Virginia's 1st Youth Safety Summit:

Empowering Youth and Adults to Avoid Exploitation, Including Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation

Why a youth exploitation prevention workshop? Because each year millions of youth are victims of trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. Many organizations across the U.S. conclude that the median age a child is lured into sex trafficking is 13-14.

Using the most promising practices for exploitation prevention, this 2-hour Empower Youth Prevention Workshop will educate teens in GRADES 7 AND UP to successfully navigate their vulnerabilities in order to stay safe from exploitation. Short films, activities, and discussion questions will also empower attendees with leadership skills to help eradicate human trafficking and exploitation.

"The Empower Youth Program is incredibly relatable for youth and shares information in a powerful, yet non-sensationalized way. The youth I’ve worked with latch on quickly to the concepts and are able to recall and apply the material to their own lives. EYP gives youth the language to discuss exploitation in a healthy, helpful way." - Erin Drum, Community Engagement and Prevention Director, UnBound Seattle

CNN has featured The Empower Youth Program, telling the story of the program’s use at the Male Leadership Academy in Long Beach Schools. Lionel Gonzalez, the Program Director of the Academy, said this about his experience using our exploitation prevention resource with the youth he serves:

“The LBUSD MALE Leadership Academy highly values character development and life skills. The Empower Youth Program has similar objectives and that it why it has been a perfect fit. The Empower Youth Program taught the young men in our programs how exploitation exists, what makes them vulnerable to exploitation, and how empathy is a path away from exploitation. It is practical and engaging using multiple forms learning, written handouts, hands-on activities, and peer-led media. The strength of this program is that it truly empowers students to navigate through positive and negative influences in their lives, and then develops a personal strategy to be safe and help keeps others safe.”