Every state in the nation reported incidents of human trafficking in 2024. The number of children trafficked into commercial sex and forced labor is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands, though barriers to identification and underreporting make estimating the severity of the crime nearly impossible.

Child trafficking has outmaneuvered traditional prevention efforts to become the fastest-growing criminal enterprise in the world. Our unique approach believes in the drive and passion that middle and high school-aged students can contribute to solving today’s problems, particularly those that threaten their own futures. By providing our student-led Youth Action Boards all the training and education materials they need for free, they can concentrate on creating impactful projects and events that share vital prevention information with their peers. 

No. Just like any other student club, forming a Project Protect Our Children Youth Action Board does not cost the school, its school district or the students who participate any money. In fact, members are provided with all the free training and education materials they need for creating activities and events that arm their peers with the knowledge they need to protect themselves from child trafficking.

Project Protect Our Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that was founded in 2019. We rely on the support of donors and corporate sponsors to fund our work and to provide the modest annual stipend we offer School Campus Sponsors for the professional guidance and time they dedicate to our student-led Youth Action Boards.

Absolutely. The more we can arm each member of a community with information for preventing child trafficking, the better we can fight a crime that relies on secrecy and thrives in the shadows of fear, shame, and desperation. We have free training programs for parents and guardians, company employees, corporate leaders, educators, and other youth-serving professionals. Everyone is an essential member of the anti-trafficking movement. We invite you to visit our Training Programs page to learn more.