658. How a Student-Led Movement Sparked Global Change at Atlanta International School - Veronica McDaniel + Alice Abreu

Summary

Episode Overview

Title: How a Student-Led Movement Sparked Global Change at Atlanta International School
Podcast: We Are For Good Podcast – The Podcast for Nonprofits
Guests: Veronica McDaniel (Teacher, Atlanta International School, Executive Director at Street Grace International Student Initiatives) & Alice Abreu (Student Leader)
Release Date: November 12, 2025
Main Theme:
This episode spotlights how a student-initiated group at Atlanta International School, “AIS Against Human Trafficking,” has inspired global awareness and action against human trafficking. Teacher-leader Veronica McDaniel and student leader Alice Abreu discuss building youth-driven movements, the transformative power of listening to young people, leveraging digital storytelling for change, and cultivating intergenerational partnerships within the nonprofit sector.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Origins and Evolution of AIS Against Human Trafficking

• Veronica explains the serendipitous beginnings:
  • Originated in 2009 when two ninth-grade students, Shamir and Dave, approached Veronica about Atlanta’s status as a trafficking hub.
  • “These two, two boys, 14 year old boys, started AIS Against Human Trafficking.” (Veronica McDaniel, 05:10)
• Early projects included:
  • Community content, panel discussions, a fashion show for ethical consumption, and virtual global exhibits with Artworks for Freedom.
  • CNN International became a partner, covering youth-led anti-trafficking work (06:04).
• Creation and Global Impact:
  • Developed the MyFreedomDay toolkit for schools worldwide with CNN’s Freedom Project.
  • “We’ve had over 140 countries involved each year, thousands of kids around the world.” (Veronica, 08:31)
  • Partnered with Delta Airlines, Tony’s Chocolonely, Tony Blair Initiatives, and Street Grace.
• Program Growth:
  • The group’s work is now part of a nonprofit (Street Grace), focusing on student empowerment, prevention, and global youth leadership.
  • Youth-led curriculum, playbooks, and the Youth Leadership Academy were student-developed.

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2. Youth Empowerment and Intergenerational Collaboration

• Alice’s Background and Motivation:
  • Grew up in Brazil, Costa Rica, and the US; “Once you see the world, you can’t really go back.” (Alice, 11:44)
  • AIS inspired her to use her privilege and voice for positive change; plans to continue activism after graduation.
• Deepening Impact:
  • Noted a turning point when CNN anchor Linda Kincain went live from their school:
    • “That was for me absolutely the moment where I realized this was insane...the scale of the impact suddenly felt really personal and tangible.” (Alice, 15:20)
  • Student-led events addressed modern slavery and child trafficking, sparking real-world conversations and reflection within the school.
• Movement Building Insight:
  • “When awareness starts within your own community... it can grow outward and become something so powerful and contagious.” (Alice, 16:41)
• Teacher-Student Dynamic:
  • Veronica celebrates handing power and ownership to students:
    • “Why are we not listening to the kids who this is affecting? The best way... is through the kids’ plans, the kids’ words, the kids’ actions.” (Veronica, 20:14)

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3. Gen Z Approaches to Storytelling and Advocacy

• Listening as the Core:
  • Consistent emphasis on listening to youth voices (Veronica, 18:34; Alice, 33:34; 37:30).
  • Referenced the Lundy Model of Participation—Voice, Space, Audience, and Influence (Veronica, 18:41):
    • “Kids want to be listened to... make sure you are demanding these four things because you need to be heard.” (Veronica, 18:41)
• Content Creation Masterclass:
  • Alice spearheaded a seven-month social media content campaign (23:59–25:57):
    • Adapted playbook material to social media, using Canva and spreadsheets for consistency.
    • Aimed for content that was “digestible and less intimidating to people my age” (Alice, 24:19).
  • Strategy focused on sustainable content creation and peer-to-peer reach.
• Amplifying Ripple Effects:
  • Inspired other schools in D.C. and Atlanta to create their own anti-trafficking groups:
    • “Nothing compares to inspiring other people to actually take action. That’s the most rewarding.” (Alice, 26:57)

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4. Relationships, Empathy, and Concluding Wisdom

