25 Ways To Create An Engaging And Active Pro-Life Group On Campus

Although rewarding, being a leader of a pro-life group can be stressful and sometimes the idea of planning meeting topics or activities can leave leaders not knowing where to start. We have all been there. Whether you are the President of the group or simply trying to think of fun suggestions to get people more involved, you may need help coming up with fun projects.

So here are 25 of my favorites which are sure to get your members excited about getting involved in the pro-life movement.

1. Host a Baby Shower

As an on-campus pro-life group, your club should assist any expecting students who need help. One of my favorite events to do as a group is to help host a baby shower for an expecting student. This can be a project to bless an individual student or a group event to help multiple expecting students depending on the need at your school and the number of parents who are interested in participating. The group can host a donation collection of baby items to give to the expecting student(s), help with decorations, food, games, DIY party favors, etc. Delegate tasks to different leaders or members to minimize costs and maximize impact.

2. Organize a Clothing or Diaper Drive

Another way to be a resource for parents on-campus is to host a baby/toddler clothing or diaper drive and have students drop donations off during your meetings or an alternate time. Post flyers around campus advertising the drive and/or hand them out. Your group can also offer volunteer hours for a certain amount in donations (e.g.,. Every 4 items = 1 hour of community service), if allowed. This gets more people involved as many sororities and fraternities as well as other groups are more willing to donate because they need volunteer hours. Your group can either designate a day when on-campus parents can come pick up donations, help a particular group of students who have requested assistance, or give the donations to your local pregnancy resource center.

3. Fill Samaritan’s Purse Boxes

Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization, annually hosts project Operation Christmas Child. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to provide children all over the world with shoeboxes filled with toys, hygiene products, and school supplies. These boxes are filled with donations then sent to children outside of the United States who are affected by war, poverty, natural disaster, famine and disease, or who are otherwise in need. Getting involved in Operation Christmas Child is a great opportunity to demonstrate your group is more than a “pro-birth” group and it also cares about children all over the world who may not have what they need without these care packages. Simply collect shoeboxes, choose the age and gender of the child you would like to help sponsor a box for (this will help guide you as to the appropriate items to buy) and fill the box with items from the recommended list. You can collect the items through a community drive or raise money for the items through fundraising. Once your boxes are filled, you can drop them off at one of 5,000 drop-off locations throughout the United States during the collection week of November 12-19. To view a list of drop-off locations click HERE as the season for giving gets closer or to learn more, click HERE.

4. Volunteer at a Pregnancy Resource Center

Do not let your members solely “talk the talk” but encourage them to also “walk the walk” by volunteering at your local life-affirming pregnancy resource center (PRC). These centers are constantly looking for volunteers to help out or be counselors to their clients. By volunteering at a pregnancy center your members can have an opportunity to share the pro-life message with abortion-vulnerable clients, offer encouragement, provide facts, change minds and save lives.

5. Play Pro-life Bingo

As pro-life people, we know what it is to work hard, but sometimes you ought to play hard, too. Although it’s important to hold lessons and discussions about educational pro-life topics, we tend to overlook fun days. Pro-life bingo is a fun and simple way to get people interested in attending your meetings. Print off free bingo cards online and write different words related to the pro-life movement on the cards. As you call out the different words say a quick pro-life fact about the word choice. Short on money for prizes? Decorate paper bags with your logo on them and fill them with snacks! College students love food!

6. Host an Invite Challenge

We all know how difficult it can be to get people to attend meetings. Even if your group has a good foundation of dedicated members you are probably always wanting them to bring friends and for your organization to grow. In order to encourage your members to bring their friends to the meetings host an invite challenge. For example, inform your members that whoever brings the most new people to the meeting the following week will win a giftcard. This makes it a game and gives your members an incentive to finally talk their friends into actually attending. To support the pro-life movement further you can make the prize be a giftcard to a pro-life store. This way your members can get merch and your money spent on this challenge is still supporting your movement.

