SC Human Trafficking Youth Advocacy Summit educates Students

The South Carolina Office of the Attorney General, Children’s Trust of SC, and the SC Commission for Minority Affairs hosted the first ever Human Trafficking Youth Advocacy Summit to educate high school students on Wednesday, June 27. It was held at the Richland 2 Innovation Center (R2i2) in the Village at Sandhill in Columbia. The day long, free event was open to all high school students and included lunch as well as door prizes and anti-human trafficking resources. There were also non-profit and state agency groups distributing materials to the youth. “I’ve traveled the state to talk about human trafficking, including talking to a lot of students, and they’re always surprised about how widespread it is and how much of a threat it is to them,” Attorney General Alan Wilson said. “This Youth Advocacy Summit has the potential to save lives.” Included in the day’s event was a Human Trafficking 101 presentation by the South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force Youth Advocacy subcommittee, a law enforcement and judiciary panel exploring what happens after a victim is rescued, a presentation by the South Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and presentations from Do Good Artist, a North Carolina organization exploring social advocacy through the arts. Do Good Artist covered the use of virtual reality and gaming as well as music and there was a presentation about the use of visual arts in advocating for a cause. Additionally, the young people were challenged with a poster contest that focuses on educating other students in South Carolina about the crime of human trafficking. The winning poster will be revealed at the September meeting of the State Task Force, be printed with the student’s name and school, and distributed by the Attorney General’s Office statewide to youth-serving organizations. More information can be found at www.humantrafficking.scag.gov.