Russ Tuttle, director of the BeAlert strategy, is coming to speak to Maize High Monday, Jan. 13. BeAlert is the prevention strategy of The Stop Trafficking Project, a project dedicated to the prevention and awareness of sex trafficking.

There will be two assemblies, one during first and second block for freshmen and sophomores and one during third and fourth block for juniors and seniors. There will also be a meeting for parents that evening from 6 to 8 p.m. 

Nurse Dana Desjardins and the SAFE Club attended a meeting with Tuttle as the speaker on Nov. 19, 2019 at the Crime Stoppers Conference. She said that it’s an important message that remains relevant for a lifetime.

“Everybody should go,” Desjardins said of the meeting. “Parents who have kids of all ages should go. [Human trafficking] is starting as young as five, six years old.”

To ensure that all parents can go if they choose, the SAFE Club will be offering free babysitting for younger children. 

“Over 75%, [Tuttle] said, of the sex trafficking starts online,” Desjardins said. “Boys are being targeted through games like Fortnite. That’s how [human traffickers] get in and get information from you and become your friend.”

BeAlert strategies have proven effective in multiple different settings through guidance and push to action. 

“It’s a great training for you guys,” Desjardins said. “You’re gonna use this for the rest of your lives.”