Press ReleaseFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 2, 2013

Julia WinerAssistant Director of Communications

(860) 509-3666jwiner@crec.org

Student Abolitionists Return from National Conferenceon Human Trafficking

(Bloomfield, CT) Student abolitionists from CREC’s Metropolitan Learning Center for Global and International Studies in Bloomfield may have been the youngest participants at a national conference on human trafficking, but that did not stop them from delivering a powerful message to adults. “We are the upcoming generation who need to make this change and we need the tools now to fight this injustice” said 15-year-old Nia Samuels of Windsor.

The students who belong to the extra-curricular group “Student Abolitionists Stopping Slavery” (SASS) were invited to present their work at the Historians Against Slavery conference in Cincinnati on September 21. Along with their advisor, Wendy Nelson-Kauffman, the students encouraged others to create student abolitionist groups to fight human trafficking. 15-year-old Molly Auretta of East Windsor says, “young people are eager to make a difference, and feel strongly about this topic.”

The students highlighted their work fundraising for Free the Slaves, and raising awareness. The program has been a popular group at the school for many years, with the students holding a well-attended Abolitionist Fair each year in the spring. “Our Abolitionist Fair is designed by students and raises awareness in a creative way that’s also kid-friendly and engages people,” shared 15-year old Victoria Laughran of Windsor Locks.

The moderator of the student panel told the audience she was nearly moved to tears by the work of these young teens to combat the heinous crime of slavery. Nelson-Kauffman said “the students’ passion and commitment to this cause inspires me daily.”

14-year-old Halyn Valley of Windsor Locks is assembling a speaker’s bureau to spread the word about how people can fight modern day slavery. “My goal is to not only inform people about what modern day slavery is, but what can be done to combat it. If everyone unites to fight this, it can really make a difference.” Valley hopes to visit several schools and other community groups this year.

SASS has spoken at the United Nations, and at conferences in Senegal, Africa, and the University of Illinois. Last year the group’s president participated in an international webinar on slavery sponsored by the Smithsonian Institute, which was viewed by more than 4,000 people.

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The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and adults in the region. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than 150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 35 facilities throughout the area, including 19 interdistrict magnet schools.  More information about CREC or CREC’s award-winning Magnet Schools is available at www.crec.org.

With the world as their classroom, students at the CREC Metropolitan Learning Center for Global and International Studies prepare for success in college and careers in the global

Capitol Region Education Council www.crec.org

workforce. Much of the education in the school’s specially designed global-systems curriculum takes place beyond the classroom through the Metropolitan Learning Center’s extensive study and travel abroad program. The CREC Metropolitan Learning Center is a public school of choice for residents of the Greater Hartford area. The school enrolls students in Grades 6 through 12, and its magnet themes are science, technology, and global studies.

Capitol Region Education Council www.crec.org