Internet/Social Media Safety Education and Digital Citizenship 101 For Tweens, Teens and Young Adults (grades 6-12)
Helping Students To Understand The Enabling Power Of Digital Technology And The Consequences Of High Risk/Less Than Desirable On-Line Behaviour
By the start of year 2013, it was estimated that there were approximately 3 billion people on-line, a large segment of which were children, tweens, teens, and young adults. As the Internet continues to grow in popularity, we are depending upon it more and more to conduct everyday life, which also includes the sharing of private and at times very sensitive information about ourselves with others on-line knowingly and at times, unknowingly. Many who are now on-line use the Internet for communication, education, entertainment, information gathering, socializing, business and commerce. There is no doubt that the Internet and Social Media have facilitated important positive connections and amazing accomplishments amongst our youth. It is a reality however, that the Internet (just like the real world) has also created an on-line virtual environment where thieves, vandals, conartists, and sexual predators will hunt their prey. Unfortunately tweens, teens and young adults who are using the Internet and Social Media are not always taking the appropriate safety precautions to help mitigate the risks from those who might want to victimize others on-line for personal gain. Our award winning Social Media/Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship 101 presentation for schools will provide information that will help to keep students safer, increase their privacy and protect their on-line digital footprint. Topics discussed in this presentation include:
What is the Internet and Social Networking
Internet and Social Media Stats and fact
On-Line Ethics
On-Line Media Literacy and Critical Thinking
What are Chat Rooms, Instant Messaging, and SMS/MMS texting and how to stay safe while using them
Cell phone/ Smart Phone and Web Cam safety
What is your "digital dossier" and how students are placing their reputation and privacy at risk when on-line
Why future employeers, colleges and universities are checking a student's digital dossier
Things students can do immediately to protect their digital dossier
The good and bad of Social Networks such as "Facebook", "Twitter", "Skype", "Tumblr" ,"Instagram", "Snapchat" and "Ask.fm"
How to secure your Social Networks
"Mobile" the new frontier for Internet access and Social Networking
Why students need to consider that everything they do on-line is public, permanent and searchable no matter what their privacy settings
Safe Blogging
The dangers of Screen Names and Profiles
Who is the Internet predator
The Predator's "grooming" process and the "lures" they use in Chat Rooms and Social Networks
How the Internet predator uses "Social Engineering" to build rapport
Actual Social Engineering examples using Facebook and Nexopia
What is Cyber Bullying/Digital Peer Aggression and what can be done to stop it
What is Sexting and what can be done to stop it
The law as it relates to Cyber Bullying and Sexting and their unintended consequences
Why Schools have a part to play
Education is the first step in keeping our kids safer in this technology-driven world. This award winning presentation is designed to provide students with pro-active on-line "critical thinking" and "decision making" strategies that they can immediately put to good use. Knowledge and the understanding and application of that knowledge is power. Our presentation provides the knowledge, information and empowerment, based upon academically peer reviewed research, that tweens, teens and young adults need to know to stay safer while participating in the on-line world. To date, over 112,000 students (and growing) in the province of British Columbia have heard our very unique and empowering message in the past 24 months.
Shaw TV Segment On Our Internet and Social Medial Safety Program
So what makes our school program so different from those being offered by other companies and organizations in British Columbia ???
#1) Darren is a serving law enforcement professional with over 27yrs of experience, an internationally recognized safety expert, published award winning author and a highly sought after public speaker who specializes in the area of Personal Safety both on-line and off-line. Darren is deeply immersed in social media, both on and off the job, and has been teaching digital safety for the past 12 years and has written hundreds of articles on Internet and Social Media safety and security. No other company or program can bring the passion, on-line credentials, "real world" experience and the years of "learned" perspective that we can to this topic, given our unique educational and professional background. Find our Bio here.
#2) Our work in the area of Internet/Social Media Safety was recognized with the prestigious 2013 Social Media Derek K Miller Award (most inspiring social media user), for our unique work in the area of Internet/Social Media Safety both here in Canada and the United States. We are the only Company in Canada, to be recognized by a very respected pannel of independant North American Social Media Experts for our work in this area.
#3) We actually take the time to covertly “Socially Engineer” students at the schools that we will be presenting at, and no other program does this to the depth that we do. Not only do we use "open source" Internet platforms to "screen scrape" information, we also covertly connect with students directly, via their social networks, and "creep" (socially engineer) them into believing that we are a peer, which ultimately results in us being invited in as a "friend", thus effectively demonstrating why a student needs to be careful about "friending". Although we do not disclose or "call out" who those students are at the assembly to prevent group peer embarrassment or shaming, we do use examples from other schools to demonstrate the dangers of TMI (too much information) as it relates to personal safety and privacy challenges when it comes to social media and the Internet. The fact that we have socially engineered students, allows us to immediately build rapport with the audience as a person who knows his stuff, and therefore a person who needs to be listened to. We would encourage you to connect with any of the teaching staff at the schools that we have presented at (we can provide references upon request) , and they will confirm the positive impact that our "White Hat" social engineering strategy had on their students.
