Sexual Assault Center awarded $10,000 grant by UW-Green Bay students
Green Bay, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s Strategic Philanthropy class awarded $10,000 on April 30, 2018 to the Sexual Assault Center run by Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin. Over the past six years, the class has awarded $65,000 to local organizations dedicated to an important need in the Brown County area.
Each year, these funds are made possible by a grant from the Learning by Giving Foundation founded by Doris Buffet. Family Services created what UW-Green Bay students believe to be the best proposal to provide education about how to recognize and prevent human trafficking, particularly for individuals at risk of becoming trafficked and/or those who encounter or know them.
“We chose to address the issue of human trafficking because we were disturbed by the growth of the crime in our area and by how easily a young person might fall victim to a trafficking predator,” said Mag Alef, a student in the class.
Green Bay, with major interstates and thousands of weekend visitors for football games and concerts, has become a region that attracts trafficking activities. Experts have identified a triangle of high trafficking activity via interstate highways between Chicago, Green Bay, and Minneapolis.
Students were inspired by the knowledge and passion of the staff members at Family Services and are enthusiastic about their proposal to increase community awareness about trafficking activities, provide targeted education for those most vulnerable to becoming victims and increase advocacy services to help suspected victims and survivors of trafficking. The class also congratulates two other local finalists — the Green Bay Area Public Schools and Eye Heart World.
“Students in this class learn how to apply their time and talent strategically to community issues,” says Prof. Lora Warner, who teaches the Strategic Philanthropy class. “They research needs by analyzing LIFE Study data, look for effective nonprofits in that field and promote a cause they care about. Not only did students learn ways to give; they learned a great deal about the growing problem of human trafficking and how awareness and education may help prevent further victimization.”
Throughout the semester, UW-Green Bay students investigated other topics such as suicide prevention, teen pregnancy/sex education and early childhood learning. They developed a request for proposal, reviewed proposed projects and visited three area organizations. Students voted the Sexual Assault Center program as this year’s recipient.
Strategic Philanthropy student, Logan Laskowski, has written an essay on trafficking in our region. Read about students’ experiences in the class on the UWGB students’ blog: https://uwgbsp18.blogspot.com/ and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uwgbstrategicphilanthropy.
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