Leafleting for an hour on a college campus can immediately open people’s eyes to the suffering caused by eating animals. Visit Adopt-a-College to get started. Below are some tips from veteran leafleters.
Best time to leaflet colleges
Be sure to first check the school’s academic calendar to make sure classes are being held. Some normal weekdays can be faculty in-service or study days, such that few students are on campus. It’s best not to leaflet after the first day of final exams, Fridays before long weekends, or the day before Thanksgiving.
Weekdays are best. 8 AM is usually the first class start time, and it slows down around 3 PM. While 8 AM is early, leafleting before other groups get active, usually after 10 pm, can result in a higher take rate.
If you can’t be there in the morning, lunchtime (11 AM–1 PM) is also active. And some large schools and many community colleges have student traffic past 5 PM.
Permission
We generally use the strategy of showing up and leafleting and if someone asks you to stop, worry about it then. Adopt-a-College has information on the rules for most colleges.
Public universities are supposed to allow leafleting according to federal court decisions, but some don’t follow the rules. Others require that you register and limit where you can stand. Often, security will tell you that you can’t leaflet even though the rules say you can. Asking to see the leafleting or free speech policy can sometimes result in the school letting you leaflet.
Many schools within cities provide a flow of students on public sidewalks where they can easily be handed a leaflet.
Some private schools allow leafleting, but many don’t.
If you’re unsure, it’s best to wear a backpack and keep moving, handing off leaflets to students as you pass them; it’s best not to leaflet security or staff.
Where to stand
At large schools, generally the most students will be found near the student union or library. However, it may be wise to try and find alternative spots to leaflet if the school is constantly leafleted or petitioned because students will be used to rejecting leafleters in these common spots.
At smaller schools, or schools that are not leafleted often, the busiest spots are often the best. Consider staking out a few different spots and rotating between them during busy class changes to reach the maximum number of new students.
Keep in mind that class changes yield the heaviest foot traffic. This is definitely your best time to make an impact!
While leafleting, it’s best not to stay completely stationary. A wider walkway may require you to constantly walk back and forth, approaching as many students as possible. It’s important to stand in the center of the walkway and not off to the side.
Keep in mind that the traffic flow will be going in two directions. You’ll reach the largest number of new students and avoid repeatedly asking the same students if you only leaflet in one direction of the flow.
What to say
The following phrases have been effective:
- Info to help animals
- Hello
- Info on nonviolent eating
- Info on helping animals and the environment
- Especially for later in a leafleting session or if there are multiple leafleters: Did you get one of these?
Keep your arm straight!
It might seem random, but handing a booklet with a straight arm, not bent at the elbow, can make a big difference in whether someone takes it.
For a video of successful leafleting techniques, check out Vic Sjodin’s How to Leaflet? on YouTube.
Nervousness will quickly fade
You might feel out of place, but remember that students are offered things all the time and it doesn’t seem out of place to them to come across someone handing out leaflets. If you feel nervous at first, it should fade once you’ve offered the booklet to a few people.
Don’t be concerned about knowing every tiny detail about the issues. The majority of students will simply politely accept or decline a booklet.
Very few will grill you on facts. But if someone does and you don’t know the answer to a question, just say you don’t know. It’s best not to try to win an argument with someone but simply be friendly and tell them you’re trying to give students information you wish someone had given to you.
Our most important tip is to have fun!
If you have a buddy or two (or more) to help you leaflet, it will be more enjoyable and easier to reach a larger number of people in a shorter amount of time.
Leafleting is generally a very rewarding experience. And you might change someone who goes on to be a prolific leafleter themselves—it’s happened numerous times!