Pocono News Section

Unprecedented Effort to Keep Students Safe Online

Unprecedented Effort to Keep Students Safe Online - Friday, November 20, 2009 at 1:09PM EST

Reported by: Mark Hiller
Friday, Nov 20, 2009 @ 01:09pm EST
PALMYRA TOWNSHIP, PIKE COUNTY - Tens of thousands of students in the Poconos will benefit from a privately-funded lesson on computer safety.

It's the result of an unprecedented joint effort between an internet service provider and district attorneys offices and school districts in three counties.

The Verizon Foundation presented a $20,000 grant on Friday to the Wayne County Community Foundation. It's money to fund I-Safe. That's an internet safety program than now all 50,000 students combined will use in Wayne, Pike and Monroe Counties.

"We all hear the stories of child predators. There's also identity thieves, scam artists, cyberbullies and stalkers nowadays," said Wayne County District Attorney Michael Lehutsky.

District Attorneys from this tri-county area attended Friday's news conference at Wallenpaupack Area High School. They share the concerns of the school community on how to keep students safe in a world where the culture of communication has changed so much.

"Where students used to write letters to each other, now they're posting things on web sites and texting," said Wallenpaupack Area High School Principal Jay Starnes.

I-Safe will teach kindergarten through 12th graders how to stay safe and comply with the law while surfing the 'net.

Wallenpaupack Area School District is familiar with the I-Safe Site. It was part of the school's curriculum for several years, but because of funding issues, was cut from the school budget.

Students remember some of those valuable on-line lessons that other students will now learn. "They show videos like what's malware, what's spyware, kind of educating you and making you aware of what's out there like what to watch out for," said Wallenpaupack Area High School Senior Caleb Wehrmann.

Sophomore Samantha Hessling said, "To just protect your passwords and not have any form of contact with anybody you don't know on line."

And senior Jennifer Swendsen said, "We had everything from cyberbullying, like what not to do, who not to talk to."

It's all valuable information to avoid on-line hazards in an increasingly growing cyber world.

Students will be able to access I-Safe in school and at home. The program will also allow teachers, parents and law enforcement to have a role in making the internet safer for children.