The document provides details about the "Break the Bias" campaign at St. Olaf College, including its mission to educate students about combating violent extremism. It outlines the target student audience, proposed branding and marketing materials, budget, and plans for a launch event and social media campaign. However, the campaign was put on hold after racist notes were left on a student's car, sparking campus protests around institutional racism. The student group recognized the importance of supporting the new initiatives addressing these issues directly.

2. Table of Contents
3 Why is Break The Bias Unique?
4 Our Mission
5 Target Audience
7 Audience Analysis
10 Brand
11 Slogan
12 Event & Action Pack
13 Social Media
16 Proposed Budget
17 Merchandise
18 Images, Video & Media
20 Support & Networking
26 Campaign Challenges

3. Why is Break the Bias Unique?
● The pervasiveness of extremism exists close to home - Break the Bias
emphasizes this.
● Minnesota exhibits the 2nd highest number of arrests connected to terrorists
organizations.
● According to the George Washington University Program on Extremism, male
violent extremists are on average twenty-six years old; for female recruits, the
average age is twenty-one. Ninety percent of organized terrorism on the Internet
is being carried out through social media, in which college students are
immersed.
● Our campaign concept is inspired by the geographical proximity of the issue, the
relative age of violent extremists, and the mutual use of social media platforms
by violent extremists and our target audience.

4. Our Mission
Action
Listen &
Engage
Educate
● Attend the official event to
get merchandise, resources,
and opportunities to engage
● Use the Break the Bias social
media and hashtags
● Pledge to be an advocate after
reading the official action pack
● Talk to one new person everyday
about combating violent
extremism

5. Target Audience
Geographic Profile
Domestic Students:
42% of student population from
Minnesota
20% from other Midwestern States
International Students:
7.7% of student population from 76
countries
Most represented: China, Vietnam, India
Demographic Profile
2,990 full-time students
56% female/male ratio
17.7% domestic multicultural
(out of total student body)
12:1 student to faculty ratio

6. St. Olaf: A Leader in International Studies
Roughly three out of four students at St. Olaf participate in study abroad programs. The
college is currently ranked number one in the nation for sending students off-campus,
domestically and internationally, in pursuit of knowledge of other cultures and peoples. In
promoting global perspectives, St. Olaf is an ideal site for educating about violent extremism.

7. Audience Analysis

8. Bjørn: hypothetical St. Olaf Student
Male - 20 - Bloomington, MN
● Has discussed violent extremism with
peers and in class
● Has formed opinions about violent
extremism but lacks the resources to put
those opinions into action
● Friends with 2-3 individuals who have
experienced direct effects of violent
extremism
● Exposed to most major news outlets (CNN,
Fox, NBC, etc.)
● Studied abroad in Buenos Aires, which
further developed his openness to
diversity and topics of extremist behavior
Bjørn (right) walking to ethics class with some classmates

9. Focus Groups
We engaged in conversation with diverse clubs and organizations on campus:
● Muslim Organizations, Christian Organizations, Hindu Organizations, Republicans,
Democrats, LGBTQIA+ & GSC, Jewish Student Organization, Karibu, International Students
Organization, Young Americans for Liberty, Feminists for Change, Student Government
Association, and Residence Life
Meet Emery from the Jewish Student Organization
● Identifies as Jewish, Queer, Transgender/Genderqueer
● “I think the United States as a whole largely feels personally
safe from violent extremism as most of our news revolves
around occurrences in the Middle East, but realistically, no
one is safe or exempt from the potential risks of violent
extremism.”

10. Brand
The campaign name, Break the Bias, tied our brand, logo,
and ultimate goals of the project together. Its strengths
lie in its non-partisan nature, which is vital in asking
someone to set aside political biases, as well as providing
an initial call to action. It asks individuals to set aside
their biases while engaging in conversations about CVE.
This could include any biases they may have regarding
religion, race, gender, political views, and even more.
We ask them to set these biases aside in the hopes of
ultimately getting to a point where we can acknowledge
that any ideologically motivated violence is wrong.

11. Slogan
Hate is taught, love is learned. A simple slogan, but a complex process. The goal was a non-partisan
slogan. The word taught implies that, even unintentionally, societal norms permeate the ideas of
segregation of gender, race and religion. From ignorance stems forth fear and hatred, hence the idea
that hate is taught. Love, of a sibling, friend, family and others, is a difficult process. Communication,
tolerance, and patience are all required to love someone, and that is a learned process. It is a difficult,
and time consuming learned practice. The slogan attempts to capture the hatred that is subtlety
interwoven with the structure of society, and simultaneously calls for people to move forward with
love. Learning from others through their perspectives, beliefs, and lifestyles creates a more educated
society that results in love being learned by many.

12. Event and Action Pack
We planned to host an event to engage the student body on May 12, 2017: “Peer to Peer, Break
the Bias Campaign Event.” The event was scheduled to take place in The Crossroads, the main
gathering area at St. Olaf. Student organization leaders, alongside the leaders of P2P BTB,
planned to engage as many students as possible. In addition to merchandise and food,
attendees would receive BTB Action Packs (digital + hard copy):
Action Pack - Table of Contents:
● Page 1: “What Is Violent Extremism & Ideologically Motivated Violence”
● Page 2: “What Is the Face of Violent Extremism ” & “Who is A Violent Extremist?”
● Page 3: “Tragic Events That Have Happened” & “Who Does VIolent Extremism Affect?”
● Page 4: “Violent Extremism in Minnesota” & Statistics
● Page 5: “Why Your Voice Matters” & “Why St. Olaf College”
● Page 6: “How to Start a Conversation and Educate Others”
● Page 7: “How to Stop Violent Extremism & Recruitment”
● Page 8: “More About Break the Bias and How to Get Involved” - CVE goals
● Page 9: List of Sources and Other Resources