7. Go Chalking

Chalking is one of the most hands-on ways to spread the word about your group and get noticed by a lot of people. Make sure to ask your college about chalking rules before you go out and graffiti the place, but if cleared, gather your group, some chalk, and draw pro-life messages and pictures around campus. When people walk by they cannot help but take notice!

8. Host a Movie Night

Hosting a movie night is another fun alternative to the usual meeting. Choose a pro-life movie and watch it with your group. This can be hosted in a designated area on campus or if it is just with your closest members it can be hosted at someone’s apartment or if a pro-life movie is showing in theaters gather your group and  have everyone buy tickets. Provide snacks to draw more people and make sure to have a discussion about the movie afterward!

9. Volunteer at a Nursing Home

Being pro-life is about more than only being against abortion, it is about believing all lives have value. Have your group volunteer at a nursing home and spend time with the elderly. They are often forgotten and you have a chance to show them they matter! Whether it is painting ladies’ nails or playing cards with the men, your group will truly brighten their day!

10. Organize a Toy Drive for Sick Children

Collecting toys for children who are in the your local hospital is another great way to branch out and impact your community in a positive pro-life way. Your group could host a toy drive or even hit up stores after holidays when stuffed animals are on sale. Make sure to call the hospital and verify this is allowed before hosting it. The children will be so happy when they receive their new toys!

11. Play Trivia

A fun way to get your members to be more interactive during meetings is to include a lesson and a trivia game! This can easily be accomplished by using the platform Kahoot. You can create pro-life questions relating to the lesson and then at the end of the meeting have your members visit www.Kahoot.it, enter the game code to join, and play. You could even award the winner with the most correct answers a prize to make it more exciting! Here are two Kahoot games we played this year which you can use for your own group:
Pro-Life Trivia
Fetal Development Trivia

12. Attend a Pro-Life Event

Sometimes it is good to mix it up and in lieu of or in addition to a meeting have your group attend a pro-life event! Pro-life events include rallies, conferences, protests, or even a banquet hosted by your local pregnancy resource center or other pro-life organization. It is a good bonding experience and is sure to be something your members will always remember!

13. Go Sidewalk Counseling

Sidewalk counseling has become quite popular in the pro-life movement and has saved hundreds, possibly thousands, of babies. Gather your group and travel to the nearest abortion clinic and talk with any woman on her way into the clinic who is willing to talk with you. Let her know about pregnancy resource centers, fetal development, and show your group is willing to help her. Prepare what you will say in case a disruption occurs before it happens and make sure to bring handouts with information, yet most of all, be understanding and loving. You can also pray outside of the clinic as a group. Sidewalk counseling is one of the most hands-on ways to save lives and change minds. Note: Make sure to look up buffer zone laws as many states require sidewalk counselors to stand a certain distance away from the clinic.

For tips on sidewalk counseling visit:
Ten Tips For Sidewalk Counseling
The Do’s and Don’ts of Sidewalk Counseling
A Sidewalk Counselor’s Handbook

14. Start a “Pregnant and Parenting” Scholarship

One way to help support parents or expecting students on campus is to start a scholarship fund to encourage them to continue their educational dreams. Set a fundraising goal for the scholarship as a group and raise money through bake sales, GoFundMe, etc. After you secure the funds, make an application. A good rule of thumb is to allow mothers or fathers who are enrolled full-time and live or plan to live (if expecting) with their child or children to apply. Post this application on social media and post flyers in designated spots throughout campus advertising the scholarship with the link to the application or QR code which links directly to the application. You may also be able to team up with your local pregnancy resource center so they can advertise it to student clients too! Once students apply, host interviews and have your leaders choose the winner(s) based on need. Email all applicants with either a rejection or acceptance letter, thank them for applying, and encourage them to apply again the following year if they don’t win.

15. Fundraise for the Local PRC

As nonprofit organizations, pregnancy resource centers rely very heavily on the generosity of donors. Support your local PRC by helping fundraise for them. Whether the funds are donated directly or used to buy needed items such as diapers, any donations your group contributes is sure to be appreciated and make a substantial impact for the clients!

