The STOP Curriculum

This curriculum is made possible by a generous grant from the Jefferson-Titus Multi-Cultural Foundation.

The STOP Curriculum | Teacher Information Packet | A Message from Barbara Vogel | Participating Schools

When in 1998 former AASG associate Barbara Vogel read aloud an article about chattel slavery in present-day Sudan, her fifth grade students were shocked. They had just finished a unit on early American slavery and understood it to be history. Yet the article told them of black Sudanese women and children—many, their own age and even younger — suffering the same abuse and oppression practiced in the 1800s. Though they were a world away in Denver, Colorado, they knew they had to something about it. The S.T.O.P. (Slavery That Oppresses People) Campaign was born.

The students began putting aside their lunch money towards purchasing the freedom of slaves. Some even contributed cash given to them as birthday presents. Along the way, they learned more about the reality of modern-day slavery around the world and discovered the sense of pride and accomplishment that comes with dedicating oneself to helping those who are powerless to help themselves. They raised over $70,000 — money which bought the freedom of over 2,000 Sudanese slaves.

Their efforts attracted national attention from major media outlets, including The New York Times, Time Magazine, CBS Evening News, and National Public Radio. Vogel herself was awarded several humanitarian awards for her work. In 1999, she received the Anne Frank Award, “for excellence in teaching and commitment to lessons for humanity,” followed by the Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award, and the Salem Award, which recognizes “those individuals who will not be silenced by fear and social disorder.”

The STOP Campaign soon became the STOP Curriculum, as Barbara sought to inspire teachers to empower their own students in the fight to end slavery. The curriculum—which seeks “to educate ourselves, our school, our community, and the world” about the ugly reality of modern day slavery and to empower students to do something about it—has since been picked up by over a hundred schools across the country.

The STOP Curriculum | Teacher Information Packet | A Message from Barbara Vogel | Participating Schools