Schools

Oakdale Student Presents Work Raising Awareness of Human Trafficking

Leah Pieniadz and Emily Hamilton made the presentation at The Williams School

Juniors Leah Pieniadz of Oakdale and Emily Hamilton of Mystic recently crafted a series of activities, including an assembly and variety of fundraisers at school to raise awareness of human trafficking in the U.S. and around the world.

Speaking to the assembled students at The Williams School, Pieniadz and Hamilton put the reality of human trafficking in stark terms by noting that the Seventh and Eighth Graders in the audience are precisely the age most affected by this epidemic of modern-day slave trade.

Pieniadz and Hamilton crafted a moving presentation on this difficult issue to raise awareness among their peers andthe community. They shared video clips, background information and startling facts, including the sobering statistic that human trafficking is reported in all 50 states and around the world. “Children ages 12–14 are sold for $90,” explained Pieniadz, a simple fact that stunned the audience. She and Hamilton outlined the main “markets” for human trafficking as sex, labor and bridetrafficking as well as organ harvesting.

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Head of School Mark Fader explained, “Leah approached me last spring to ask if she could secure a spot on our assembly calendar to educate the community about this important topic. Their presentation conveyed information in a very accessible manner withouts ensationalizing the details.”

The Williams School’s twice-weekly assemblies are often led by students to educate their community about a variety of topics. Founded in 1891, The Williams School is an independent, co-educational, dayschool for grades 7–12. Located on the Connecticut College campus in NewLondon, Williams serves students from 40 communities throughout Connecticut, western Rhode Island, and Fishers Island, NY.

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Williams provides a college preparatory program centered on a classical, liberal arts curriculum and small class sizes. The Williams School fosters the intellectual, moral, aesthetic, and physical development of young men and women in preparation for a lifetime of learning and active participation in a changing society.

 


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