Keeping Students Safe: Understanding Child Trafficking - Genevie Strickland - Morgan Nick Foundation

Genevie Strickland of the Morgan Nick Foundation helps us deepen our understanding of human trafficking as well as how educators play a vital role in keeping Arkansas students safe.


The internet is one of the single biggest factors affecting our children and their safety in society today.

We need to understand why and what affect it has on students learning and beyond. Teen Internet usage and attitudes about safety present potential risks, but also opportunities for education. Internet safety, risky behaviors such as sharing too much information online and sexting, cyberbullying, dangerous internet sites and apps all aid in the harm and exploitation of children.

These risky behaviors can be a common link leading to a global issue commonly referred to as Human Trafficking/Sex Trafficking. We need to understand how schools are impacted, why it is critically important for those in educational environments to be involved in the process and understand exactly what trafficking looks like amongst students today. Our safety and prevention education curriculum is taught to children in the school system, providing real world safety, internet safety skills, and abduction prevention education.

In March 2020 the world was hit by the COVID 19 pandemic and our education system was greatly impacted as schools revamped to virtual learning. To date we have provided education to more than 850,000 children, families and teachers in Arkansas schools, so the shut down of onsite learning impacted the message we know children so desperately need at this time.

Understanding that kids would be online even more while spending time at home doing virtual learning, our office immediately switched gears in search of new ways to get these safety messages to students. We hired two more educators with various backgrounds in education and began the process of constructing a new curriculum from the discipline we already use to educate. This curriculum will support Arkansas Educators, caregivers, parents, and students. Our presentations use the latest technology to create high-impact educational activities for even the most tech-savvy kids of any age group, with the end goal of expanding the safety awareness of children and empowering them to make responsible decisions online and in real life. The Firefly Project was created because the Morgan Nick Foundation believes education is the key to safety. When children recognize the dangers they can make good choices. This curriculum is written to bring the light of truth into a sometimes dangerous and scary world.

Morgan Nick Foundation website:
https://morgannickfoundation.com/

The Firefly Project - Morgan Nick Foundation Curriculum:
https://sites.google.com/morgannick.com/curriculum/home


G.U.I.D.E. for Life website:
https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/learning-services/guide-for-life

G.U.I.D.E. for Life video:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IkDogvInAGyDubj0e_Ou3qGG9r3yPKo2/view

G.U.I.D.E. for Life In Focus Blog:
https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/learning-services/guide-for-life/guide-for-life-in-focus-blog

G.U.I.D.E. for Life Manual:
https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/admin/Files/20201229101338_OFFICIAL_GUIDE_for_Life.pdf

Produced by Donnie Lee
Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
More information: https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/communications/dese-podcasts