UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As part of its ongoing “All In” initiative, Penn State is partnering with the Ad Council’s national “Love Has No Labels” campaign for an on-campus event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 20 in the HUB-Robeson Center at the lower level near the entrance to the lawn.
The event will make Penn State the inaugural campus for the university engagement program on behalf of Love Has No Labels produced by the Ad Council, a national organization that selects significant public issues to focus on through communications programs that make a measurable difference in society. Students and others will have a chance to participate in taped video interviews, share their experiences on social media and find out more about both efforts, which are focused on celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion.
The Ad Council launched the “Love Has No Labels” campaign in March 2015 to promote acceptance and inclusion regardless of race, religion, gender, sexuality, age and ability, by encouraging people to recognize their own implicit biases. The campaign includes an award- winning PSA campaign by R/GA (including a viral, Emmy Award-winning launch video, #WeAreAmerica film featuring professional wrestler John Cena, and latest Fans of Love film), a yearlong social media program and events.
“Love Has No Labels has had extraordinary resonance with people throughout the country, including young adults who helped the campaign go viral in its first few days,” said Ellyn Fisher, senior vice president of PR and social media at the Ad Council, and a 1999 journalism alumna of Penn State. “We’re looking forward to kicking off our first official university activation in partnership with ‘All In’ to engage students and others on campus to celebrate the diverse community at Penn State and nationwide.”
The daylong event will feature a booth co-branded with “All In” where students can post photos/GIFs on social media with #LoveHasNoLabels and #PennState. Students and others will have the opportunity to participate in taped video interviews, sharing truths about themselves and a moment where they’ve experienced or witnessed bias.
Free “Love Has No Labels” T-shirts, temporary tattoos and other materials from Love Has No Labels and All In will be available. Students will be encouraged to join Love Has No Labels communities (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and learn more about “All In” and how they can get involved.
Through “All In at Penn State: A Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion,” the University is calling on all members of the community to take an active role in promoting respect and embracing diversity. Launched in fall 2016, “All In” spotlights the University’s commitment to continuing to build a diverse and inclusive climate, and to fostering a safe and open-minded environment that is respectful of everyone regardless of their backgrounds, race, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, veteran’s status, political beliefs and all the ways we differ.
“We’re looking forward to hearing from our students about their experiences and their thoughts on how we, as a community, can continue to come together and make everyone here and in the larger University community feel welcome,” said Marcus Whitehurst, vice provost for Educational Equity. “The ‘All In’ initiative at Penn State is focused on both the importance of having a diverse community and building an environment that is inclusive. By partnering with the Ad Council on this initiative, we hope members of the Penn State community are able to learn from each other and grow by being honest and sharing their perspectives and feelings.”
Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to continue these conversations in events, panels and discussions, in classrooms, clubs, in-class activities and programs. For information on having a facilitated discussion, a listing of All In events or to add an event to the calendar, go to: http://allin.psu.edu/