January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month in the U.S., and once again Notre Dame College is teaming with the Renee Jones Empowerment Center to educate health care, social service and law enforcement investigators about the sex trade and forced labor in the state of Ohio.
The 2020 Northeast Ohio (NEO) National Human Trafficking Day Conference is Friday, January 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center on the ground floor of the Administration Building of the College campus. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and can be completed in advance online.
Continuing education credits for the one-day seminar are pending for nurses and social workers.
This forum will include a special session on victim services from a representative of the Office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. Yost held the state’s inaugural Hope in Action Human Trafficking Summit to provide education and resources to survivors and investigators in Ohio the week prior to this seminar.
Featured Speaker
The 2020 NEO National Human Trafficking Day Conference this Friday will feature a track on the impact of Project Red Cord Night Out Community Street Outreach, a program of the Renee Jones Empowerment Center. Renee Jones, president and CEO of the center, recently was awarded the Notre Dame InnerCitySaints Award. She leads the Project Red Cord initiative, driving throughout urban areas several nights each week to serve women at risk of human trafficking. Jones was recognized with proclamations from Cuyahoga County and the City of Cleveland in recognition of the honor bestowed by Notre Dame.
Jones is expected to present survivor reflections at the human trafficking conference at the College in January.
Performance Highlight
In addition, a special highlight of this conference is a session educating the public on the realities of human trafficking through theater with a performance from “Live Bodies For Sale,” written by Cleveland playwright Christopher Johnston, directed by Terrence Spivey and with cast members from the production, which made its world premiere at the Cleveland Waterloo Arts District in November 2019.
The play features dramatized testimonies from survivors of sex and human trafficking who have received help at the Renee Jones Empowerment Center.
Education Updates
This 2020 NEO National Human Trafficking Day Conference agenda also highlights Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Detective John Morgan, who made the announcement that November 21, 2019, was Renee Jones Day in Cuyahoga County at the College’s InnerCitySaints ceremony, will present the law enforcement update at the symposium.
Two seminar sessions at this Friday’s conference are of particular interest to nurses and other health care workers. One track will cover the health consequences of human trafficking that are not talked about, and another will address outreach mobile forensic nursing services.
The symposium is expected to conclude with a panel discussion of members from the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization and other representatives from partnering organizations addressing issues of human trafficking in Northeast Ohio.
Additional Information
Conference details and advance reservations are available online. Seating is limited. The cost of the symposium is $60, or $25 for students and seniors with no accreditation. A valid student ID must be presented on the day of seminar. Registration includes materials, continental breakfast and lunch.
For more information, email rjmotivation@yahoo.com or call 216.651.9601.
January 2020
About Notre Dame College
For almost a century, Notre Dame College has educated a diverse population in the liberal arts for personal, professional and global responsibility. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, the College has grown strategically to keep pace with the rapidly changing needs of students and the dramatic changes in higher education. But it has never lost sight of its emphasis on teaching students not only how to make a good living but also how to live a good life.
Today, the College offers bachelor’s degrees in 30 disciplines plus a variety of master’s degrees, certification programs and continuing and professional development programs for adult learners on campus and online. Notre Dame College offers NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletic programs for men and women and is located in a picturesque residential neighborhood just 25 minutes from the heart of Cleveland. Hallmarks of the Notre Dame experience include stimulating academics, personalized attention of dedicated faculty and staff, and small class sizes.
Notre Dame College is located at 4545 College Road in South Euclid. For further information contact Brian Johnston, chief communications officer, at 216.373.5252 or bjohnston@ndc.edu.