The National Public Outreach Program aims to increase public awareness about the realities of human trafficking in the United States and build local capacity to combat human trafficking by engaging media, community members, and key stakeholders in anti-trafficking activities on the local and national levels.  Program efforts focus on awareness-raising, state and federal policy advocacy, and education about resources and services available through the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC).

 

Believing that widespread public awareness, community involvement, and local ownership are essential to bringing about sustainable social change, Polaris Project’s public outreach efforts are an integral component of our holistic approach to combat modern-day slavery. 

 

How Does the National Public Outreach Program Interact with Polaris Project's Other Programs?

The National Public Outreach Program works in close collaboration with other Polaris Project programs, including the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC), Development Program, U.S. Policy Program, Greater DC Trafficking Intervention Program (DC TIP), and New Jersey Trafficking Intervention Program.  This coordination ensures that public outreach efforts are constantly informed by our direct work with victims of trafficking, knowledge of U.S. anti-trafficking laws and policy needs, and the evolving needs of the anti-trafficking field. Moreover, this coordination helps us ensure that the actions we urge community members and stakeholders to take are practical and effective in combating human trafficking.

 

The National Public Outreach Program works to empower and mobilize individuals of diverse backgrounds and ages to take meaningful action against human trafficking through the following grassroots initiatives:  

 

In an effort to grow the grassroots movement against trafficking and enable individuals, communities, and organizations to make an impact, Polaris Project recently launched the Polaris Project Action Center, which is a unique site that provides individuals and groups with the information and tools they need to take action.  The site includes basic facts about modern-day slavery, up to date information about human trafficking cases, testimonies of survivors, daily news, and concrete ways to take action.

 

To learn more and find out how you can get involved, go to the Action Center. 

 

National Grassroots Network
Polaris Project's National Grassroots Network helps build the grassroots anti-trafficking movement by providing community members with information about human trafficking and opportunities to take action on the local and national levels.  Over 6,000 diverse community members have joined our National Grassroots Network thus far, and our numbers are growing!  To add your voice to the anti-trafficking movement, join our National Grassroots Network .

National Grassroots Campaigns
Polaris Project organizes national grassroots campaigns to leverage the passion and energy of community members in the fight to end human trafficking.  To date, thousands of community members from across the U.S. have joined these campaigns to show their commitment to fighting human trafficking.

The "Slavery Still Exists" Campaign is Polaris Project's national grassroots campaign to raise public awareness about human trafficking in the United States and abroad.  Getting the word out about human trafficking and bringing modern-day slavery into the public consciousness is a critical part of the effectiveness of the anti-trafficking movement.  Community involvement is the central element of our "Slavery Still Exists" Campaign, where community members use their creative ideas to generate different mediums that spread the message that "Slavery Still Exists."  To learn more, please see the "Slavery Still Exists" Campaign website and click on the following link: Slavery Still Exists At-a-Glance