SSA Awards

Awards for Outstanding Activism

The Secular Student Alliance is always seeking new ways to recognize and award both individuals and SSA affiliates for doing awesome stuff at their campuses and in their communities. We offer a way for all affiliates to be recognized for great events, protests, service trips, conferences, fundraisers, and just about anything else that can be done. SSA affiliate groups may submit a description of their event at the Brag it Up! form and include pictures, video, etc that depicts the event being reported. We love hearing from all affiliates, big and small, on what they are doing - students are the most creative, fun, and awesome part of the Movement and we want to help you show off.

Brag it Up! submissions may be recognized in several ways. This includes social media attention, articles on our website, and other avenues of recognition. Outstanding submissions may be given additional recognition in the form of our Award for Outstanding Activism.

Below are the affiliates who have received the Award for Outstanding Activism in the 2012-2013 academic year:

West Texas A&M Secular Student Alliance Click here to read more about their great counter-protest to a vitrolic campus preacher.

Atheists, Humanists, and Agnostics at Louisiana State University Click here to read more about their rally, Reason on the Bayou

SSA Freethought Backbone Award

At each annual conference of the Secular Student Alliance, the SSA presents the Freethought Backbone Award to an individual within the freethought movement who is a guide and inspiration for secular students and student groups. This person has demonstrated a commitment to the secular values of scientific and critical inquiry, democracy, secularism, and human-based ethics.

In the past this award has been presented to such notable figures as Larry Jones, founder of the Institute for Humanist Studies; Herb Silverman, president and founder of the Secular Coalition for America; Dan Barker, Co-President of the Freedom from Religion Foundation; and Former Director of the Secular Coalition for America, Lori Lipman Brown. The winner of the award is invited to speak at the SSA Annual Conference, receives a shiny plaque, and will be featured on our website.

SSA Freethought Backbone Award Winners:

2004 - Michael Newdow
2005 - Herb Silverman
2006 - Larry Jones
2007 - Tom Ferrick
2008 - Lori Lipman Brown
2009 - Dan Barker
2010 - Ellery Schempp
2011 - Hemant Mehta
2012 - Annie Laurie Gaylor
2013 - Bobbie Kirkhart

SSA Best Awards

From 2004-2012, the Secular Student Alliance presented awards to those affiliates that excelled in a particular area. These awards included an attractive plaque, a cash prize for the group to put toward future endeavors, and an invitation to present at our annual conference.

The Best Awards offered mirrored the Secular Student Alliance's four focus areas: Education, Service, Activism, and Community. We also offered an Affiliate of the Year award to one college group and one high school group.

SSA Best Award Recipients:

2012 Best Award Winners (All Categories)
2011 Best Award Winners (High School Individuals, College Individuals & Groups)
2010 Best Award Winners (All Categories)
2009 Best Award Winners (All Categories)
2008 Best Award Winners (All Categories)
2007 Best Award Winners (All Categories)
2006 Best Award Winners (All Categories)
2005 Best Award Winners (All Categories)
2004 Best Award Winners (all Categories)