By: Tia Silbaugh, Campus Leader, Riverside High School in Ohio

When I was on summer vacation in Florida a few years ago, I started talking to a girl that works at a store that sold TOMS. She told me about the TOMS Programs on campuses across the country. That night, I went online and signed up, almost immediately. I was so excited to start to get more involved in the movement.

When school started back up in the Fall, I began to spread the word about the TOMS Campus Club I was in the process of establishing, and the news was really well received. My friends thought the whole idea was awesome. Though it did start small, and was hard to get people to act and join me, those who were on board took the cue to work even harder to motivate peers.

That brings us up to a few weeks ago, when we hosted a One Day Without Shoes event for our community. This was pretty much breakthrough moment. To get the concept off the ground, I knew we would want to host the event somewhere that could fit a crowd, so I asked permission of my boss at the salon where I work (sometimes, you've got to pool resources and make it work!) to host the event in the salon's yard. My boss was super supportive: 1) because she's great, and 2) because she's passionate about TOMS, too.

The salon's located on the busiest street in our community, so already, the event was beginning to look up. Making the event visible was big for us: we wanted to give everyone a chance to be involved with the goals of our TOMS Campus Club.   Leading up to the event, we screened two TOMS videos at the salon to illustrate the meaning behind our efforts, and then I addressed a group of community members so I could express my passion behind the movement, and motivate others to join me in being a part.

The day-of, I felt our biggest win was gaining the support of people who had not heard of TOMS before. New supporters seemed to be as excited as we were, and that was great!
 

We even got some local press! Here we are in the newspaper…

Something that stood out to me that day was a little girl named Tiba. My mom’s friend adopted Tiba from a war-torn country a few years ago.  When Tiba made her way over to the Experience the Walk boxes that afternoon she said something that hit us all deeply: "This is what it use to be like when I would walk back home.” I don’t think there was a dry eye anywhere. I always knew that we were helping make a difference, but at that time it was so clear. This is something way more than a shoe company. This is something HUGE.

My advice to anyone planning an event is no matter how small, how big, or even if you just tell one person it will make a really big difference. Don’t be afraid to talk to people about your events or what TOMS does in general. Always stand up for what you believe!

One for One! - Tia

By: Molly Anaman, Campus Club Leader at Northwood University in Midland, Michigan

To give a clear picture of what we're working with, here in Midland, Michigan, it can sometimes feel as though we have an even ratio of squirrels to students on campus. Our majors are strictly business-focused, ranging from Automotive Marketing to Entrepreneurship to Fashion Marketing, and Management. So, the campus is tiny, but don’t let that fool you - our opportunities at Northwood are endless and our education remarkable.

I founded the TOMS Campus Club at Northwood at the beginning of 2012, knowing it would be a perfect fit for Northwood. The TOMS story is inspiring in so many ways, especially for students so focused on business. The passion and enthusiasm behind the One for One movement is a telling example that business does not have to be cut-and-dry. Experiences, like those we can create through a TOMS Campus Club, can (and will!) offer tangible knowledge and lessons, outside of our textbooks, of how much potential there is in doing business. Being a part of a TOMS Campus Club will also provide us hands-on experience in event planning and marketing, as well as networking within a community that reflects our own passions and interests.

We're off to a great start with our Campus Club, and have found support coming in handfulls from all around, from faculty and administration to the student body. During our first week of officially being an organization, we set up a registration and informational table. In just four days, we were able to register 137 interested students! 





We have already educated so many students on the One for One movement through flyers, informational meetings about the mission and story, and the outpouring of ideas spurred from that meeting. Our next steps include a Style Your Sole and a documentary screening of "For Tomorrow" outdoors. And, of course, we are going to go BIG with One Day Without Shoes. Not only are we planning on having our students get involved, but also on gaining participation from the community. Plans are still in the making, but we know it's going to be awesome.



All in all, our 2,500 student University has embraced the TOMS Campus Club amazingly, giving us the pportunity to unite in spreading the word of an amazing movement and - to top it off – to have a blast doing it. My final advice to any individual or group looking to start a TOMS Campus Club – don’t give up! Be creative, and keep trying until you find the support you need to get off the ground and moving along.



 

...And that’s the story of the TOMS Campus Club at Northwood!

Time to kick off a new year, TOMS students! Here are some pointers for starting fresh in 2012:

Find out if there's already a TOMS Campus Club where you go to school (high schoolers - we're talking to you guys, too!) using this finder tool on the TOMS Campus Club site. If there's not one already, start your own TOMS Campus Club and become a pioneer on your campus; you'll find the directions to do so on that same page.

If you're already part of a TOMS Campus Club, or once you get in touch and begin to take part, check in with your Campus Club leader for info on the next club meeting. Brainstorm some fun ideas you’d like to try for the club in the coming semester. Get creative! Share your ideas with your club, and ask let us know what you're up to by connecting with us on the TOMS Campus Club site.