#4) Our program is not just about Social Media and Internet safety, it’s also about digital citizenship/literacy, on-line ethics, on-line critical thinking and the challenges surrounding privacy (our digital dossier), cyber-bullying, sexting and what students can do now to protect their digital footprint, so that their current on-line activities do not have a negative outcome on future college, university or job opportunities. We show students how to build a positive on-line reputation.
#5) We stay current in everything we do, and we have documented evidence that our presentation positively changes Internet behavior. We are also very proud of the fact that our Internet presentation has saved the lives of students in our province, who were contemplating suicide/self harm as an option, because they were being targeted for cyber-bullying or sexting gone wrong issues. These students heard our message, reached out to us for help, and in each and every case (often working with their school) we were able to get them the help that they needed. No other program offers this unique on-line outreach for students.
#6) At the conclusion of the presentation, Darren also offers his time and services for free to those students and teachers who contact him directly wanting to have their Social Network security settings checked. If Darren identifies a problem, he provides one-on-one online coaching to make things more secure. Tens of thousands of students and hundreds of parents and teachers have taken Darren up on this offer. No other company provides this free service to schools and their students. Given Darren's background, we have become an on-line resource for students, teachers and even parents who want or need to connect with us on issues or challenges specific to their on-line and even off-line activities, and this is something that we are very proud of. Plain and simple students, teachers, parents and law enforcement "trust" Darren and the information that he provides.
#7) When we present, we speak “with” the students and not “at” the students. Darren's dynamic teaching style and professional background, combined with his extensive use of digital multi-media in the presentation, allows him to connect with students at an emotional, psychological and even a physical level. We present our information in a way that is direct, open and honest. Our "real world" delivery of information is what makes our presentation so very different from all the other programs, and thus why it is so well received by students and staff.
#8) Students, teachers, principals, parents, counsellors and law enforcement througout British Columbia have all agreed that our presentation, compared to others their school's have participated in, was the best and most in-depth they have heard on the topic. Our presentation stands out as "the must have" program for Jr and Sr high school students in our province, thus why our program has now been heard by more Secondary Schools than any other program in British Columbia over the past two years. Click here for actual feedback and testimonials on our program.
#9) We bring all our own equipment (lap top, projector, mic and auditorium sound system); all you need to provide is a table, screen and power chord/source. We also provide a "free" copy of our Internet and Social Media safety book to the school library or PAC where we present at, as well as "free" access to our Internet and Social Media safety on-line resource page for students, teachers and parents.
Our Program Was Recognized By The BC Information & Privacy Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, In A 2011 Keynote Address
" I read a wonderful story in the Victoria Times Colonist newspaper last month about a Victoria Police Staff Sergeant named Darren Laur who poses as a teen on Facebook in order to educate students about privacy and security. Laur, who is 46, maintained a fake profile for over a year on Facebook using purchased pictures and information gleaned from the Facebook accounts of real teens. When he made a presentation at Cedar Community Secondary in Nanaimo last month, he had already friended 30 students at that school who had no idea that their "friend" was actually him. He had done such a convincing job with the profile that one of the real teens even asked the fake teen out on a date. When Laur revealed during the presentation that he was their friend, students were shocked and pledged to pay more attention to their privacy online."
Here's What Students, Teachers, Parents, Counsellors and Law Enforcement Are Saying about Our Internet Safety Program
Here's What The Media Are Saying About Our Internet Safety Programs
Seminar Length:
2 hours, and yes we can hold the attention of Jr and Sr high school students for this length of time. Don't believe us ?, check out the testimonials from students, teachers and principals here or connect with us directly, and we will provide you with references that back up our claim.
Seminar Cost:
Greater Victoria $400.00 (rate includes all taxes). Outside Greater Victoria please call for a quote. We also provide Schools, teachers, parents and students with "free" access to our Internet and Social Media safety on-line resource page for all students and teachers.
Class Size:
Unlimited. We have presented to audiences of 20 to 1600 students in size.
**SPECIAL**: Bundle two Internet school presentations, or an Internet school presentation with a parent's Internet presentation and save $150.00
Prices listed reflect programs delivered in the Greater Victoria area. For those who are interested in our programs outside of Greater Victoria, please contact us directly for a quote
