In this episode, we sit down with Zozan Küçükaydın, Anti-Human Trafficking Services Coordinator, to discuss the critical intersection of youth homelessness, housing instability, and human trafficking, and how schools can play a vital role in recognizing risk and supporting students. Learn about the development of the PA ECYEH program’s Youth Human Trafficking Toolkit for Educators, a trauma-informed resource created to help school-based professionals identify warning signs, understand vulnerabilities, and respond with care. Through collaboration with experts at the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR), this conversation highlights practical strategies for creating safer, more supportive school environments where students can access connection, resources, and pathways to success.

Meet Our Guest:

Zozan Küçükaydın, Anti-Human Trafficking Services Coordinator, PCAR

Zozan develops anti-trafficking awareness material and best practice information for PCAR and for professionals working with survivors of human trafficking. Through technical assistance and training, Zozan works to bridge gaps and support rape crisis centers, anti-trafficking task forces, and other service providers across the Commonwealth. Before her role, Zozan provided counseling and case management to trafficking survivors and is a graduate of Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and a Psychology minor. Through her studies and experience, Zozan is dedicated to promoting service equity and the use of anti-oppressive frameworks in the anti-trafficking field.

Please review the transcript (PDF).

Resources:

• Youth Human Trafficking Toolkit for Educators
• Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR)
• National Center on Safe and Supportive Learning Environment – Youth and Human Trafficking
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
• Polaris
• Sign up for email updates
• The Pennsylvania Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (PA ECYEH) Program.
• The Pennsylvania Education Stability for Children and Youth in Foster Care Program
• Center for Schools and Communities

Formerly I Will Be Your Voice: Stories of Homelessness and Hope, this podcast has expanded to explore a broader range of topics affecting students and families. Join Youth Development staff at the Center for Schools and Communities as they explore practices, programs, and partnerships shaping outcomes for students and their families.