Talk to your teachers about bringing TOMS to the classroom. Point them to the new Teaching Portal on the TOMS Campus Programs site for teaching guides, videos, and discussion questions!

Find inspiration. Read Chief Shoe Giver Blake Mycoskie's first book, Start Something That Matters. In it, you'll find stories about how TOMS started, why we give, our company culture, and other companies/people that have provided Blake with inspiration along the way.

Keep warm in the cold months!Host a screening of the TOMS documentary, "For Tomorrow," at a fun or convenient indoor venue. Maybe you can serve hot chocolate or tea to attendees while educating and chatting about the TOMS story!

Stay organized! Add your Campus Club events, meetings, and reminders to your planner or electronic calendar. Find out what events your club is planning and how you can get involved. Keep us up to date! If your leader has changed, your club has new members, or you have anything to share from 2011 or for 2012, send us a note at campusprograms@toms.com and let the TOMS Campus Team know!

Get in the loop! Read the update e-mails from campusprograms@toms.com. They’re sent every other week to those who are subscribed, and they'll clue you in on important announcements and information about club activities and new resources. If you’re not on the send list, shoot us an e-mail at campusprograms@toms.com with a request to be added, and we'll get you all taken care of.

And one last thing for now: HAVE FUN!

- TOMS Campus Team

By: Emma Giberson, TOMS Campus Club Leader at James Madison University

This semester, our TOMS Campus Club at JMU held a Start Something That Matters event and it was a hit! Lots of students came out to our student lounge (called Taylor Down Under) to learn more and get inspired.

We kicked off the event by screening a mini-documentary about Start Something That Matters, which we received from the Campus team at TOMS HQ. We hosted two musical acts, guests could have their photo taken by a Start Something That Matters backdrop, we encouraged students to create art installations built around the things that most inspire them, and we all enjoyed snacks (because what’s a good event without cookies, right?)

Students were discussing what causes they hold dear and how they each hoped to make a difference in the world.





And lastly, we held a dance-off. Participants competed in an interpretative dance show down to win a copy of Start Something That Matters! People were enthusiastic and creative, and though it was definitely a different approach to engaging the crowd, we’re happy we took the risk because it turned out to be so much fun. Quite the event!

We heard great feedback from students both during and after the event. They really enjoyed the story and took away ideas on how to make a difference in the world through business. Our event even made it in the campus newspaper! And when we need some encouragement to keep inspiring people to start something that matters, we can watch this great video that a student made, which captures the highlights of our first big event this year.

By: Jeneeka Perera, TOMS Campus Club Leader at California Polytechnic University





Back in 2009, the TOMS Campus Club at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo was born. I was a sophomore at the time and had just heard about the club at the end of the year. I loved (and still do!) that TOMS was (and is!) a company that combined social awareness into its business model, which is why I wanted to become a part of the One for One movement.

Upon returning to school after summer, I learned that the TOMS club at Cal Poly had lost leadership and lost steam, and so TOMS no longer had a presence on my campus. I ws bummed, so I contacted one of the members from the previous year, Hannah, and she and I decided to revive the club. We both had very little leadership experience, and though we weren’t quite sure how to begin to build a club, we worked it out through trial and error, and already, the experience has become one of my most vital of my college experience.

Last year with a limited budget, we got the club back on track. We spread the word about our presence on campus by hanging posters around campus and by speaking to students at the student union. Over time, we gained a loyal, reliable member base of students that are passionate about TOMS, the One for One movement and doing good.

Together in Spring, we planned and participated in One Day Without Shoes at Cal Poly. We chalked a majority of the campus with informative statistics, quirky messages, and TOMS flags to inform the campus to take off their shoes and walk barefoot for a change! On the day of the event in April, we saw so many people walking barefoot! We set up an info table with a large poster where students could trace their feet. We’ve seen that people appreciate and enjoy interactive ways to be a part of the movement, and the easier and more fun we make that opportunity, the more people join the cause.





Since April, we’ve hosted a Style Your Sole at a campus-wide event. We try to meet students where they’re already gathering so that we can be at the center of campus life, and customizing TOMS shoes is a fun thing to be doing amidst that!

So far for 2011-2012 school year, we’ve promoted Blake’s first book and contagious message, Start Something that Matters. We coordinated an awesome display in the campus bookstore’s window (much thanks to club members Hannah Fisher, Michelle Tellier, Ashley Keely, Katie Sumpter, & Rebecca Gonzales!) and we hosted TOMS Trivia for those who wanted to take part.