• Relationship Building:
  • Veronica highlights Gen Z’s adeptness at forming and sustaining digital and offline relationships (29:20–31:44).
  • “They really go for it... if they notice their strengths and go for it.” (Veronica, 31:27)
• Philanthropy and Generosity Stories:
  • Alice shared the TEDx talk of a peer who lost her hearing—“Real change starts with empathy and truly listening.” (Alice, 33:34)
  • Veronica recounted her daughter’s hoodie fundraiser for eating disorder awareness:
    • “It was just one of the coolest, most organic, authentic things I’ve seen outside of my anti-human-trafficking work lately.” (Veronica, 36:47)
• Empowering Youth for Systemic Impact:
  • “A confident child is a protected child, and that’s really universal.” (Veronica, 39:23)
  • The collective call for adults to “build and maintain relationships while involving kids” for lasting change.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Veronica McDaniel:

  • “These two, two boys, 14-year-old boys, started AIS Against Human Trafficking.” (05:10)
  • “We’ve certainly had over 140 countries involved each year, thousands of kids around the world.” (08:31)
  • “I just ask these kids to run stuff and I just want to listen to them.” (18:41)
  • “Why are we not listening to the kids who this is affecting?” (20:14)
  • “A confident child is a protected child, and that’s really universal.” (39:23)

• Alice Abreu:

  • “Once you see the world, you can’t really go back.” (11:44)
  • “The scale of the impact suddenly felt really personal and tangible...I realized this was insane.” (15:20)
  • “When awareness starts within your own community...it can grow outward and become something so powerful and contagious.” (16:41)
  • “Nothing compares to inspiring other people to actually take action.” (26:57)
  • “Real change starts with empathy and truly listening, because you can’t get anywhere without that.” (33:34)
  • “You need to listen...because you can’t create anything truly impactful...if you don’t listen to what they need.” (37:30)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Early Connections & Origins of the Movement: [03:23]–[09:30]
• Student Perspective & Global Citizenship: [11:38]–[13:21]
• Realizing the Movement’s Global Scale: [15:06]–[17:17]
• The Core Principle: Listening to Youth: [18:32]–[22:36]
• Content Creation Process Explained: [23:59]–[25:57]
• Measuring Ripple Effects: [26:57]–[28:03]
• Gen Z’s Relationship Building: [29:20]–[31:44]
• Stories of Generosity & Empathy: [32:24]–[36:47]
• One Good Thing (Final Advice): [37:30]–[39:23]
• Where to Connect & Join/AIs Info: [39:59]–[42:12]

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How to Get Involved

• AIS Against Human Trafficking Instagram: @aisht (39:59)
• Street Grace Student Initiatives Instagram: @streetgrace_studentinitiatives (40:27)
• Connect on LinkedIn: Alice Abreu & Veronica McDaniel (40:16; 40:27)
• Support the Movement and Access Resources: streetgrace.org (42:12)

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Takeaway Messages

• Youth have unique perspectives and untapped energy—adults must listen, provide space, and give real agency.
• Small community actions can ignite global change, especially when combined with powerful storytelling and peer-led advocacy.
• Sustainable digital advocacy requires simplicity, consistency, and meeting young people where they are—in both content and platform.
• Empathy and authentic relationships sustain movements and ensure they adapt and persevere across generations.

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Transcript

[A]

Hey, I'm John.

[B]

And I'm Becky.

[A]

And this is the We Are for Good podcast.

[B]

Nonprofits are faced with more challenges to accomplish their missions and the growing pressure to do more, raise more, and be more for the causes that improve our world.

[A]

We're here to learn with you from some of the best in the industry, bringing the most innovative ideas, inspirational stories, all to create an impact uprising.

[B]

So welcome to the good community. We're nonprofit professionals, philanthropists, world changers, and rabid fans who are striving to bring a little more goodness into the world.

[A]

So let's get started. Hey, Becky, what's happening?

[B]

Well, I've got a big old grin on my face because I just want to like take everybody through this chain of people. Cuz this is what I love about We Are For Good. These things, these conversations, yes, they're always threaded. There's always some kind of mix in the constellation of people that are in We Are for Good. And Ori Carmel, who is just one of our dear friends over at Sewin and just such an impeccable thought leader, I think in this moment introduced us to Veronica McDaniel, who we are visiting with today. And within five minutes of meeting her, I wanted her to be my best friend because she is such a heartwired, amazing human. And I heard a story that shook me about how students and teachers and grassroots movements are coming together for good. And that is the story we're going to talk about today that happened at the Atlanta International School. So, you know, we're obsessed with, with stories of people who take those ideas, turn them into movements. And today's conversation is one that is going to make you believe in what's possible when you empower the next generation to lead. So we're heading to the atl. We're in Atlanta. We've got Veronica in the house. She's a teacher at Atlanta International School and her student Alice Abreu. And together they have built and sustained a student led movement called AIs. That's Atlanta International School. If you hear me say AIs, that's what I'm talking about. AIs against human trafficking. And it's a global awareness campaign that's part education, part storytelling. And it is such an inspiring story that we wanted to bring to the podcast. So their work has really connected with global initiatives like MyFreedomDay. They've landed partnerships with Delta Airlines and Tony's. Do you remember Tony's chocolate?