16. Make a Cemetery of The Innocents Display

Although saving and supporting lives is very important, another way to get involved is by honoring those who have been aborted and a way to remember previous lives lost is to host a “Cemetery of the Innocents” display. This memorial consists of lines of crosses, each one representing a certain number of lives lost to abortion. 60 million lives have been lost to abortion since Roe v. Wade so one way to display this is to have your group create 60 crosses, get permission from your student activities board for the placement of your display on campus and stick the 60 crosses in the ground lined in rows along with a sign saying “each cross represents 1 million babies who have lost their lives to abortion since Roe v. Wade.”  This display has the best effect when placed in a high-traffic area. This will catch the eye of fellow students as they walk to class and depict the devastating effect abortion has had on society. Have your members take shifts standing by the display to not only protect it but spark conversations with passersby. To learn more about creating your own “Cemetery of the Innocents” display click HERE.

17. Join Forces with Other Groups

A great way to increase your member base is to reach out to other on-campus groups who are likely to be pro-life (e.g., the College Republicans or on-campus church groups). Have the presidents of both groups talk and maybe host an event or meeting together. That way members of each group attend. This will not only temporarily double the number of people attending your meeting but it also gives your group the opportunity to pass out flyers to members of the other group who may be interested in permanently joining yours.

18. Decorate Onesies

Decorating baby onesies is a great DIY project to host during your meetings or even when tabling. Simply buy white baby onesies and fabric markers. To ensure best onesie decorating practices, cut a piece of cardboard or a folder and insert it into the onesie and snap the buttons around it, this will prevent the markers from bleeding through to the other side when decorating. Have a day when your members or people who stop by your table can decorate a onesie. You can even print off samples to give those participating ideas for different designs. Once all of them have been decorated you can gift them to an expecting student or donate them to your local PRC.

19. Help a Student in Need

You may not “be able to help everyone but you can help someone.” Be a resource for students on campus who are in need. Post flyers stating you help local parents. A student may need assistance or a friend of a student may need a little extra help. Whether you host a drive for needed items or fundraise money to help, your group can help make a difference in someone’s life.

20. Invite a Pro-Life Speaker

Do you often lead your meetings? Maybe it is time to switch it up by welcoming a pro-life speaker. Whether it is a pro-life advocate from another organization you have invited to stop by or the director of your local Crisis Pregnancy Center, having guest speakers gives you a break from having to carry the meeting conversation. It also allows your members to see how other organizations are impacting the movement and may encourage them to get more involved in other pro-life groups.

21. Join in During National Pro-Life Events

The pro-life community observes various pro-life days annually. These days include national pro-life cupcake day, t-shirt day, chalk day, sidewalk day, and day of silent solidarity, just to name a few. Encourage your members to participate in order to spread awareness!

22. Volunteer at a Homeless Shelter

Volunteering at a homeless shelter is another great way to be a group that truly loves all lives. Homeless shelters often need help and would love volunteers. The experience is also sure to bring your group closer together and brighten the days of those at the shelter!

23. Host a “Register to Vote” Booth

Your group may not focus much on politics but voting is super important to the movement and many college students are not registered to vote. Check with your school about setting up a booth where students can register to vote. This not only allows your group to provide a much-needed service, but it also provides an opportunity to tell people why voting pro-life is so important. You can even give out pro-life voters guides or pamphlets!

24. Make Baby Blankets

Another fun DIY project you can host during one of your meetings is to make baby blankets. All you need is some fleece fabric and scissors. You can find the instructions HERE. After the blankets are done your group can pass them out to parents on campus or donate them to your local Pregnancy Resource Center or hospital.

25. Arrange Social Events

Although achieving your mission to spread the pro-life message and serve in anyway possible is important, do not forget to have fun. Remember to schedule social events for your leaders and members where they can get to know each other and have fun every so often. The more you bond, the better you will be at working as a group and achieving your goals. Ideas for social nights include going to the arcade, bowling, movie night, etc.