You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

After a year of online learning and youth continuing to be home alone, parents and caregivers can often think that they have established appropriate internet rules and boundaries: “Don’t talk to people you don’t know”, “don’t give out personal information/tell people where you live”, or “set your profile to private”. While these are important rules and boundaries to establish, it …

5 Ways Guidance Counselors Are Uniquely Positioned

Every September, as fall is ushered in, it signals a change from long summer days to the start of routines, school, and all things sports. Yet this year, many schools and parents find themselves starting the school year with virtual or hybrid learning, without a consistent routine, and many sports and activities on hold, leaving many school staff and educators …

Internet Safety | The Unknown Dangers

In 2019, the CyberTipline received over 16.9 million reports of online exploitation of children. It’s hard to comprehend these figures. Yet with new games, apps, and websites readily available in a single click, many youth face dangers downloading, uploading, sharing, and connecting on the Internet. These apps and games may appear harmless on the surface, but do you know the …

Aging Out of Foster Care | A Daunting Challenge

Guest post by Annie Evelsizer For many youth on their 18th birthday of their senior year of high school, there is a desire to host a party to celebrate their first small step towards adulthood. There are worries over what should be worn, what snacks to serve, if anyone was left anyone out, and if there would be enough time …

How Can You Say “Yes”?

*This post is by guest blogger Annie Evelsizer.  This story is inspired by true events and real people.   As a respite care provider in the foster care system, she agreed to care for a bubbly and busy 11-month-old boy over a long weekend so his foster parents could take a family vacation. With three elementary aged biological children of …

Can a Dress Change the World?

By guest writer: Annie Evelsizer It was mid-December and the bitter winds swept along the city street, empty of everything but snowdrifts in the early morning hours. She sipped a hot cup of coffee, warming her hands as she began getting ready for work. Normally on a day such as this, she would pull on her flannel lined trousers, possibly …

Schools and Human Trafficking: Response and Protocol

If we know students are at-risk of human trafficking and exploitation, then what are schools doing to respond? Schools, teachers, professors, administrators, school nurses, bus drivers, SROs, custodial staff, coaches, advisors, and more are uniquely and strategically positioned to engage. University staff and educators regularly interact with students, notice when they are not present, and are aware of behavioral and …

Is My Student At-Risk?

Human trafficking is everywhere, including schools. The very idea seems unimaginable. And yet, whether a school is in an urban, suburban, or rural community, students may be at risk of human trafficking and exploitation. Any minor who is recruited for the purpose of commercial sex is a victim of human trafficking. Federal law does not require force, fraud, or coercion. …

Is Human Trafficking Happening in My Community?

When people first learn about human trafficking, they often think that it must be happening “over there” – in another country, state, or city. They don’t often think it could be happening in their community. This may be because they already have an idea of what human trafficking looks like or only know about one form of human trafficking. But …

Do You Know What Human Trafficking Looks Like?

When people first learn about human trafficking, they learn the legal definitions of labor trafficking, sex trafficking, and sometimes organ trafficking. While this is important and foundational, knowing how human trafficking manifests is equally as important. Sex trafficking and labor trafficking can happen to men, women, and children, regardless of age. But knowing the definition is just the beginning – …