658. How a Student-Led Movement Sparked Global Change at Atlanta International School - Veronica McDaniel + Alice Abreu
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Overview
Meet Veronica, the dedicated teacher and guiding force, alongside Alice, the passionate Senior at Atlanta International School (AIS) and Co-President of AIS Against Human Trafficking.
AIS Against Human Trafficking is a dynamic, student-led initiative dedicated to raising awareness and mobilizing action against human trafficking through education, powerful storytelling, and global partnerships. This story represents the heart-wired generation students who are actively using their empathy and digital fluency to drive monumental societal change 🩵
Listen in to learn how this inspiring group has strategically teamed up with major global players like CNN and built a network with other international schools, transforming a local initiative into an undeniable global force. Their campaigns are a masterclass in resilience and creativity, showing the world what happens when Gen Z’s passion for justice is unleashed 🌱
Learn:
The power of storytelling can mobilize communities for change.
Empowering youth leads to innovative solutions to social issues.
Listening to young voices is crucial for effective activism.
Building sustainable content is essential for ongoing awareness campaigns.
Generosity can create a ripple effect in communities.
Collaboration between students and educators enhances impact.
Social media is a vital tool for reaching younger audiences.
Real change starts with empathy and understanding others' experiences.
Creating a supportive environment fosters leadership in youth.
The legacy of activism can inspire future generations.
“Kids get excited when they are given a platform. Take their opinions into consideration. Hear their voices, work with them for common purpose. ”
Episode Transcript
Download Full Episode Transcript Here
Episode Highlights
Empowering Students Against Human Trafficking (02:14)
The Journey of Veronica McDaniel in Nonprofit (10:24)
The Impact of Youth Voices in Activism (16:27)
Harnessing Youth Energy for Change (21:06)
Building a Content Engine for Advocacy (22:51)
The Power of Consistency in Messaging (25:29)
Inspiring Action Through Awareness (26:47)
Intergenerational Learning and Relationship Building (29:17)
The Impact of Generosity and Empathy (32:48)
Alice’s One Good Thing: Real change starts with empathy and listening (35:49)
Veronica’s One Good Thing: Building and Maintaining Relationships (36:39)
Powerful Quotes
“Once you see the world, you can't really go back, I knew that there was a lot of evil in this world. With my voice and my privilege that I have here, I know I have to do something about it.” - Alice Abreu
“When you embrace that you are a global citizen, that we are all a citizen of this world, we have this responsibility to use what we have, what we know, to make the spaces around us better.” - Alice Abreu
“Each of our programs are grounded in at least one of four pillars: prevention, protection, policy and pursuit. The work that I'm doing with these kids is focused on prevention.” - Veronica McDaniel
“One of the things I talk about when I present at conferences is making sure the kids have a voice, an audience and that they're given the space to know they've made an influence. This is called the Lundy model of participation.” - Veronica McDaniel
“Maintaining relationships will make the world go round, so it's rewarding. This is how we can make an impact and keep kids safe. And it rings very true in our anti-exploitation work, because we feel a confident child is a protected child, and that's really universal.” -Veronica McDaniel
“With persistence and hard work, that spark of action can turn into an exponential movement. The movmenet was slow at first and then it became absolutely unstoppable when it reached other people.” - Alice Abreu
Alice’s One Good Thing: “The most important part of all of this is listening. You need to hear what other people are saying because you can't create anything truly impactful if you don't listen to what they need.”
Veronica’s One Good Thing: "Build and maintaining relaitonships. Kids want to be active, as we've said, they get excited energetic, so give them a platform. Take their opinions in to consideration, hear their voices, work with them for a common purpose.”
Connect with Alice
LinkedIn / AIS (human trafficking)Instagram
Connect with Veronica
Connect with Jon
Connect with Becky
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