Start a School Group or Community Organization
Youth are affected by wrongful convictions – and also have unique power to spark change in our criminal justice system. By organizing at your high school, college or university, or in your community, you can raise awareness about wrongful convictions and engage more people in pursuing reforms to prevent injustice.
If your campus or community already has an organization dedicated to preventing wrongful convictions, the tools and ideas in this section can help expand your reach and impact. If you are interested in forming a group, this section can help you get started.
There’s no right or wrong way to start an organization. Every high school, college, university and community is different, and you should gauge the local culture to get a sense of what will attract other students to your organization and how you can make sure the group has a lasting presence on campus or in the community. Here are some general tips:
1. Find allies at the outset
Talk within your existing network about the idea of starting an organization and identify a core group of people who share your interest. Talk to your friends, teammates, fellow members of other clubs and classmates. Having just two or three other people with you from the start can help you get more done (by dividing the work) and show that the interest in starting an organization goes beyond one person.
2. Find out about existing organizations on your campus or in your community that have a natural connection to wrongful convictions
A student affairs or campus life office usually has a list, or your school’s website may list student organizations. Off-campus organizations are often listed in the Yellow Pages or other directories, and you might also find a list at your local library or community center. Look for broader social justice organizations (such as Amnesty International or ACLU student clubs), subject-based organizations (for example, groups that focus on civics, government or even science) and identity-based groups (such as organizations of African-American, Latino or Asian students).
Reach out to leaders of similar groups and ask them to share their experience and insight with you – about how they’ve generated excitement and interest in their organization, how they recruit new members and how they spread the word about their group on campus and in the community. If you meet with at least a few different people, you will walk away with some practical ideas for how to get more people involved and launch your organization.
3. Connect with students who have started innocence organizations in your state or neighboring states
Search other schools’ students groups online to find people who have started organizations just like the one you’re trying to form. You can also email the Innocence Project at students@innocenceproject.org. We maintain a database of several hundred relevant youth organizations and can put you in touch with people near you who can tell you how they started or expanded a campus organization.
4. If you are starting a school-based organization, learn the rules and procedures for starting a club on your campus
Some students start unofficial organizations for a variety of reasons, but forming a school-sanctioned club often brings access to school facilities for meeting, vehicles for spreading the word about your organization and supplies for marketing your club or activity. Find out whether you need a faculty sponsor and what criteria you need to meet to become an official student organization.
5. Start holding events and engaging activities
The best way to attract new members and generate enthusiasm for your organization is to establish yourself as an active group from the start. Your first events should be interesting and engaging, rather than just discussions about the group’s existence. Give people something to do and they’ll be more likely to stay involved in the organization and talk to their friends about it. Allow plenty of time before your first event so that you can get the word out widely (by attending other organizations’ meetings to announce it, posting and distributing flyers and working with your student newspaper to garner publicity before the event).
Click here for some activities your organization can engage in from its first meeting.