[C]

It is.

[A]

Oh, remember, I keep it. I love it.

[B]

It's fantastic. And they give so much back to impact. And then Alice, who is a senior, 18 years old, produced seven months of social media content to digitize the important work they're doing with the nonprofit Street Grace and its international student initiatives. So all of you nonprofit professionals out there who want to build authentic content systems, empower your communities, and tell stories that move people to action, you are in for a treat today. Veronica and Alice, welcome to the We Are For Good podcast. We are so excited you're here.

[D]

Thanks for having us.

[C]

Thank you. We're excited to be here.

[B]

Well, this is such an extraordinary story. I am just obsessed with Gen Z as this audience knows, and its ability to mobilize and storytell so well. But before we get into this, we want to get to know you as humans. So, Veronica, I'm gonna kick it to you first. Just tell us a little bit about your background and how you landed in this work.

[C]

Thank you again. Really excited to be here, and what a full circle moment. Having connected with you through Ori. Orey and I actually graduated high school together at Atlanta International School in 1997. He and I hadn't seen each other in years, and I had just gotten off a plane from Australia, having just presented at my first international conference. And he was in the lobby at school looking for me, and he said, what are you doing? I said, I just started a nonprofit. I don't know what I'm doing because I'm also teaching physical and health education. What are you doing? He said, oh, I'm helping nonprofits find their true north. And I'm like, that's exactly what I need. So Ori and I totally reconnected, and then here we are. So after. I'll rewind a little. After graduating from college, I went right into human rights work in Washington, D.C. unfortunately, my first week on Capitol Hill, it was the week of 9 11. So that week I was exposed to anthrax and there were bomb scares. And I was 22 and ended up going home with my dreams of human rights work kind of squashed or put on hold. So I went into different types of work and ended up landing on teaching. So fast forward, I was teaching and coaching soccer at Atlanta International School, and two 9th grade boys, Shamir Dilawala and Dave Gore, stopped me in the hallway and said, Ms. McDaniel, we have just learned about human trafficking. Atlanta's a hub. Did you know? And I said, in fact, I just learned, like, two weeks ago. I had no idea. Like, what a serendipitous moment. And I've been looking for something or somehow to do my human rights work here with kids and didn't quite know how to do it. So they started these two, two boys, 14 year old boys, started AIs against human trafficking.

[A]

Oh my gosh.

[C]

And through that they created different content for the community inside Atlanta and our school and the surrounding area. We hosted panel discussions and fashion shows to raise awareness about ethical consumption. There was one project called Artworks for Freedom where it was a global exhibit so kids would do things online and share that way. So many different things. So we ended up doing a digital piece on CNN International to highlight kids around the world who were focusing on human trafficking and anti human trafficking issues within their school communities and in their communities outside of school. And so we, we honed in on nine kids and I emailed kids from around the world because at Atlanta International School we have the ability to contact this huge network of schools. And so we started that list and that grew into more of a relationship with CNN International's CNN Freedom Project, which only focuses on stories of modern slavery. So fast forward a year or two after that, they called me and asked me to design their template. Like what, what could we give to schools? We're creating this global day of action called MyFreedomDay where we want students to raise awareness and take action against human trafficking. What can your school do? What can you do to help us get started? So I helped them create that template. And then we worked with Hong Kong International School to get their students moving as well. And from there it just blew up. And I was hosting. This year will be the 10th anniversary. I don't want to forget to tell you that. So in March, it's always middle of March. So that'll be the 10th anniversary. We've had anywhere from 2 billion impressions on social media before through CNN. 2 billion. And now CNN's doing a different tracking system. So I, I wouldn't be able to tell you now how, how many, but we've certainly had over 140 countries involved each year. Thousands of kids around the world. And what I was, I started doing is hosting zoom calls with kids and educators about what could you do on campus and having discussions. And through that really grew more of a passion for me for connecting these kids. And I created a nonprofit called freest. And freest was founded to confront human trafficking by activating students and educators worldwide on their school campuses. And this led to expanding our partnership with Delta. They actually sponsored that first trip to Australia. They flew me there on my Freedom Day, which was exciting because I got to hear the announcement over the PA system. And then we partnered with Tony Blair Initiatives with their Generation Global, which is youth dialogues that are now under the International Baccalaureate. So now we partner with the ib and just in January, freest programming got absorbed by a partner nonprofit that we've been partnered here with at AIs for the last 13 years called Street Grace, whose mission is to eradicate the commercial sexual exploitation of children. And we envision a world where all children are free from sexual exploitation. And as a demand reduction organization, each of our programs are grounded in at least one of four prevention, protection, policy and pursuit. And the work that I'm doing with these kids is focused on prevention. So now as executive director of Street Grace International Student Initiatives, I'm working with kids to push the mission of pushing kids at the forefront of this fight. We've got different resources that we've launched. They already had a Youth Leadership Academy, but just this summer we had nine interns. Nine. We had nine student interns.

