Determined to fight trafficking and build community to prevent child exploitation, hundreds of people attended the Ensure Justice 2023 conference on March 3 and March 4.
“Finding A Way Home” was the theme of the hybrid conference, which featured both in-person and virtual presentations, making it accessible to attendees from Orange County and beyond. It was hosted by Vanguard University and the Orange County Department of Education and presented by the university’s Global Center for Women and Justice in Costa Mesa.
“Prevention is our goal. We need to build guard rails so youth don’t fall over the edge of a cliff,” said Dr. Sandra Morgan, director of the Global Center for Women and Justice. “That means exploring resources in our community to keep children safe, strong and resilient.”
Continuing a five-year partnership between Vanguard and OCDE, the event included engaging talks and workshops led by trafficking survivors, anti-trafficking experts and educators who spoke about the trends, challenges and strategies for protecting vulnerable populations at risk of exploitation and violence.
“There are so many factors that impact risks and outcomes,” said Dareen Katib, who oversees Student Achievement and Wellness for OCDE. “Hearing the amazing speakers and attending the different workshops that shed light on the different components empower us all to do a better job.”
OCDE’s Media Services team supported the conference and captured a few of its highlights in the video above.