Hello Everyone,
Evelyn here,
with a annoucment from Attorney General, Bill McCollum and the Florida Education Commisioner Eric J. Smith.
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NEWS RELEASE
JANUARY 17, 2008
ATTORNEY GENERAL, FLORIDA EDUCATION COMMISSIONER ANNOUNCE STATEWIDE CYBERSAFETY CHALLENGE
CHALLENGE ENCOURAGES SCHOOL PRINCIPALS TO SIGN UP FOR CYBERSAFETY PRESENTATIONS
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General BillMcCollum and Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith today announced a statewide CyberSafety challenge to school principals to sign their schools up for the Attorney General’s CyberSafety Education presentations. The challenge is part of Attorney General McCollum’s goal to reach every middle and high school in the state with his CyberSafety presentation.
“One of the most important lessons we can teach our young people this year is how to protect themselves from internet child predators,” said Attorney General McCollum. “By challenging our principals to sign up their students to receive CyberSafety Education presentations before the school year ends, we hope to ensure as many children as possible have the tools they need to stay safe online. I appreciate Education Commissioner Smith joining with me on this important issue.”
Two challenge winners will be announced in May – the district that signs up the largest total number of schools for presentations and the district that signs up the highest percentage of its schools for presentations. The winning districts will receive special CyberSafety presentations hosted in person by Attorney General McCollum and
Commissioner Smith next fall.
“Nothing is more important than student safety,” said Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith. “We must strive to do all that we can to equip our children with the knowledge they need to protect themselves as the explore the many benefits the Internet hasto offer.”
The CyberSafety program, developed by Attorney General McCollum for middle and high school students, combines real-life stories and examples to help students identify ways they could be victimized by internet predators. Members of the Attorney General’s Child Predator CyberCrime Unit have been bringing the 50-minute CyberSafety program students statewide since the beginning of the school year.
“"This is an excellent opportunity for a partnership between the Attorney General's office and the Florida public school system to help ensure the safety and welfare of all students,” said Bill Montford, CEO of the Florida School District Superintendents Association, an organization which has endorsed the CyberSafety initiative and has committed to helping ensure all districts participate in the CyberSafety Challenge. “Schools throughout Florida will eagerly accept this challenge and opportunity to help raise awareness of the need to take every step to ensure the protection of Florida's youngest and most vulnerable.”
Principals can visit http://www.safeflorida.net/safeschools to log into a site developed specifically to register schools to receive the Attorney General’s CyberSafety presentation, and then sign up for presentations at a time that works with their schedules. The presentations are available to schools as well as parent groups. Since the beginning of the school year, more than 70 schools have received presentations to more than 24,000 students.
More information on the AttorneyGeneral’s CyberSafety initiative is available online athttp://www.safeflorida.net/safeschools.
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Evelyn out.