[B]

Including Alice.

[C]

Including Alice. It was incredible. And they helped to create our first ever youth council and they helped us publish new resources. My baby that I've been working on for the last three years. They helped to push this along with other students around the world. It's a student led guide playbook. And one of our other, one other student of ours and intern created an ethical consumption guide. And all these are able to build on our Youth Leadership Academy. And lastly, we planned and hosted our first youth empowerment summit where we had 750, 50 students gathered to learn how their unique strengths can fuel change. So I'm pretty excited about the topic. So AIs Against Human Trafficking has been at the forefront of this for, I mean they started this 16 years ago and through the work that these kids have done, it's really, it's launched all this work around the world because if it wasn't for these two boys starting it and then these kids sustaining the movement, I don't think we'd have this global, global network of kids making such a stink altogether. So again, excited to be here. I could talk about it all day. Thank you so much, Veronica.

[A]

Okay, a couple of things.

[B]

Where do we start to emote?

[A]

Yes, I, I love like we talk a lot about locking arms for impact. That's definitely your story of just finding value aligned partners that have grown this to just like a scale beyond what's probably comprehensible ten years later. But I, it's not lost on me that it's so centered around the kids that it's powered by voices of youth. And I just think Alice, I'm so glad you're here today to be part of this conversation because that's what makes this disruptive, is that we're not saying this is a solution. We're actually using youth voices to be the change and to create the content to connect and so share your side of this piece. Alice too, you came in a few years down the road, but give us some context to where did you grow up? Like what were some of the hallmarks of like your life before you stepped into, I don't know, fighting human trafficking. Like give us some context to you.

[B]

As a human, 16 or 17. It's amazing.

[D]

Yeah, yeah. So I am like a lot of kids at my school, I'm a global citizen, as you would call it. I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, lived there for a couple years, I lived in Costa Rica and then I, yes. And then I've lived in the United States since I was 6. So I saw a lot growing up and I feel like once you see the world, you can't really go back. And I knew that there was a lot of evil in this world and I was like I, with my voice and my privilege that I have here, I have to do something about it. And I hadn't really found that cause I was also really young so I didn't really find myself in those scenarios where I could develop a passion for something that I could create change with. And then I found as consumer trafficking. A year after I joined the school and Ms. McDaniel and all the kids really inspired me because I saw everything that they were doing. I saw their MyFreedomDay event with CNN there and I was so incredibly inspired. And I, it's been such an honor to be able to continue that legacy at AIs because I know it's such a, an integral part of our community. And yeah, I hope to continue doing this like after I leave AIs too because it's brought me so much joy and then also allowed me to connect with so many like minded people who aren't just here to live passively, but instead use everything that we have to create change and hopefully make the future a better place.

[B]

What you said at the very beginning is a reframe for everyone which is 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. And I thank you for just this heightened sense of self awareness that you have high emotional intelligence, clearly, but also leaning into this justice arc that you have. And Alice, I just really curious, like when did you realize that this project was becoming something bigger than like a school campaign or something that would be nice to put on your resume for college?

