Spring Fundraiser

Truth in Recruitment’s goal is to work with students, families, teachers, veterans, community organizations, and school districts to clarify the consequences of military careers, to provide balanced information so that students can make educated choices about their future, to inform families of their children’s privacy rights, and to advocate for policies regulating recruiter presence on campuses.

TIR’s Steering Committee aids us as we create alliances with community organizations, student clubs, immigrant families, and school staff throughout Santa Barbara County. Inclusivity and equity are essential to our staff and the communities we serve. Together, we continue to build an inclusive culture that encourages and supports the diverse voices of our organization.

Our efforts began in 2011 when Santa Barbara High School (SBHS) students spoke out against the prevalence of military recruiters as guest speakers in classes and their casual presence on campus. In 2014, as a culmination of our two-year campaign, the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) school board passed a policy regulating recruiters’ access to students. The policy guidelines include: 

• Limiting recruiters to two visits a year with no more than three recruiters at a time
• No solicitation of student contact information directly from students. 
• An opt-out form to block release of student's directory information to recruiters

TIR has continued to meet with the SBUSD to oversee the policy’s implementation and create a documentation system for violations and monitoring recruiter campus visits. 

In Santa Maria, we have worked with community members to advocate for a similar policy to regulate recruiter access in the Santa Maria Joint Unified High School District (SMJUHSD) and for equal access for TIR. In 2018, an on-campus National Guard recruiting office at Santa Maria High School was closed due to our California Public Records Act request that revealed that the office violated district policies. Throughout 2019, TIR worked with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California (ACLU) to establish TIR’s equal access to high schools in Santa Maria. 

In 2020, TIR staff, steering committee, parent and student allies met with the SMJUHSD to discuss military presence in Santa Maria schools and to advocate for a district recruiter policy. 

TIR and the Santa Barbara Friends Meeting’s Peace committee hosted a Town Hall with U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal to discuss our call for the abolishment of the Selective Service System in September 2020. The Town Hall featured panelists including youth, veterans, a parent, and a conscientious objector who addressed the implications of an expanded military draft, highlighting its coercive aspects. 

Please help us continue our campaign by making a tax-deductible donation to Truth in Recruitment!