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Recommended Activities & Resources
This is a list of recommended activities, messages, & resources brainstormed and prepared by SUSTA Executive team and our partner organizations.
Please note that there are plenty of other activities and messages that we did not include, so Student Organizations are encouraged to choose what would work best for their teams and communities.
Information Activities
Relatively easy to do but helps to connect your college peers with your Ukrainian community and explain why Ukraine and Ukrainian Victory matters to you.
By focusing on your community and solidarity, university administrations can be more willing to publish university-wide statements in solidarity with Ukrainian community on campus, local neighborhood, and Ukraine.
Statement Request Email Template
Contact us for feedback, questions, and request for support!
In-Person Activities
Make sure to have your events planned: venues booked/arranged, convenient time & date, effective marketing campaign (just posters often won’t do it), accounting & funds ready, and make sure your plans are realistic (enough workload for team members to avoid burnout).
Always try to get help, whether it is through collaborations with college departments, other clubs, local Ukrainian nonprofits, or even through other Ukrainian clubs & SUSTA (virtual help 😎).
🤝 Exhibition [mixed effort, high impact]
Bring a piece of Ukraine to your campus and connect your community with Ukraine through a deeper understanding of the exhibition topic.
- A lot of work to do if you are organizing it yourself. Easier to organize in collaboration with a college department, such as Ukrainian (Eurasian, European) Studies, Arts, History, Library, etc.
- You can also try organizing an impromptu mini-exhibition that would not require prior registration or approval, such as at university lawn or some classroom. It is better to organize a proper exhibition, at a respectable venue.
📢 Guest Talk or Panel Discussion [mixed effort, medium impact]
Launch a conversation about Ukraine on your campus or help a department to organize a talk.
- 90% of the challenge is to get a guestspeaker(s). Easier to organize in collaboration with a college department, such as Ukrainian (Eurasian, European) Studies, Arts, History, Library, etc.
- Often, departments can handle 99% of logistics of a talk, and your club could help by finding a guest speaker(s) for the talk.
🎬 Movie Screening [less effort, medium impact]
Connect your American peers with Ukraine through thought-provoking movies and documentaries.
- We highly encourage NOT to sell tickets for screening of Ukrainian movies. Even fundraising is not encouraged as people are already giving their time (over 2 hours) to understand Ukraine. Adding financial expectations can discourage some people or lessen their enjoyment and connection with the movie.
- Often, college departments can help with 99% of the logistics of a movie screening, especially Screening Licenses.
- We encourage clubs to select movies that their audience will enjoy or be interested in. This means sometimes we have to choose to show a movie about Ukrainian culture or youth instead of war documentary.
🤲 Vigil & Personal Stories [less effort, mixed impact]
Organize a Vigil with real or e-candles. Gather your club, invite the public and friendly clubs, and have some Ukrainian members be ready to share their personal stories, prayers, and wishes.
- Best to invite Ukrainian faculty, staff, and community members to join, if possible.
- Best to collaborate with the University Chaplaincy, and often they will be happy to help.
🏦 Symbolic Actions from University [less effort, mixed impact]
Often, colleges (and local town municipalities) are willing to organize symbolic activities for humanitarian and cultural causes. They might resist condemning russia, but they will be happy to “express solidarity” in support of the local Ukrainian community.
Action Ideas:
- Illuminating notable buildings in Ukrainian colors, at least for one day.
- Raising a Ukrainian flag over a college building or town hall if such a building is available.
- Encourage dining hall to offer Ukrainian food or snacks, be prepared to help them with recipes.
Tips:
- It is okay to ask for more, even unrealistically, because this leaves room for negotiation.
- Make sure to take photos or other ways to document the event.
- Best to get local Ukrainian community involved for requests towards town/city administrations.
- SUSTA Executive members can help you proofread your letters or point you to existing templates.