When Illinois lawyer and mother Karen Riley Gilles saw a promo for The Freedom Project on CNN this spring, she saw a learning opportunity for the children in her mothers' group. She felt it was important for them to understand that oppression continues against kids who look just like them in other parts of the world.
The boys and girls she talked to in her west suburban Chicago chapter of Jack and Jill of America, a national mothers’ organization, may have been young - 4, 5 and 7 - but they were old enough to have heard the word "slavery."
"'I asked them if they knew the definition of slavery and it was no surprise that the first little girl to answer identified it as concerning the American slavery system of the 19th century," Gilles said. "I took several comments and added more definition before telling them that there are children today all over the world that are enslaved without any of the freedoms we enjoy."
"My next question was, 'Do you want to take a stand and help?' They all said 'Yes.'"
If you're a parent or educator interested in talking to children about modern-day slavery and the CNN Freedom Project, check out these questions and learning activities to help children understand the crisis and steps that can be taken to end it.