“PROTECT has given education, structure, and awareness about how to support students who are at risk and survivors of human trafficking. Our staff is more aware of the warning signs, and the Human Trafficking School Safety Protocol has provided a clear framework–with language and tools–to support a student. PROTECT has established a culture of awareness and empowerment to intervene when students are suspected of or have disclosed being survivors of human trafficking. The program has aligned perfectly with our culture of creating safe and supportive learning environments for each student, with the support of trusted adults trained in trauma-informed practices. The asynchronous, self-paced human trafficking prevention training ensured that all of our instructional and key support staff completed the training and demonstrated it via the certificates of completion. This means that every student has a teacher who can identify warning signs and risk factors, initiate the Human Trafficking School Safety Protocol, and have a trauma-informed conversation with students who disclose or are suspected of being survivors of human trafficking. As a non-classroom-based charter school, we have been able to deliver the curriculum to students who have attended the offered instruction, and we strive to continue to refine our offerings so more students can complete the curriculum.