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[D]

I think it was truly only last year that I was able to quantify the impact of what we were doing. I was a junior at school and I was and still am co president of the group. And I remember seeing CNN anchor Linda Kincain standing in our school lobby and she was about to go live on CNN International at an event I had helped plan. And I, exactly. I didn't really know. I was speechless because I was like, I'm living in that moment where you realize the reach and the impact of your work. This isn't something I'm doing dressed in my school with my peers. People have come here to see this and people all around the world will be able to feel this energy and this passion that we're putting into this event. It's not that it wasn't meaningful before, but the scale of the impact suddenly felt really personal and tangible. So that was for me absolutely the moment where I realized that this was insane. And our focus that year was on modern slavery, specifically child trafficking and access to education. And my peers and I worked really hard to get our school community to pause and listen even when it was uncomfortable or inconvenient. So in a school setting, in the middle of class and ultimately I think that's the goal, to inspire other students in schools to like do the same, to stop and listen and take action against exploitation. Because most of this, most of us do this work because we want to make an impact and to reach as many people as possible and hopefully eventually inspire them to become change makers. And I think, although it may not seem like it, when awareness starts within your own community, as small as it may be, it can grow outward and become something so powerful and contagious, which we've seen at AIs and be beyond. And I think with persistence and hard work, that spark of action can turn into an exponential movement where it's like, slow at first, like with as consumer trafficking, and then absolutely unstoppable when it reaches other people.

[A]

Alice, I'm floored because it took us 15 years of a career to understand some of the principles of that. You're talking back of, like, the values that we would point back to of movement building from everything. From, like, disrupt, adapt, grow, repeat. Like, that's one of our mantras that you just, like, show up and intrinsically know to do that. Like, I just love the way that young changemakers are coming into this. And Veronica, look at what you freaking cultivated. Look at this space where people can use their superpowers.

[B]

She was so freaking cool, trying to fight for human rights, and human rights found her. Like, this beautiful story is just so incredible.

[A]

So, I mean, we're gonna get into some of the tactics because what y' all did tactically is so cool. So there's your hook if you're listening. But I'm curious, from your vantage point, Veronica, I mean, you work with Gen Z that just approaches storytelling differently than any other generation. What have you learned about working so closely with these young change makers? Because we feel like it's flying under the radar of the majority of the nonprofit space, the majority of these old school organizations that don't know what they're missing by not tapping in and listening. What have you learned?

[C]

Listening, listening.

[A]

Sorry, didn't mean this.

[C]

I was like, okay, I'm done. It's listening.

[B]

That's it. Heart stop.

[C]

Yeah. I mean, literally, the kids want to be listened to. One of the things I talk about when I present at conferences is making sure the kids have voice. They have an audience. They're given the space, and they know they've made an influence. This is called the Lundy model of participation. Professor Lundy's out of Ireland. She's amazing, and she came up with this framework, and I found it incredibly useful when presenting to other educators and to kids. It's like, kids, make sure you are demanding these four things because you need to be heard. As you see with Alice, I mean, she can just run everything. Like, I just asked these kids to Run stuff and I just want to listen to them. I mean we had this kind of snafu thing the other day with chocolate and candy for a Halloween ethical consumption awareness thing and make these stories up.

[B]

Yeah, I had this as poisoning the underbelly of nonprofit.

[C]

Yeah, the underbelly. I had food poisoning. And I was like, we need to figure this out. And I need help. I cannot figure it out. So I knew by texting the kids like, please figure out the Halloween thing. They're like, sure, okay, so why are we not listening to the kids? I mean is especially in human trafficking where the average age of a kid or someone being trafficked is supposedly. I mean it's hard to get the numbers but. And they're saying 12 to 14 years old. So why are we not listening to the kids who this is affecting? They are going to listen to their peers. They're the ones that are out walking around with their friends. They're out at the movies, they're out the malls. They're where the grooming tactics are being performed. So the kids need to have the information. And the best way to do that also is through the kids plans, the kids words, the kids actions, their ideas. So why are we not giving them voice, space, audience and showing them that they can make an influence? So the tactics. Listen, John, that was the right word and that's in my notes I had highlighted listen. And to be honest, what I was so excited when I was thinking about like what tactic I would say listen was from Alice and I were discussing. I'm sorry Alice, I'm going to keep promoting you, but she is one of the leads at our TEDx group here and she organized a whole. Well, I'll let her explain it if we have time. But she said that her most most impactful speech that was made at her event was this kid in 11th grade. Again, if there's time, I'd rather her tell you the story. But the whole takeaway from Alice was this kid was telling everyone to listen. So I was like, well that's amazing. Kids want to be heard. And this is what this kid just told me and this is what I think is the superpower of nonprofit leaders that we can have is to hear what these kids are saying. And it's not just for anti trafficking affecting 12 to 14 and everybody. It's if you think about any of these movements, Movember, like why do kids care? Well, they're going to need to know what's in front of them. So listen to what they think is interesting because that'll move something, you know, any sustainability issues, any clean up from natural disasters. What do kids have to say? Because they're super creative and passionate and they want to do the work and they want to move and they have so much energy.

