Fighting Human Trafficking One Training at a Time
About
Stop Human-trafficking through Industry Networking and Education, SHINE, bridges the gap between education and implementation. The project will consist of a database and badge system: Hotels submit their anti-HT trainings for evaluation, and if their trainings meet certain policy criteria, the hotel will be listed on our database — and receive a mark of excellence.
WHY IS THIS PROJECT NEEDED?
Florida Statute § 509.096 requires hotels to train housekeeping and front-desk employees with anti-HT materials. The contents of these hospitality trainings, however, remain a black box. Do they have accurate, relevant, and up-to-date statistics? Do they have actionable steps for employees to take if the employee suspects trafficking in the hotel? This project wants to make sure that these trainings are effective, not just “in effect.”
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
After Juliana Lucas resolved to fight human trafficking with FCI’s civic tech expertise, FCI began a months-long process of research, consultation, and listening with Florida’s anti-HT community organizations and academics. From these partners, we learned about concerns about misinformation in well-intended public-information campaigns and about the unknown contents of many employee trainings.
Publications so far
Check out our publications!
LEILA OUHRI
Leila Ouhri, one of the SHINE students, created a companion data visualization article to shed light on global human trafficking trends, focusing on the challenges of data collection and detection. Leveraging insights from the Counter-Trafficking Data Collective (CTDC) and the UN’s Global Report on Trafficking in Persons (GLOTIP), SHINE highlights key issues such as underreporting, the disproportionate representation of minors, and the prevalence of women as trafficking victims. This project aims to improve anti-trafficking efforts, especially in the hospitality industry, by providing valuable data and evaluation tools.
GEORGETOWN
FCI partnered with Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy on a report! The FCI-McCourt Research Report evaluates the impact of state-mandated anti-human trafficking training in Florida’s hospitality industry.
The study used advanced statistical models to analyze whether these trainings increased detection rates of human trafficking. The research found that training programs significantly improve the confidence and ability of hospitality workers to identify and report cases. The SHINE initiative builds on these findings by providing tools and recognition for hospitality companies that meet anti-trafficking training standards.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Juliana and her team started developing the database, badge, and criteria. After Juliana graduated, Eric Kuo took the helm with an interdisiciplinary team of five students.
FCI is also in the process of reaching out to potential collaborators: the hotel industry, researchers, and community organizations.
To get involved or to learn more, please contact:
shine@floridainnovation.org