13. Place your screenshot here
www.facebook.com/breakthebiasp2p
Likes: 223
Follows: 227
Highest Post Reach (Organic): 762
Total Posts: 3
Avg. Likes / Post: 12

14. www.breakthebias.squarespace.com

15. Place your screenshot here
www.instagram.com/breakthebiasp2p
Followers: 180
Total Posts: 2
Avg. Likes / Post: 59

16. Proposed Budget
● 140 Break the Bias T-Shirts: $740
● 200 Stickers: $97
● Poster Printing Budget: $150
● 30’’ x 40’’ Poster: $30
● Photo Booth Backdrop: $15
● Photo Booth DIY Supplies: $30
● Action Pack Printing Budget: $200
● Food for Event: $400
● Informational Custom Tablecloth: $200
● Raffle Prizes: $115
TOTAL: $1977
*PLUS THE USE OF THE FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM $400 AD CREDIT

17. Merchandise
Pictured above are the T-Shirts and stickers we created and distributed in the college
community to raise awareness about our campaign.

18. Images, Video and Media
We conducted interviews with students representing diverse organizations on
campus, such as the Muslim Student Association, the Muslim House, Jewish Student
Organization, Student Government, College Democrats, College Republicans,
International Students, and planned to film them. After filming, we intended to share
clips of these interviews on our social media sites to better educate the silent majority
about violent extremism through the words and experiences of their peers.

19. Images, Video and Media
In addition to using videos as vehicles for sharing information, we
intended to publish photographs of students from a variety of
organizations, accompanied by quotes and statistics about violent
extremism.

20. Support & Networking
We felt confident in our campaign’s ability to reach the small, tight-knit St. Olaf
community, but knew that in order to be truly successful we must gain a wider
audience. We collected contact information for a variety of local news stations,
and other useful connections, to help us spread the Break The Bias message.
Local News Stations
● KARE11
● FOX9
● WCCO4
● KSTP5
St. Olaf Alumni Contacts
● Representative David Bly
● New York Times columnist
Gretchen Morgenson
● Congressman Erik Paulsen
● US District Court Judge Joan
Ericksen

21. Support & Networking
David Mucha
Vice President of Market
Intelligence, UnitedHealth Group
We met with Mr. Mucha to discuss customer
behavior and underlying attitudes. He taught us
the From-To-Think-Do model to better understand
these behaviors and
attitudes. He also gave us
advice on how to best
connect with the many
student orgs we planned to
meet with. Innovation
exercises and insight
generation also helped us
further develop our brand.

22. Support & Networking
We talked with Lizzette Marrero, a junior
program analyst at Homeland Security. Ms.
Marrero is an expert in digital strategy.
Ms. Marrero encouraged us to find creative
and engaging ways to reach our audience.
She advised us to connect diversity promotion
and acceptance with the broader focus of
combatting violent extremism, and to avoid an
“us versus the enemy” campaign.
Lizzette Marrero
Junior Program Analyst,
Homeland Security

23. Support & Networking
We also met with internationally renowned
social psychologist, Dr. Susan Fiske. She is well
recognized in the study of deconstructing racial
stereotypes.
We discussed the current campus climate, and
how positivity is more effective than negativity
when changing perspectives and behaviors.
She advised that the most effective force for
positive change is creating a sense of belonging
on campus.Susan Fiske
Social Psychologist at
Princeton University

24. Support & Networking
We had the opportunity to collaborate with
Joseph Essex, designer and founder of Essex
Two. In creating the logo of Break the Bias, Mr.
Essex provided resources and ideas to help build
the campaign’s brand.
Mr. Essex spoke with the team via email, phone,
and in person to discuss word mapping, color
implementation and use of the brand and logo.
His business is located in Chicago, IL, and the
team feels fortunate to have had the opportunity
to work with him.Joseph Essex
Founder, Essex Two (SX2)

25. Support & Networking
St. Olaf Students,
Faculty, and
Alumni from all
over the world
3,000 - 8,000
interactions
300,000 - 900,000
interactions
2,000,000 - 8,000,000
interactions

26. Campaign Challenges: A Pause in the Process
“I am so glad that you are leaving soon. One less
n***** that this school has to deal with. You have
spoken up too much. You will change nothing.
Shut up or I will shut you up.”
On April 29th, St. Olaf student Samantha Wells found this note attached to her car:

27. A Pause in the Process
That night, students of color and allies joined together outside the
cafeteria in protest. Every student who came to get their dinner that
night was forced to face the protesters, and with that, the reality of
racism on our campus. In just a few hours, the common building
was packed full of students who joined in on the protest. Students
who would soon organize a movement – The Collective For Change
on the Hill – began to speak to the crowd: telling their stories,
thanking the protesters, and demanding change. They called on all
students to take action and stay overnight with them in the
commons, and skip class the next day in protest. As a result, the
administration cancelled class, and made the coming Monday a day
devoted to addressing institutional racism on campus.

28. A Pause in the Process

29. A Pause in the Process
At our next meeting, Break The Bias made the difficult
decision to halt our campaign. To move forward, we felt,
would be to take away from the newly formed Collective
that was making important changes, and starting
necessary conversations on our campus. To show our
support, we knew we could not detract from what they
were doing. This was not our time, and as our professor
has taught us, timing is everything. Though we were
unable to complete everything we had planned, we remain
extremely proud of all that we accomplished.