[B]

I just think it is such an easy unlock that's there for the taking. And when I look at Gen Z, this is the most heartwired generation. You know, they are the most justice driven generation and they also, hello, they can make content that is funny, that is scroll stopping, that is viral and they put it in ways that is just so interesting. And so when I think about movements, I think about Gen V because they're so active and you need that inertia in a movement. You need someone who's not just, you know, hitting the donate button or Yes, I like your post. It's like going much further than that. And when you give them agency, I think you're saying it, Veronica. Things come out of it that we could have never known, understood or been connected to if we hadn't just handed control over, which I think is a really beautiful thing. And so I want to get into like how to build this content engine. And Alice, you got to break this down for us because this is seven months worth of storytelling. If you said that to the average nonprofit here, like you got to build seven months worth of content, the head would probably explode thinking about what you need to do for that.

[C]

That.

[B]

So tell us how you did this and walk us through how you planned and executed that process.

[D]

So it all started in at my internship at Street Grace International Student Initiatives and one of their main concerns or future goals was social media president. And I feel like and they understand this as well. But now more than ever, social media is where young adults are getting their information. So I felt inspired to help them achieve a greater social media presence that was appealing to Gen Z because that felt really important. So I took recently published information that was mentioned before the Street Grace student led Guide playbook that they had just published and I basically worked on making it more digestible and less intimidating to people my age because I feel like for my generation to understand uncomfortable or taboo topics, the information needs to present to be presented in a succinct way that's not too much all at once and shared on platforms where we actually get our information, which realistically is social media. So this content that I pulled from the playbook included segments on survivor stories, important vocabulary to know, things to look out for, to keep yourself safe, and important dates that recognize exploitation. So yeah, I used Canva to build the designs and I created a spreadsheet to organize all of my content. So this included a timeline of when to post, what to post, and then the content category it belonged to. And this basically streamlined the whole process and allowed Street Grace International Student Initiatives and their team to continue this work beyond my time in my internship because I didn't want it to only last while I was there. Because in order for content to really get to the audience, it needs to be sustainable in that it's always happening and it's getting to the audience and it's consistent. So that's that.

[A]

I'm sorry, like this is like a masterclass.

[B]

It really is. I am shook by this.

[A]

Yeah, you wouldn't know this, Alice, or even you, Veronica, but we taught this idea of syndication that we thought was disruptive. You know, you like enumerated it in 30 seconds, which took us like an hour to explain to all of us of like how to do this. But it's all about knowing your audience, knowing the platform that's simplifying. The repetitive aspect of how we consume media now is so true. And I think that also lets us know that not everything is going to perform, like not everything is going to be the best. But it's this consistency muscle that it's like some things are going to connect with one audience and some things, maybe it's totally different for the next person. But so many people listening. Becky, you just mentioned like arc marketers and they're trying to figure out how do I keep this message fresh? What was the impact you saw like all of this work that you put in, Alice, did you see any tangible impacts of something that led out of this campaign that you would share?

[D]

So I think a really big thing was hearing students from other schools that weren't directly involved with AIDS consumer trafficking suddenly become really interested in bringing awareness to this cause at their own schools. So we had, we've always throughout the years invited local schools to our events because at the end of the day we want more and more people to hear this message. And we went to D.C. and we talked with Washington International School. And after that they got, they created their own against human trafficking student led organization. And some other local schools in Atlanta also started a group because of us. And I think that feels so incredibly impactful because obviously people can tell you, oh, I was impacted by your work. This made me really reflect on this issue. But nothing compares to um, inspiring other people to actually take action. That's the most rewarding and I think the best thing you can get out of this.

[B]

I mean, the thing that I keep thinking about when you talk about these billions of impressions online, that's just digital. But I think about what you just said, Alice, about people coming together irl, you know, and talking and having this conversation. And what AIs and this human trafficking, like AIs against Human trafficking has done in my mind is you have built this street team of allies of people who even if they stopped for 20 seconds and looked at that social post or listened in on this conversation, awareness increased, advocacy increased. And Veronica, I would just like to know from your standpoint, like, because this beautiful teacher student relationship and I think there is so much to be learned in intergenerational learning here. Like, what have you seen that is so disruptive? You know, one of our values is disrupt, adapt, grow and repeat, which you have done here on steroids, which is so great. I love it. What have you seen with Gen Z about how they approach this differently and how nonprofits can learn and lean in to what you have discovered here with this unlock.

