What Is United Sikh Movement? America’s Largest Sikh Student Network, Explained

United Sikh Movement (USM) is a national nonprofit that connects and supports Sikh college students across the United States. With 40 active chapters, it is the largest Sikh student network in America — and the second largest in the world.

If you have been to a Sikh Student Association event, a Gurmat camp, a Sikh hackathon, or a Sikh student conference in the last few years, there is a good chance USM was part of it.

How USM started

It started with four students who wanted more for Sikh student life.

Sikh students across California were carrying the same weight alone: excelling in class while staying true to their identity, searching for mentors who understood their journey, and building careers without compromising their values. Sikh Student Associations existed on many campuses, but each one was an island.

So a handful of students decided the islands should be a network. What began as Southern California chapters gathering for divaans grew, chapter by chapter, into a national network — and then into something bigger.

What USM does

USM is built on four pillars: Simran (spirituality), Seva (service), Sangat (community), and Academics. In practice, that looks like three kinds of programs.

Sikhi development

• Camp Kudrat, an annual Sikhi retreat in nature — nitnem, kirtan, workshops, and sangat, with phones put away.
• The Gurmat Sangeet Initiative, including a 10-week course that became an official UC Davis offering, with 250+ attendees in Fall 2025.
• The Salok Mahala 9 series, where youth facilitators trained with Sikh Dharmsal lead workshops on Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji's teachings.

Professional development

• 13Hacks, the first Sikh hackathon in America — 100+ attendees, 9 states, 30 mentors.
• Free LSAT mentoring and prep from Sikhs who scored in the 97th percentile and above, with the Sikh Legal Society.
• SYNC, the Sikh space at SF Tech Week.

The SSA network

• Conferences that put every chapter in one room — including the 13th annual conference at USC.
• Leadership retreats for SSA board members: 65+ participants from 18 SSAs this year, and 95% said they felt more confident leading their chapter afterward.
• A national network of 120+ board members who share playbooks in real time.
• Advocacy. After the hate crime at SJSU, USM mobilized West Coast schools toward Sikh awareness trainings with UC and CSU administrators and university police.

Who runs USM?

USM is 100% volunteer-led — regional teams across the West Coast, Midwest, and East Coast, plus student sevadaars on 40 campuses. Most of them were students in an SSA not long ago. Because no one is paid, every donated dollar goes straight to students. USM is a registered 501(c)(3).

How to get involved

• If you are a student: find the SSA on your campus, or come to a USM event. You do not need to be on a board.
• If your campus has no SSA: we will help you start one.
• If you are a professional: mentor at 13Hacks, speak at a conference, or come to SYNC.
• If you want to support Sikh students: donate. It goes directly to programs.

The short version

USM exists so no Sikh student has to choose between going far and staying rooted. With mentorship from Sikhs who have walked the path and programs built around what students actually need, USM is helping a generation carry their Sikhi into every room they walk into.