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Milwaukee and El Paso districts describe how curriculum, protocols and trainers help identify and support exploited youth
Summary
Milwaukee Public Schools and Education Service Center Region 19 described district protocols, train‑the‑trainer models, caregiver consent approaches and early outcomes from school prevention curricula that aim to increase identification and support for vulnerable students.
Two grantee implementers described practical steps districts are using to deliver prevention education and connect students to support services.
Jessica Goodman Schutz, human trafficking prevention coordinator for Milwaukee Public Schools, said the district adopted the Not a Number curriculum through a subrecipient partnership with Love146 and uses support staff—school social workers, psychologists and counselors—as facilitators. Schutz said the district implemented a Human Trafficking School Safety Protocol (HTSSP) outlining recognition, trauma‑informed response and reporting, and that about 4,500 students had received the curriculum in three semesters with more than 130 certified facilitators. She described pre/post testing that showed statistically relevant increases in knowledge, attitudes and behaviors and shared an example in which a student disclosed abuse after participating in the curriculum.
Jessica Barela, a registered nurse and professional development consultant at Education Service Center Region 19 (El Paso), described a train‑the‑trainer model across eight regional districts, partnerships with local organizations (3 Strands Global Foundation, Paso del Norte Center of Hope), and work to help districts meet Texas Education Agency training requirements. Barela said her team has trained more than 3,000 district staff, educated roughly 2,500 students and reached about 450 community members through outreach and parent sessions. She noted Texas law creates differing consent regimes (opt‑in in some contexts) that require persistent outreach and transparency with caregivers.
Why it matters: Presenters said district protocols and local partnerships—joint MOUs, county collaborative responses and co‑located family justice centers—make prevention curricula actionable by creating reporting pathways and immediate supports for identified youth.
Both presenters emphasized sustainability strategies: training in‑house facilitator trainers, embedding staff in multidisciplinary teams, and aligning curriculum delivery with existing professional‑development calendars.