[C]

I think this generation has a better sense of relationship building. I've, you know, so it's not just like when I think about the posts that we're talking about and I'm thinking about TikTok and how I can't figure it out and all that and all the content that Alice is talking about that I still, she says, consistent. I'm supposed to post on certain days and I still can't get it right. And I'm always worried when I post, I'm like, she's going to notice I'm three days late. I don't know. I've never asked her, but cat's out of the bag.

[A]

Let's ask if you're on air.

[B]

Yeah, let's make it real awkward. So.

[C]

Oh, gosh. But trying to keep up. Yeah. I think that when you look at their posts and you do like, hone in on what they're doing, they're building relationships. Like, I might complain that my kid is on Snapchat too much or something, which is a whole other segment about keeping your kids safe in the digital age. But when she's next to me on the couch and she's telling me, oh, so and so did this and look and they're doing. And she's showing me, I'm like, man, you are on there so much. But she's social. Like, when we were kids, maybe we were on the landline in our room away from everybody, but in my house, my kids next to me, like, this is so exciting. So I feel like with that lens, it could be two. There's definitely two sides of it. But with that positive lens, I'm seeing relationship building being something that they're using for good, and they are maintaining relationships in a different way than I saw. I've been teaching. This is my 21st year teaching, so I'm seeing and maintaining in a different way than from just emailing or just letter writing. That's different. Although I miss letter writing. And I'm seeing kids really want to get involved if they're shown maybe what's available to them. If they notice their strengths and go for it, they really go for it. But if they're not given that little nudge sometimes, that's the piece that, you know, that I feel as educators, we need to be responsible to give the options for, because once they see their strengths, they. They know how to get what they want. As we've said earlier, I mean, that's.

[A]

The gift of having a teacher at the helm of this. It's just like the conversation's different, the dialogue's different. Well, y', all, this conversation is everything and more of what I hoped it would be. I think that the way you think, the way you show up, the way you're problem solving in real time is just so inspirational. But I want to transition and ask you about philanthropy. And on this podcast, we define that as just everyday generosity. It could be a small act of kindness even. Would you each take us into a moment of your life that really stuck with you? Like a moment when you saw someone reach across, show up in a generous way? Because we feel like so much of what we do always comes back to that. Um, so, Alice, I'll start with you.

[D]

So I actually wanted to go back to the TEDx event that was previously mentioned. So, although not necessarily philanthropy, I consider Joanna, the student who shared her story, a very generous human being for sharing her story with us. She lost hearing in one ear when she was a teenager after having hearing her whole life. And she basically told her really personal story and taught the audience to really listen. And her talk was all about empathy and how we can become aware of others experiences. And it made me think about my activism work with ace, consumer trafficking, and how we try to listen more closely to people who aren't often heard and work to prevent exploitation from happening to others. And even though her story was very personal and very specific, the message felt incredibly universal. And it reminded me that real change starts with empathy and truly listening, because you can't get anywhere without that.

[B]

My gosh, Alice, you are a 65 year old, old soul. I know. Just absolutely incredible.

[A]

Veronica, what about you? You want to share a story?

[C]

I need to follow that, really.

[A]

Right, I know. Sorry about that.

[C]

It's hard to come up with an answer for that, especially when you are an empath and you try to see good in everybody. So the last 16 years, I've worked with former child soldiers and sex and labor trafficking survivors very closely. So I feel like it's hard to come down to one story. But the generosity piece, one that stuck with me, I think it'll be energizing me for a while. Has to do with one of my daughter's school projects. She was raising awareness about her own eating disorder and wanted to make hoodies. She loves hoodies. And she had to raise funds to create these hoodies. And on the hoodies would have the alliance for eating Disorders Hotline, 1-800-931-2237. And yes. And so she decided to create a GoFundMe page and put her description and post it on Instagram. And being an older lady and having just started a nonprofit and not having known anything about fundraising, I was very skeptical. I'm like, really? A GoFundMe page within an. The kid raised $3,000. And it wasn't big chunks of money. It was friends and friends of friends and friends and friends and friends within that hour, sending $10, $15, 25, 50. And then she started getting phone calls and. Or no, she didn't get phone calls. She got. She got text messages, whatever these are called text messages and dms and whatever, like reaching out, telling her how proud of them they were of her stories from also like thanking her because they didn't know how to reach out to people that this was affecting them as well. And then like the parents of people who had this affect their families. It was unreal. I was just floored. I was sitting on my laptop doing some other stuff. And then she's like, hey, I just made $3,000. What? I guess I can get my hood. It was incredible. And so it went so well that then other people wanted to buy the hoodies, so they had her do another order and then they paid for the hoodies so she could put the order in. So all these people showed her, you know, support, but also in all different ways, but then also showed support by, you know, wearing the hoodie around town, posting with the hoodie. I don't know. It was just one of the coolest, most organic, authentic things I've seen outside of my anti human trafficking work lately.

