Safer Internet Day is a great opportunity to for kids and young adults to learn more about steps they can take to stay safe online. Safer Internet Day is recognized in over 100 countries around the world. Many will be celebrating with events. In the United States the celebration includes a special day for students at the Omni hotel in Austin, Texas. The event will include guest speakers, a special guest, and an opportunity for students to get involved. The theme this year is “Create, connect and share respect: A better internet starts with you” which points to the fact that we all have a responsibility to help keep the Internet as safe as possible.
A number of schools in Pennsylvania will be on site for the Safer Internet Day event at the National Constitution Center. For those of us who are aren’t in the area, the organizers are making the event available via a livestream. You can watch the event live starting at 9:30 am EST.
Here’s a look at the agenda for today’s event (all times shown in CST):
9:30 a.m. – Doors Open & Exhibits
10:30 a.m. – Welcome Remarks
10:50 a.m. – Keynote Speaker: FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn
11:25 a.m. – Youth & Tech Industry Issues in Perspective
1:00 p.m. – Student Activity
1:30 p.m. – Announcing the What’s Your Story? Video Contest
1:40 p.m. – A Teen Who Doesn’t Just Play Games — He Builds Them
2:00 p.m. – Event Wrap-Up
2:30 p.m. – Program Close
Whether in attendance or watching via livestream I encourage teachers and parents to get involved in Safer Internet Day. Many times our kids know as much or more about technology as many parents. That can be good in some cases but it also means that new obstacles are in their path that we didn’t have to deal with when we were young. Understanding the threats and steps you can take to promote a safer Internet is well worth the effort. Cheers to the students at the event in Austin. Have a great time and stay safe online.
