The Day of Silence Project Organizing Manual

Welcome to the Day of Silence Organizing Manual!

On behalf of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), the United States Student Association (USSA) and the thousands of students whose leadership and participation have created the Day of Silence project, we’d like to thank you for your interest and involvement. With your help, the Day of Silence will continue to flourish as the largest youth-run action on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues in the country.

We have filled this manual with many ideas and tips to make your Day of Silence as effective as possible. Here, you’ll find information on everything from fundraising and publicity to the nuts-and-bolts of getting your classmates, teachers and administration on board. Getting your school’s administration to support your effort is particularly critical for high school organizers, but we’ve also identified alternative ways to participate if administrative support isn’t likely. Also, there’s information targeted both for high school and university organizing efforts (though we’ve even heard about middle school students organizing for the Day!), as well as plenty of suggestions that work in both settings.

We encourage you to use this manual in whatever way works best for you - you may pull ideas from a single section or take all in from cover to cover. The website, www.dayofsilence.org, is another useful resource. We also encourage you to bring your own ideas and creativity to the table, so that your school’s Day of Silence becomes something unique and works best for your particular school community.

Welcome aboard, and happy organizing!

Click here to download the manual!