Students for Church/State Separation
America’s public schools serve 90 percent of schoolchildren – meaning our schools are a unifying force in society and must serve families from a wide array of backgrounds, including a vast religious and nonreligious diversity. Public schools must be inclusive places that welcome all students, regardless of religion, race or ability.
Public schools must respect the religious beliefs of the students they serve while not showing favoritism for any particular religious belief or allowing coercive proselytism to occur in schools. Students should never be pressured by teachers, coaches, other school officials or classmates to pray or believe a certain way.
Students for Church/State Separation, a program of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, is a place for youth activists to become involved in the work of maintaining religious freedom and ensuring that people are not discriminated against by someone who believes differently than they do. Americans United is one of the oldest organizations working to protect these fundamental values. They are a unique multi-faith community that includes those who profess faith as well as those who do not.