The National Campus Life Network is expanding its staff to include a Western Canada co-ordinator. Sarah Buckle just completed a year with the NCLN as executive director for 2006-07 and her move to British Columbia has created the opportunity for a new staff member for it.

The NCLN works to train, equip and network pro-life post-secondary students at over 40 post-secondary campuses across Canada. This is accomplished through an annual National Symposium, the employment of a full-time national director, the sharing of proven resources and experience and the creation of materials geared to a campus environment.

Buckle had a keen interest in continuing to work full time for the NCLN. She says she believes that “campuses are a key concentrated audience that needs the pro-life message.”

She points to the fact that many post-secondary students face crisis pregnancies, whether directly or through friends, while others are solidifying their belief systems and making decisions on sex and love. Buckle asserts that “the pro-life club may be the only time a student hears the pro-life message and it is essential for the pro-life movement to actively reach out to our future doctors, teachers and politicians.”

As the network of campus leaders grows, so do the demands on the NCLN. Given the vastness of Canada, past directors have struggled to keep up with all contacts. Each year, the director tries to travel to each campus with a pro-life club or contacts to give them direction and resources based on past successful experiences. Buckle emphasizes the importance of having a recent university graduate do this work, noting that “students have many other priorities demanding their time, so it is important to have someone consistently motivating them to get and stay active with the pro-life clubs on campus.”

Buckle reflects on her past year: “While NCLN’s campus visits are clearly fruitful, their effectiveness is greatly hampered as one person is unable to do the necessary follow-up after travels to the different campuses, especially for those in preliminary stages of forming a pro-life group who are in need of more guidance and attention”. This new position will help NCLN grow with the expanding campus activism.

Buckle will be working to activate and expand pro-life campus advocacy in Western Canada. She will do this by visiting and speaking on campuses with pro-life contacts.

The expansion is not without its challenges, however. Buckle is currently working on building a support team for the new position, to provide her with funds to cover expenses for materials, travel and basic living expenses. This team will be able to follow her pro-life work through personal newsletters and e-mails from Buckle. Through regular investment in her work, supporters will be directly involved in her pro-life ministry and the successes that come with it.

If you are interested in more information regarding Sarah’s work in Western Canada, or would like to contribute financially, contact her at: sarah@ncln.ca.