We also put to action a lesson in leadership we’ve learned along the way: teamwork is often the key to success. On an occasion called Make a Difference Day, our TOMS Campus Club teamed up with another club on campus to install an organic garden at local elementary school, so kids can learn how to grow and raise their own vegetables! By combining community events as well as the TOMS message, our club has become more dynamic and open to students. Though on a basic level TOMS is about shoes and shoe giving (and now Eyewear and sight giving, too!), the One for One movement stands for something even larger than that, so we try to incorporate those do-good ideals in the activities we plan.

This year we are hoping to host a fashion show as well as a barefoot concert Spring quarter to get the word out about one day without shoes. Hopefully with little steps and a strong passion, we will be able to make these and others ideas come to life.

I have high hopes that Cal Poly’s Campus Club will be sustainable and grow gradually. We have a lot of passionate people out there willing to get involved in this movement.

By: Ali K, co-leader of the TOMS Campus Club at Georgia Teach

I started the TOMS Campus Club here at Georgia Tech alongside another student, and it's been really awesome watching it grow. We now have 27 club members! Recently, we had an info session for new members, where we screened the TOMS documentary and discussed the One for One movement, as well as our role in it.

What do I love most about being part of the TOMS Campus Club experience? Getting to work with like-minded people working towards a cause that's so much bigger than us. I also really like the challenges that come with being a leader; it's taught me to think outside the box so that we can remain a sustainable source of support for TOMS and the movement on our campus. Since we don't have a steady funding source, we've turned to the community for help, and we've gotten a lot of support from local businesses. 

Seeing that positive response from others has bene incredible for us all.

Last Spring, we had almost 200 people come out to join us in our barefoot walk for One Day Without Shoes! Though we are not affiliiated with the sorority and fraternity life on campus, we were pumped when much of the Greek community decided to come along. Together, we walked for the cause, united in our desire to help others, and we dined together at the free cookout after our walk. That day was amazing. I loved seeing different people on campus come together like they did on ODWS. 





This semester, we're going to host a Style Your Sole event with Abbadabba's, a local store that carries TOMS. The folks from the store are coming to campus to size people and take orders, which we'll pick up on day of the event. We'll provide all of the decorating materials for people to customize our TOMS together. We'll also supply the materials to make our own TOMS T-shirts.

All in all, I am really excited to watch this movement grow on the Georgia Tech campus and I'm so proud to be a part of that process.

Some things I've learned along the way?

- Don't be afraid to be creative in finding ways to get people involved! We've had success with events by pushing hard and not being afraid to work with others.
- We also found that people in the club work better when they know each other, so our last meeting was at a casual restaurant so people could hang out before getting down to club business. Think outside the box!

One for One, 

Ali

With another school year in full swing, we're excited to revive this little segment we like to call Campus of the Week! Let's start with Nashville, Tennesee's Belmont University, where Bianca, the leader of the TOMS Campus Club has been working diligently to spread the word about One for One.

I've been the TOMS Campus Club (TCC) leader at my university since February, and I've loved every minute of it!


Members of the TOMS Campus Club at Belmont University

Right after becoming a TCC leader, I immediately began planning for One Day Without Shoes. On ODWS, I hosted an information table, featuring TOMS coupons and information, and I also hosted a screening of the TOMS documentary. One Day Without Shoes was a great success, and I loved seeing so many of my classmates raising attention for such a great cause!

In July, when I heard about [TOMS Chief Shoe Giver Blake Mycoskie's new book, Start Something That Matters, I jumped right into planning an event to celebrate the book's release. It took numerous e-mails to get facility space reserved for the event, and immediately after, I jumped into finding guest speakers. I decided to host more of a lecture style event, because my school requires students to attend a variety of lectures as part of their graduation requirement.

I knew that students would be highly interested in getting lecture credit and hearing about TOMS, which very well might be the most commonly worn shoe on campus! Because the students at my school love TOMS, it didn't take long for the RSVP's to roll in and when the day came 150+ students came showed up!



TOMS event at Belmont University
 

There were more students than our event space could accommodate! After screening Start Something That Matters: Behind the Pages, we followed up with a social entrepreneurship panel featuring Barrett Ward of fashionABLE, Kelsey Kinsel of Salvation City, and Andrew Bishop of PhilanthroTeach.

Panel of speakers who started something that matters, at the TOMS event spearheaded by the Campus Club at Belmont University

It was wonderful to play a part in bringing great organizations and causes to the attention of eager, driven students. I was also glad to have my university's bookstore sell copies of SSTM and university-run Feedback Clothing Co. sell TOMS shoes.

Overall, my Start Something That Matters Event has been my most successful event thus far, and I'm proud to have planned it. In regards to future TOMS events, I hope to plan another TOMS documentary screening soon and I hope to work on an even greater series of events in celebration of One Day Without Shoes.

You open the box and think, “Oh these are stylish." You slip them on your feet and your toes let out a sigh in unison as you realize, “These are comfortable, oh so comfortable." Check yourself out in the mirror and think, “These will go with everything." Best of all is when you remember the child for whom you just provided shoes.

