Internet Safety for Families

In June of 2006, the Regional Office of Education in Adams in Pike Counties began an new initiative involving School Districts, Community Leaders, Parents and Students in the fight against exploitation aimed at youthful users of the Internet. A Steering Committee was formed to plan several events to recruit, inform and train local citizens to help combat this growing threat which affects communities everywhere. Experts from I-Safe, a California based group which has chapters throughout the country, have held several meetings with local area residents. Once trained, Adams and Pike community members will go back into their school districts to help inform and train others.

• Students may on their own or in a group, plan, and create events to teach community leaders, parents and other students about the “rules of the road” on the Internet. They may form a Student Advisory Board with the help of their technology director or teacher who has been certified as a Trainer-the-Trainer leader in each school district.
• A Parent may approach his local PTA or PTO to form a Community Action Team which utilizes services and resources from a diverse representation of people to extend Internet safety awareness. She may partner with a local Focus Team made up of a teacher, parent and student, to develop Internet safety activities and events. They could Invite friends to a coffee or tea for discussion of i-Parenting Tips downloaded from i-Safe.
• A Teacher may approach his principal to incorporate i-SAFE curriculum into classes and encourage other staff members to do the same. She may create and/or join an i-SAFE Community Action Team and help raise awareness of Internet safety in the community by distributing i-SAFE information and materials to community organization. Each school district will be provided with a complete set of i-SAFE materials for developing curriculum on Internet Safety.

The ROE will continue to encourage and support Internet Safety activities during the 2006-2007 school term. To learn more about Internet Safety and what you can do to protect your family, click here.