MPTC Presents Stay Out Of Traffic Event

Moraine Park Technical College’s IT and Corrections Club students are partnering with law enforcement and community groups to help local youth “stay out of traffic.”

This anti-human trafficking initiative began in October as part of the College’s Fair Trade education efforts, when over 130 participants gathered at Moraine Park’s Fond du Lac campus for “Make Fond du Lac a Traffic Free Zone.” The event was designed to bring awareness to the crime of human trafficking for sex or labor – globally, nationally, statewide and locally.

When the Moraine Park IT and Corrections Clubs students learned about the risks facing youth in the Fond du Lac area, they, too, wanted to make a difference.

Students worked over winter break to come up with a plan, which ultimately included partnering with the Boys & Girls Club; the Fond du Lac Police Department; and Nancy Irizarry-Beachy, the chair of the Wisconsin Anti-Human Trafficking Consortium.

The result of this wide-ranging partnership will see the Boys & Girls Club of Fond du Lac host a special event on Thursday, March 16. Students from Moraine Park’s IT and Corrections Clubs will give presentations to middle and high school youth at 4:30 p.m. From there, Fond du Lac Police Detective Nick Hahn; officers Keywon Brown and Kristina Meilahn; and Irizarry-Beachy will present to parents and guardians at 6 p.m. 

At 5:30 p.m., Kiwanis Club of Fabulous Fond du Lac and Little Caesars will provide pizza. The main focus of this educational event will be internet safety and the dangerous online activities that can lead to human trafficking.

“I am so proud of our IT and Corrections students for stepping up to help combat this horrible issue,” said Anne Lemke, Moraine Park grant manager and Fair Trade College team member. “They have worked many hours to plan and practice an interactive presentation for middle and high school youth. We are also very blessed to have the knowledge and expertise of our other presenters for this project.”

The event is free and open to the public. Please call the Boys & Girls Club at 920-924-0530 to register.

Figures on human trafficking globally show that 20.9 million people are victims of forced labor and human trafficking and 5.5 million of those are children.

Sex trafficking of children and youth is growing nationally and in Wisconsin. In the experience of local law enforcement and service providers, sex trafficking of minors is occurring throughout the Fond du Lac area and up and down the Highway 41 corridor. Young people with current or past history of child abuse, being homeless, runaway, and not having a good support system are especially at risk.

For more information on the “Stay out of Traffic” event, visit morainepark.edu/events.