On Sunday August 7, Gift of Life Marrow Registry’s national college internship, the Campus Ambassador Program (CAP), launched the 2016-17 academic year with a training symposium in Boca Raton, Fla. During the sessions, 134 students from 88 colleges and universities across the United States will learn how to run bone marrow donor drives, recruit volunteers, fundraise, and market through social media.
CAP is designed to effectively recruit the most desirable donor demographic – those 18 to 25 years old. Bone marrow and blood stem cell donors from this age group are highly preferred by transplant centers and physicians for several reasons: younger donors produce more stem cells, and are overall in the best health.
The largest concentration of people in this age group is found on college campuses, so in 2015 Gift of Life launched an innovative pilot program to test whether college students can recruit their peers more effectively than through traditional methods like cold calling and passive recruitment via a website. The initiative was a resounding success, demonstrating that direct peer-to-peer relationships within a shared community are a highly effective method for recruiting this age demographic.
Interns qualified for the program through an application and interview process. This week they will participate in general and breakout training sessions. Once the students are equipped with skills and a set of tools such as swabbing kits, banners, and promotional flyers, the symposium culminates in a festive banquet, where Gift of Life CEO Jay Feinberg will address the group.
During the banquet the Campus Ambassadors will also witness a special event that illustrates the importance of their volunteer work: the first meeting of a bone marrow donor and transplant recipient. Since donors and recipients are not allowed to meet for the first year after the transplant these meetings are special occasions for them and their families, as well as for the Gift of Life staff who work to bring these transplants about.
After the program ends, the Campus Ambassadors will head home with their first assignment: arrange a donor drive at their college or university and promote on social media for World Marrow Donor Day on Saturday, September 17.
We are looking forward to an exciting symposium with the young leaders who will represent Gift of Life on their college campuses for the 2016-17 academic year.