I’d like my TOMS shoes if they were just comfortable. I’d adore them if they were just a pair of sweet kicks. But I love them because they are all of the above, plus they do good for this world.

I first got involved in the One for One movement in 2010 when a friend told me about One Day Without Shoes. I’m all about spreading a good message, so the day rolled around and we strutted our stuff around our Lynn University Campus in Boca Raton, FL. We wore custom-made T-shirts. We went all over campus, to the mall, and all around town without shoes. I’ve been hooked on TOMS ever since.

After hearing Blake speak on our campus, I was really motivated to do more. I left the auditorium and went straight to a computer to register to be a part of a TOMS Campus Club. The following Fall the Lynn University TOMS Campus Club was born.

We made the club a part of our community service organization, Knights in the Community. We kicked off the school year with a screening of the TOMS documentary in the student center courtyard. Blake had motivated enough students that there was now a following of TOMS enthusiasts, and we really wanted to spread the message to more people.

After turning more people onto TOMS, we set our sights on our biggest undertaking: a Style Your Sole Party, which turned out awesome!

Throughout the year, Lynn's TOMS Campus Club had so much fun, and spreading the word about One for One through the Campus Clubs program made our group feel valued. We felt a sense of pride when we were recognized as a Campus of the Week on the TOMS blog. When I saw someone with a pair of TOMS, or heard someone talk about them I could proudly say that I was a part of that movement. It certainly made me feel special, important, and pretty awesome. Likewise, I love knowing that I have personally turned people onto TOMS and have enlightened them to the movement.

I used to not understand or relate to the expression “Wear your heart on your sleeve."However, now I like to think I wear my heart on my sole. Working with TOMS has certainly been an amazing experience, and one I certainly hope to continue.

Hi TOMS fans!

My name is Kelsey Daddio and I am a rising senior at Christopher Newport University in Virginia. I am excited to begin my third year as a member of our TOMS campus club!

Over the last two years I have participated in many TOMS events on our campus, my favorite being One Day Without Shoes. Making t-shirts and goodies to hand out during ODWS has been really fun and getting the word out about TOMS is very rewarding as well.
 

My roommates and I have recently taken over the club and hope to make this year, our senior year, a very eventful year for our TOMS campus club! My favorite part of being involved with TOMS and our campus club is seeing how much of a difference we really can make. CNU students and teachers alike have become so interested in the movement and I am so excited to see how much more we can grow this year!

I absolutely love TOMS and will do everything I can on and off my campus to keep spreading the word!

A little more than a week ago, the lovely (and philanthropic) ladies of Delta Gamma in Starkville, Mississippi were anxiously awaiting the arrival of their newest pledge class and practicing for sorority recruitment at Mississippi State University. Little did they know, they were in for a major surprise…

DG’s national service project is “Service for Sight,” therefore there is a beautiful connection to this TOMS-loving sorority and the newest TOMS One for One product, TOMS eyewear. When Chapter Advisor Hillary and Chapter President Mary Page learned of TOMS new One for One product, they immediately began to brainstorm ways to get DG involved. So, in total secret, they contacted TOMS HQ and told us they wanted to purchase TOMS eyewear for each of the Mississippi State Delta Gamma ladies. 

As the sisters practiced for recruitment in their house, their TOMS eyewear awaited them just one room away. When Hillary directed the girls to watch an educational video about their Service for Sight philanthropy, they instead were greeted with a video from Blake introducing TOMS eyewear. The excitement cranked up a notch as the girls were told, "Surprise! Each sister, and the incoming pledge class, is getting TOMS eyewear!" 

We saw their reactions come in on Twitter in real-time – so awesome!

Elise, who works in the Campus department at TOMS HQ was one-half of the TOMS team visiting Mississippi when the goods were delivered. She told us,  “A lot of people within our culture are visually impaired, even if it’s just for a few minutes until they can reach for their glasses or put their contacts in. We met girls in Delta Gamma that could personally relate to the importance of being given sight.”
 

We're so excited that this group of amazing women will be sharing the TOMS eyewear story in such a big way on their campus. When a group of this size stands up to make a statement, it generates more questions and more awareness, which in this case, is an amazing thing.

TOMS and DG at MSU go way back: Two years ago, DG at MSU ordered TOMS shoes for the whole chapter to wear during recruitment week, so that all the women could share the TOMS shoes story. That alone was an awesome move, but they amped up their support even more when, in February of 2010, they invited Blake to speak on campus during a lecture series the sorority sponsors. More than 2,500 people attended the speaking engagement, making this one of the largest campus events Blake’s ever attended!

Do you want to incorporate TOMS eyewear into a project you’re doing with a student group on your high school or college campus? We’d happy to help! Email campusclubs@TOMS.com