[B]

So I, I just think generosity begets generosity. When you're kind to others, it creates a ripple. We've got a phrase in this community that we say often that says what starts here, ripples. And one act can change someone. You have no idea. Someone could be, you know, behind you in line and sees that hoodie and needs that number at that moment. And I, I love that she felt the love come back to her. And that's I think what philanthropy is all about. So we are going to wrap up with a one good thing as we do on all of our podcasts. And Alice, I'm going to kick it to you. What's, what's a one good thing you'd like to leave with our audience? It could be a piece of advice, it could be a mantra that you're holding on to. What have you got?

[D]

I feel like this has already been said so many times, but I think the most important part of all of this is listening. And I am interested in business, specifically marketing. And it's all about listening to the consumer's needs and meeting their needs. Because if you do something that doesn't meet their needs, there's no point. And I think that this is really even necessary with this and activism. And I feel like it relates to everything ever and that you need to listen and you need to hear what other people are saying because you can't create anything truly impactful that's actually going to help people if you don't listen to what they need. So that's my one thing.

[B]

Why is Alice in the house once again? Veronica, what have you got? What's bubbling up for you?

[C]

I would say building and maintaining relationships while involving kids. 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. I've always been an empath, advocate and extroverted and forming these relationships has come easy to me. But it's not easy for everybody. So starting with helping kids from the beginning, to see, to mentor and model, that is such a gift to kids and help them have that as a superpower. Maintaining relationships will make the world go around. So it's rewarding. So that's 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.

[D]

So.

[C]

So any nonprofit leader can play a part in that by including you. Know them, thus building confidence along the way. So, yeah, building, retaining relationships involve kids.

[A]

Okay, y' all have got a place on our soapbox any day of the week.

[B]

I mean, forever.

[A]

How you think about things, how you're solving things, it's just so good. Um, there's gonna be a lot of people listening that are gonna be like, I want to know more. I want to get involved. What are the ways that y' all show up online? Or if you show up on some profile that you want, people are going to want to connect with you. So, Alice, Veronica, where can people go?

[D]

Start with you, Alice, so people can go to AIs ht, which is our AIs Against Human Trafficking Instagram. We post about the events that we do, so that's a good place. And then I'm also on LinkedIn. Alisonbrew.

[B]

Go, girl. I'm glad you got that link.

[A]

The recruiting game can now start. You know where Alice is?

[B]

Here come the marketers. The for purpose marketers for Alice. What about you, Veronica?

[C]

Yes. Please follow on Instagram @Street Grace. Underscore student initiatives and you'll see Alice's content there. And I'm. I really enjoy LinkedIn. So. Veronica McDaniel on LinkedIn to connect.

[B]

I just want to thank you, Veronica, for being a teacher that understands that it's more powerful when you hand your power and agency over to kids. Because I look at this movement that has created and I look at Alice and how vibrant and confident and capable and extraordinary she is. And I just think with tens of hundreds of thousands of Alices mobilized, how good do we feel as a society? John, how much better do you feel right now having heard this story and joyful about Gen Z and the possibilities of our world?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Do you want a number? I mean, it's like multiple.

[B]

Yeah, infinity. And I just think we need more of this. And so thank you for showing what an unlock Gen Z is, how giving up control is actually going to help us scale in beautiful ways. And we're also going to drop the AIs link in this show notes, because if you feel emboldened to make a gift, if you feel emboldened to share social media about it, we want you to come join this movement too. This is not limited to just these kids in the school. We want as many people on this street team. You know, it's spreading awareness and getting more advocacy for these children. So thank you for your work.

[C]

Thanks so much for saying that, Becky. Here's where you can make a gift. If you go to streetgrace. Org and there's more resources and information on that website.

[B]

Let's keep the ripple going. Thank you guys so much. Rooting for you, truly, in all things. Thank you.

[C]

Thank you. Thank you so much again for all this time.