on the UW-Madison website on September 24, 2018. I grew up in Fond du…

Rogers State University (RSU) has just officially recognized one of the newest Secular Student Alliance chapters, led by Jennifer Stemmer. Jennifer and one of her group members, Bri Petree, recently partnered with the Atheist Community of Tulsa (ACT) to volunteer at The Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless. “I was not expecting to have as…

  National Ask An Atheist Day, on September 20, is an opportunity for secular people and organizations across the country to work together to defeat stereotypes about atheism and encourage courteous dialogue between believers and nonbelievers alike. Ask An Atheist Day is intended to be an opportunity for the general public—particularly people of faith—to approach non-theists…

Marisa Rubio joins the staff of the Secular Student Alliance as the development associate, responsible for the day-to-day relationships with members, donors, and supporters. Marisa has always had a true passion for making a difference in people’s lives and empowering others. She graduated from San Francisco State University where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree…

We are excited to have Louise Jett join the SSA staff as our social media coordinator. Communicating is Louise Jett’s specialty. In short, she is a storyteller and an educator. Flexible and strategic, she approaches challenges with optimism and enthusiasm. She is a social media expert and scholar, who spreads awareness of the Ethical Society…

We are very happy to announce that the recipient of the 2018 SSA Backbone Award is Sonia Pressman Fuentes. Sonia was born in 1928 in Berlin, Germany, of Polish parents. She and her family immigrated, first to Belgium, and then to the United States in order to escape the Holocaust. After graduating from University of…

  The Secular Student Alliance is currently seeking a full-time Development Associate.   This position will be responsible for assisting the Executive Director and Board of Directors with fundraising outreach to foundations, corporations, existing donors to the organization, in addition to new prospects through outreach, correspondence, face-to-face meetings, grant writing submissions along with managing and developing…

We are very proud to announce the 2018 National Leadership Council (NLC). The NLC is comprised of a select group of student SSA leaders and recent graduates, selected by the Campus Organizing staff, to serve in an advisory and ambassador role within the national organization. Students are selected for their demonstrated commitment to SSA and…

As executive director of the Secular Student Alliance, I am shocked and angry to hear about the accusations of sexual assault by David Silverman against a member of the Secular Student Alliance in 2012 and other women. The staff and members of the Board of Directors of the Secular Student Alliance fully support the courageous…

Nicholas Benedict is a Chief Executive Officer and Board Director who is known for his ability to drive growth by creating new revenue streams and optimizing existing ones. His primary area of expertise is in digital marketing, supported by skills in strategy, service operations, and finance. He recently exited his last company in a trade…

Chris Johnson is a New York-based photographer and filmmaker. He received his undergraduate degree in film production (along with a minor in religious studies) from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. His photography has been seen in various outlets, including The New York Times. He is the author of the coffee table photography book, A Better Life: 100 Atheists…

Let Cesar Chavez Day, on March 31, be a day of community service to respect the work of Cesar and Dolores. For someone whose family described as an ordinary man, Cesar Chavez has set the bar high and left an immense legacy for modern-day activists to follow. Born in Arizona, Chavez saw the plight of…

Join us for the 18th annual Secular Student Alliance national conference—a unique experience blending organizational development, leadership enrichment, and a secular perspective. Every year at the SSA Annual Conference, hundreds of secular students and community leaders gather to share ideas and learn from each other. SSA Con’s primary goal is to train student leaders and…

The Office of Religious Life (ORL) at the University of Southern California (USC) is proud to welcome Ryan Bell as Humanist Chaplain. “Forty-four percent of incoming USC Freshman this year have no religious affiliation. We are at a unique moment in American religious history as the fastest growing religious demographic are those who are unaffiliated…

There is a long lineup of scientists who have made groundbreaking discoveries and useful contributions to science, but not many have made the cut to be a special, annual holiday. Back in 1993, Dr. Robert Stephens saw it fit to give that honor to Charles Darwin, the naturalist and geologist whose theories in the origins…

Join us this summer at Ohio State University for the annual SSA National Conference, June 29-July 1, 2018. More information about speakers and schedule will be published on the website as they become available. Sponsor the conference! Students travel from all over the country to attend this unique leadership development and relationship building event. The…

Martin Luther King Jr. was many things—influential leader of civil rights, advocate for social justice, and also famously a reverend. Born to a father who was a Baptist minister and a mother who was a choir leader at church, King grew up singing songs of praise, and later drew many of his ethical principles from…

The Secular Student Alliance is seeking nominations for enthusiastic, energetic, and empathetic individuals to serve on the Board of Directors, beginning in April 2018. Board members serve a four-year term and are responsible for helping shape and guide the organization as it evolves to meet the needs of our student chapters, focuses on core values,…

Gerardo Rivera, the president of the SSA chapter at UPRM has been leading the effort among the atheist and humanist community in Puerto Rico to bring much needed relief to those who are suffering, two months later, from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria. Today, over half of the island is still without power. Gerardo…