Overview

In today’s connected world, every time young people are online they're constantly making decisions that impact their online safety and privacy. It's essential that we help students learn what types of personal information get shared, who to trust, and how to avoid potential risks. With data collection becoming more advanced and widespread, students need more than just a set of rules to follow – they need the skills to evaluate different online situations for themselves, and the ability to make informed decisions about their privacy and safety. 

Our Privacy & Safety lessons teach students how to protect their online privacy and stay safe in digital environments. Instead of focusing on strict rules, these lessons help students understand the nature of personal information, recognize cybersecurity threats, and build critical thinking skills for navigating online spaces. Through engaging, age-appropriate activities, students learn how to balance the benefits of digital technology with responsible, safe online habits, empowering them to make confident choices about their privacy and security in the digital world.

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Our Instructional Approach

Privacy, Cybersecurity, and Safety Awareness

Our curriculum approaches privacy and safety through three interconnected areas:

• Privacy Management: Students learn to identify different types of personal information and understand its value in online platforms. These lessons help students recognize what information is being collected about them, by whom, and for what purposes. Students develop strategies for making intentional decisions about what to share, when to share it, and how to use privacy settings and tools to maintain appropriate boundaries.
• Cybersecurity Practices: Students explore the technical aspects of staying secure online, from creating strong passwords to recognizing phishing attempts and beyond. These lessons build students' understanding of how digital systems can be compromised and what practical steps they can take to protect their accounts, devices, and information from various types of threats and vulnerabilities.
• Safety Awareness: Students develop key critical thinking and risk-assessment skills they can use to safely and securely navigate online life. Rather than following rigid rules, they learn to evaluate websites, apps, games, and online experiences for themselves. This approach enables students to make contextual judgments about their safety, adapting their strategies as new technologies evolve along with new potential risks.

Empowering Kids to Assess Digital Risks

Because the digital world is evolving quickly, prescriptive "do's and don'ts" can quickly become outdated. Unlike traditional internet safety approaches that rely on rigid rules and restrictions, our curriculum leans into helping kids develop their own risk-assessment skills. It's essential that students build these skills to adapt as new technologies advance. 

Our Privacy & Safety lessons introduce students to decision-making frameworks they can use in any digital environment. Instead of memorizing static rules, students learn key criteria for assessing unfamiliar situations. Through age-appropriate scenarios involving everyday digital activities – like sharing information online, evaluating how trustworthy a message or website might be, or managing their privacy settings – students learn to make informed decisions for themselves. These practical experiences help students develop critical thinking skills they can apply to new technologies throughout their lives.

Grade-by-Grade Progression

Each grade level addresses all three dimensions of privacy and safety through developmentally appropriate lessons:

• Grades K-2: Young learners begin exploring fundamental concepts with our Digital Citizens characters, and particularly our "Head" character, who helps them think about what information is safe to share and whom to trust. Students learn basic privacy concepts and simple security practices, like telling trusted adults about online situations that might be risky.
• Grades 3-5: Older elementary students explore more complex concepts like personally identifiable information (PII), account protection, and safety in online gaming. They learn about "Privacy Doors" to visualize information sharing decisions, develop strategies for creating strong usernames and passwords, and begin recognizing common threats like phishing. Students also examine how their data is tracked and learn to use privacy settings to control the information they share.
• Grades 6-8: Middle school students tackle more sophisticated topics like data collection systems, digital footprint management, and evolving cybersecurity threats. They analyze how personal data is monetized, evaluate terms of service agreements, and develop more advanced risk assessment strategies. Students also explore the social dynamics of privacy, learning about how shared norms, like location sharing, evolve and shift our cultural understanding of online privacy. Through these lessons, students learn to navigate the complex interplay between social connection, online safety, and personal boundaries.

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