What is i-Safe?
i-Safe is a nationally recognized Internet safety program founded in 1998 and endorsed by the U.S. Congress. It is a non-profit foundation dedicated to protecting the online experiences of youth. i-Safe incorporates classroom curriculum with dynamic community outreach to empower students, teachers, parents, law enforcement, and concerned adults to make the Internet a safer place. www.isafe.org
What is i-Safe at CF?
Here at CF we have created a partnership with i-Safe to bring Internet safety lessons to our students. We have formed an advisory committee to plan the implementation and development of an Internet safety curriculum in grades K-12. We meet 5 times a year with representatives from all grade levels, including teachers, computer personnel and administrators. We also have a parent representative on the committee.
Where are we now?
This is our first year with an Internet safety program. Our initial need is to inform our faculties of the basics of Internet safety and what is appropriate at each building level. We have presented an orientation on i-Safe, have had presentations at faculty meetings, and have placed Internet tips in the weekly faculty bulletins. We are in the process of creating a i-Mentor group. This student group will be trained in i-Safe techniques and give presentations to students in the HP and KI buildings.
What will happen in the future?
The specific i-Safe curriculum will be incorporated into each grade level in a variety of ways by many different presenters. Internet safety is not a 'one week lesson' but it is something that needs to be stressed throughout the year. By using a combination of classroom teachers, librarians, computer lab assistants, principals, etc, the concept will be brought to
students in a variety of formats.
