Today, Superintendent of Public Instruction
Dr. Suellen Reed joined Net Literacy, an Indiana-based, student-led
nonprofit, to launch a $100,000 campaign to increase Internet
safety for students and families across the state. The campaign
includes student-led programs held in local schools and a
series of public service announcements to be aired on television
statewide beginning this month.
“The Internet is a wonderful educational
resource for our students, but we all need to be more aware
of the dangers that come with it,” said Reed. “This
student-led campaign will help to increase Internet safety
for students and families across Indiana.”
The $100,000 campaign titled “The Ten
Most Important Things To Know About The Internet” is
sponsored by Bright House Networks and includes 10 student-generated
public service announcements addressing everything from cyber
bullies and Internet predators to viruses and hate Web sites.
Safe Connects
Through Safe Connects, one of Net Literacy’s
core programs, students will teach classmates and parents
in their communities about Internet safety in meetings after
school in locations across the state. As part of the expansion
of Safe Connects, four 45-minute Internet safety programs,
sponsored by Intel, will also be produced and broadcasted
on local government channels and will be available on cable
providers’ local on demand service for Hoosiers across
the state.
“Many students and adults are not aware
of all of the dangers on the Internet,” says Ian Truesdell,
a high school senior on Net Literacy’s board of directors
who leads the Safe Connects initiative. “It’s
important that Internet users know that one out of every
ten Web sites contains malware, hate Web sites or use a combination
of truth and lies to spread hate, and that using MySpace
or Facebook inappropriately could cost someone their job
in the future.”
About Net Literacy
Net Literacy is a student-managed nonprofit
that promotes youth philanthropy through a series of community
outreach programs. The company’s mission is to increase
computer access by creating public computer labs, teach computer
and Internet skills, and educate youth and parents about
Internet safety.
Net Literacy was incorporated in 2003 by middle
school students and has an equal number of youth and adult
board members. Reed, as well as U.S. Senators Richard G.
Lugar and Evan Bayh, serve as honorary board members. Over
400 students across the state have served as volunteers.
To learn more about Net Literacy’s programs, visit www.netliteracy.org.
More about Internet safety
The Indiana Department of Education’s
School Safety Specialist Academy offers training and resources
to support local schools in keeping students safe while logged
on to the Internet. These ongoing efforts address such issues
as cyber bullying, online safety for educators, social networking
sites, Internet crimes against children and protecting children
from Internet predators. For more information about School
Safety Specialist Academy training or programs, visit www.doe.in.gov/isssa. |
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