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The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery: A Timely Reminder
International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

It's all too common to assume that slavery is a tragedy of the distant past, yet it is unfortunately still very much a part of our world’s reality, as The International Labor Organization currently estimates the number of modern slavery victims at approximately 40 million worldwide. December 2 marks the observance of The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, which is focused on the eradication of all slavery, including the modern forms which include trafficking, sexual exploitation, forced marriage, child labor, and the forced recruitment of children into armed conflict.

The date marks the anniversary of the moment that the U.N. Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others was adopted by its member states on December 2, 1949. Today, the word “slavery” can encompass such practices as forced labor, debt bondage, forced marriage, human trafficking, and every other situation of exploitation under which a victim is trapped because of threats of violence, coercion, deception, or abuse of power.

The message of this day expands yearly in its observance by governments, communities, organizations, and individuals worldwide as a direct renunciation of all of the aspects of slavery, both past and present.

 

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A photo of Ron Banner with the 2026 President's Award.

Earlier this summer, Clover Park School District Superintendent Ron Banner received the 2026 President's Award from the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP). The award recognizes an educational leader who is a relentless advocate for principals, assistant principals and the principalship in support of student success.

Read More about Clover Park SD Superintendent Banner Receives 2026 AWSP President's Award
Lake Washington School District (LWSD) students at the Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB) Annual Track Meet.

Six Lake Washington School District (LWSD) students recently demonstrated determination, resilience, and athletic achievement at the Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB) Annual Track Meet in Vancouver, Washington. The event brings together students ages 5-21 who are blind or have low vision from across Washington state for a day of competition, connection, and celebration of athletic accomplishment.

Read More about Lake Washington School District Students Shine at State Track Meet for Students with Vision Impairments
A graphic depicting a statue's chained hands and the words, Slavery Remembrance Day, August 23 2026. International Day for the remembrance of the victims of the slave trade and the transatlantic slave trade.

Created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Slavery Remembrance Day, also known as the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, is observed on August 23 worldwide. The day honors the millions who died under enslavement while also promoting education and awareness of the slave trade’s global violation of human rights across human history.

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A graphic image with the words Celebrating Civil Rights - Civil Rights Act and an image of Black marchers.

July 2 marks the anniversary of our Civil Rights Act—a landmark moment in U.S. history of the Act signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 2, 1964. It prohibited racial discrimination in public places, as well as providing for the integration of schools and other public facilities. It also made employment discrimination illegal and was considered the most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.
 

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A picture of young students examining a container of river water for science.

Across PSESD, today’s students are doing more than studying the environment—they’re working to save it.

In Snoqualmie Valley School District, Meadowbrook School’s (MBS) secondary students recently took their commitment to environmental stewardship to the banks of the Snoqualmie River. Students partnered with Nature Vision and the Changing Seasons Farm, as part of their Blue Team program, to continue a vital, multi-year study of the local salmon spawning watershed near Carnation.

Read More about Students Work to Restore Local Watershed