Human traffickers are effective because they play to young people's need for autonomy. In Your Shoes gives students the opportunity to navigate subtle yet complex situations in a safe virtual environment.Created by the Victim Services of Durham Region and ZeMind Studios, In Your Shoes allows students to play as a diverse cast of characters to explore the insidious nature of human traffickers. If you have any questions or concerns after experiencing the program please reach out to a teacher, parent or a member of the Victim Services of Durham Region.
Meet the cast. As a player, you will step into the shoes of...Lou: Good at school. Clear-eyed, with a good head on her shoulders. Mature. The worst thing on her report card is that she "daydreams too much". As the only daughter of a single mother, Lou is careful not to add to her mother's already full plate and tends to keep any worries to herself.Row: Chronically online, Lou sees herself as an ever-changing canvas of the trends and communities she falls in love with. A kind-hearted adrenaline junkie who will try anything. Wants to grow up fast and has a tendency to act first and think later. Grew up doing gymnastics and now trains more seriously at the community centre.Xavier: Lovable and cheerful. Can make even the dourest chemistry teacher smile, and he knows it. Dreams of being a creator. Gets along with everyone, but doesn't belong to a clique. The youngest of a large family and blessed for it. Has a very strong understanding of what it means to be there for your loved ones because he's been protected all his life.
Scenario 1: Lou and Heron, two First Nations teenagers who dream of escaping their small town, share a love of photography. Their shared creative interests blossom their friendship into a mutual crush. However, Heron befriends an older boy, Geoff, who has seemingly endless connections outside of town and begins to provide Heron with access to equipment and contacts.Scenario 2: Row meets her friend J at the community centre for a gymnastics meet. J has introduced Row to a friend called Puck, an equally ambitious athlete who has opened up to Row and wants to impress her.Scenario 3: Xavier's best friend Amita has changed a lot over the summer holidays. Her LensFrens feed is full of selfies with make-up, more revealing outfits than usual and flirty captions. She also keeps mentioning someone called Daniel, who has no online presence and never appears in video calls or photos.
When equipped with the right tools, a caring community and access to help without judgment, In Your Shoes VR proves no one is fated to a single ending.
Three survivor-led stories designed to spark a conversation around human trafficking and its many forms.
