View source for Secular Students

{{Infobox Organization
|name         = Secular Student Alliance
|image        = SSALogo.jpg
|image_border = 
|size         =
|caption      =
|map          =
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|mcaption     =
|abbreviation = SSA
|motto        =
|formation    = May 2000
|extinction   =
|type         = [[Non-profit organization|non-profit]]
|status       = foundation
|purpose      = [[secularism]], [[atheism]]
|headquarters = [[Columbus, Ohio]]
|location     =
|region_served = {{USA}}
|membership   =
|language     = English
|leader_title =
|leader_name  =
|key_people   = August E. Brunsman IV, Executive Director<br/>Joe Foley, Chairman of the Board of Directors
|main_organ   =
|parent_organization =
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|website      = http://www.secularstudents.org/
|remarks      =
}}

The '''Secular Student Alliance''' ('''SSA'''), founded in May 2000, is an independent, democratically structured organization in the United States 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".<ref name=ABCNEWS>{{cite web
|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=8280168
|title=Creation Museum: Is This How World Began? 300 Skeptics Converge on Christian Museum in Kentucky
|date=2009-08-09
|last=Powell
|first=Devin
|publisher=ABC News/Inside Science News Service
|accessdate=2009-10-20}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.secularstudents.org/250milestone
|title=Atheism on Campus Reaches Milestone, Tipping Point
|accessdate=2011-02-14
|date=2011-02-09
|last=Galef
|first=Jesse
|publisher=Secular Student Alliance}}</ref>

==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:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/us/02atheist.html|title=Approaching Holidays Prompt Atheist Campaign|author=Urbina, Ian|publisher=New York Times|date=2009-12-01|accessdate=2010-09-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.secularstudents.org/recordnumbergroups2010|title=Fall Brings Record Numbers of Atheist, Agnostic Student Organizations on Campus|last=Galef|first=Jesse|publisher=Secular Student Alliance|date=2010-09-06|accessdate=2011-02-08}}</ref>
*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 Museum]] in Petersburg, Kentucky. 304 students, atheists, and scientists attended, in order to familiarize themselves with the museum.<ref name=ABCNEWS/> One notable name in attendance was [[PZ Myers]], who also came to experience the museum firsthand.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-18916-beyond-belief.html
|title=Beyond Belief: Atheist community thrives in Cincinnati’s backyard
|last=McLendon
|first=Ryan
|date=2009-09-30
|publisher=CityBeat
|accessdate=2009-10-20}}</ref>  During the trip, Myers used the social networking site, [[Twitter]], to keep worldwide followers updated.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?/rnstext/atheists_put_their_faith_in_twitter1/
|title=Atheists put their faith in Twitter
|date=2009-08-14
|last=Velasquez
|first=S. J.
|publisher=Religion News Service
|accessdate=2009-10-20}}</ref>

==Conferences==
The Secular Student Alliance holds an [http://www.secularstudents.org/conference annual conference].

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"
|-
!width="60"|Year || Theme || Location
|-
| align="center"| 2000
|
| Minneapolis, MN
|-
| align="center"| 2001
| Kicking Ass for the New Enlightenment
| Columbus, OH
|-
| align="center"| 2002
| Education Against Indoctrination
| Chicago, IL
|-
| align="center"| 2004
|
| Washington, DC
|-
| align="center"| 2005
| Connecting the Secular Movement with Other Communities
| Columbus, OH
|-
| align="center"| 2006
| We're Not in Kansas Anymore
| Kansas City, MO
|-
| align="center"| 2007
| Harvard Humanist Chaplaincy 30th Anniversary Gala/Symposium
| Cambridge, MA
|-
| align="center"| 2008
| World Humanist Congress
| Washington, DC
|-
| align="center"| 2009
|
| Columbus, OH
|-
| align="center"| 2010
| 
| Columbus. OH
|}

==Communications==
In July 2005, the SSA created an online newsletter called the [http://www.secularstudents.org/enews 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 [http://www.secularstudents.org/node/119 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 McCreight]],              Board Member Since 2010
*Shelley Mountjoy,                Board Member Since 2009
*Brendan Murphy,                Board Member Since 2011


==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.secularstudents.org The Secular Student Alliance]
*[http://www.secularstudents.org/node/154 A brief history of the Secular Student Alliance]

[[Category:Secularism organizations]]
[[Category:Freethought organizations]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 2000]]
[[Category:Organizations based in the United States]]
[[Category:Secularism in the United States]]
[[Category:Student organizations]]

[[es:Alianza Laica de Estudiantes]]