Our Goal
- Develop and implement a Human Trafficking School Safety Protocol
- Increase teacher/staff understanding of the risks of human trafficking
- Increase students’ understanding through prevention education
- Train qualified staff to implement and replicate grant activities throughout 10 school districts
Objectives (5-Year Grant)
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Educate 18,884 educators/staff on prevention
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Reach at least 60,000 students in grades 5, 8, and 11
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Train 179 trainers to expand and sustain the program
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Build and implement the HTSSP with law enforcement and community partners
Approach
In partnership with 3Strands Global Foundation, we will:
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Train educators and staff using PROTECT’s research-based curricula
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Deliver student lessons with proven online resources (lesson plans, slides, videos)
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Establish a multidisciplinary team to coordinate and implement HTSSP
Partner School Systems
ESC 1 serves school districts and charter systems across 7 counties in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV)
The following 10 districts are currently participating in our program:
- Laredo ISD
- Brooks County ISD
- Jim Hogg County ISD
- Roma ISD
- Rio Grande City Grulla ISD
- La Joya ISD
- Hidalgo ISD
- Weslaco ISD
- Progreso ISD
- Lyford CISD
Need for Assistance:
Homeland security has identified the RGV as an increasingly active center for human trafficking.
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The RGV is a hotspot for human trafficking (Homeland Security)
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90%+ of students are economically disadvantaged
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96% Hispanic, with many requiring ESL support
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Region lacks a coordinated care system—local leaders call for urgent prevention and intervention.
Organizational Capacity
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ESC 1 has a strong track record administering federal and state grants
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3SGF’s PROTECT program already in 1,238 districts, training 88,000+ educators and reaching 715,000+ students
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ESC 1 is uniquely positioned to lead, sustain, and scale this initiative
