Learning Leader
Paul Mitchell the School Sherman Oaks
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Find out what's happening in Sherman Oakswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Join Paul Mitchell the School Sherman Oaks in Taking a Stand for Freedom
Across the globe, human trafficking is a $32 billion criminal industry. With over 21 million people enslaved around the world at this very moment, there are more slaves today than at any other point in human history. No country, including the United States, is immune … and the nationwide network of Paul Mitchell Schools wants to do something about it.
This July, 16,000 future professionals from the 100-plus Paul Mitchell cosmetology schools are taking a stand for freedom. During “31 Days of Freedom” month, students and staff from Paul Mitchell the School Sherman Oaks will help spread awareness about this horrific situation and invite every guest who visits the school to sign the 13A Petition – a vigilant reminder of the 13th Amendment that asks President Obama to allocate additional resources to anti-trafficking efforts in the United States.
“Our goal is to collect 1,000 signatures on the 13A Petition,”said April Sims,Learning Leader and survivor. “If we can just open people’s eyes to what is going on right here in our own country maybe they will feel compelled to sign this petition to not only help end child sex trafficking but be a part of history as well.”
Sobering Statistics
Domestic minor sex trafficking is growing at alarming rates. An estimated 100,000 American children are currently caught in the sex slavery net. Trafficking happens to children of all races, ages, and backgrounds; however, it’s the most vulnerable children who are victimized – children of abuse, drug addiction, and runaways.
Every year in the United States, traffickers across the country exploit children by the thousands:
- Over 1 million children have been exploited in the global commercial sex trade.
- Every 2 minutes a child is prepared to be sold.
- Approximately 55% of the world’s child pornography is produced in America.
- In the United States, the average age of girls entering prostitution is 12–14.
Brian Shivler, founder of the nonprofit organization Resolution Hope, recalls a story he once heard in Germany: “The tiny town of Weimar is about a mile down the mountain from Buchenwald, the concentration camp where over 33,000 were tortured and killed by the Nazis. The people of the town say that when the trains would pass through Weimar on a Sunday morning, the church organists were told to turn up the volume so the cries of the men, women, and children on their way to the camp could not be heard. Today, there is so much ‘noise’ in our busy lives that it is easy to allow the truth to be lost. We cannot let the noise of our culture drown out the cries of these girls and boys.”
Winn Claybaugh, dean and cofounder of Paul Mitchell Schools, adds, “Yes, we could ‘turn up the organ music’ in our Paul Mitchell Schools so we don’t have to hear that 100,000 American children are trafficked for sex every year, but that’s not who we are. Together, we are powerful and we can make a difference!”
Past generations stood against human oppression and defended the helpless, yet the chains of injustice continue to imprison women and children. Our generation must take a stand for freedom because slavery can and must be abolished in America. The odds are overwhelming, but awareness and education are the first steps in bringing this tragedy to an end.
Cast your vote for freedom by signing Resolution Hope’s 13A Petition to End Slavery in America. Text your full name and zip code to hope076@13A.me
For more information, contact April Sims at Paul Mitchell the School Sherman Oaks
About Paul Mitchell Schools
At Paul Mitchell Schools, we believe that education is an adventure and the learning experience needs to be fun. Our instructors—we call them “learning leaders”—are trained to draw out the artist in every student and prepare them to compete in the real world. Through our annual “FUNraising” campaign, we’ve raised and donated millions of dollars in support of many charitable causes. We’ve built homes with Habitat for Humanity, fed thousands of African orphans, and supported the victims of AIDS, breast cancer, homelessness, abuse, and hundreds of other causes.
Established over 30 years ago, the Paul Mitchell network is nearly 100,000 salons strong and in 81 countries worldwide; every professional hairdresser knows the Paul Mitchell name. Now, with the arrival of Paul Mitchell Schools, we’ve taken the world of cosmetology education by storm! Visit www.paulmitchell.edu to learn more.
About Resolution Hope and the 13A Campaign
Resolution Hope is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization founded in 2011 to stop sex trafficking and sexual exploitation of children in the United States. We will accomplish our goals by educating, inspiring, and calling to action those who are willing to stand with us to bring this human rights violation to an end. Through our 13A National Awareness Campaign, we will raise awareness and resources to facilitate state policy changes, secure safe harbor provisions, and ensure appropriate penalties. Visit www.resolutionhope.org to join the 13A Campaign today.
