What if your friends at school are sharing an embarrassing photo of another student?
What if a popular post online tells you to damage property?
What if you saw something shocking online and can’t stop thinking about it?
What if your friend is posting suicidal messages online?
What if someone tries to purposefully sabotage you in an online game?
Tough questions! Our kids, even the littlest ones, must navigate a lot of complex challenges when it comes to media and devices. White Ribbon Week is a powerful way to give kids real skills to choose how to handle these situations, and countless others.
That’s why the Utah PTA encourages each school to organize a White Ribbon Week. Deanna Lambson, founder of Whiteribbonweek.org has said, “real lasting safety has to come from the inside-out, not the outside-in.”
Children today are under a media attack including targeted marketing, indecent material, and purposefully addictive apps. All of these attacks affect our children’s wellness. Positive media use is perhaps the most universally relevant topic today. Your PTA can make a difference to hundreds, perhaps even thousands of children and their families. These resources can help.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
White Ribbon Week
https://www.whiteribbonweek.org
Choose one of 4, week-long White Ribbon Week themes that get kids excited about being smart and safe online! Each is based on prevention science and is kid-tested.
I’ve Got the Power teaches kids that they have power over themselves! Kids learn the principles of being safe online and create their own “super-hero” with real-life superpowers.
In Let’s Get Real students practice fun ways to use technology for kindness and celebrate the week with a slide show celebrating themselves enjoying their favorite real-life fun.
Media Detective teaches kids 5 questions they can ask about media to know whether they want to believe it, watch it, or click it. Smart media detectives earn their mustache to wear the rest of the week.
Brain Power (hot off the press and available March 10, 2022) helps kids explore what lifestyle habits and media choices can either hurt or boost their brain power. Kids learn the magic of brain chemicals and practice fun activities that boost their brain power.
JUNIOR HIGH
Stand Week
The majority of problems happening in middle schools today can be traced back to students’ use of technology. STAND Week can help. STAND Week is a media safety program for youth ages 11-14. It is a school peer-to-peer program run by student leaders under the direction of adult mentors. Students participate in fun and meaningful activities as they learn to:
- STAND UP
- STAND OUT
- STAND FOR
- STAND WITH
- STAND NOW
HIGH SCHOOL
Let’s Get Real for Teens
https://www.whiteribbonweek.org
Newly researched and written with the advice of teens, Let’s Get Real for teens helps students take a close look at how media affects their personal relationships, emotions and self-esteem.
Let’s Get Real for teens encourages awareness and personal reflection. Through small group discussions, students explore how to use technology for kindness, what to do if they are cyberbullied and consciously creating a balance between their physical world and digital one.
Your Questions Answered:
Q: “What if we don’t have anyone that feels qualified to organize and teach it?”
A: No worries! You don’t have to be a computer tech or social media expert. Each of the following resources is completely spelled out step-by-step with daily instructions, resources for parents and classroom discussions for teachers.
Q: “What if we don’t have money in the budget for White Ribbon Week?”
A: Each of the programs suggested here are low-cost. Remember that White Ribbon Week incorporates SAFETY, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, COMPUTER & TECH, and MENTAL & EMOTIONAL HEALTH, as well as INTERNET SAFETY or DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP. Any of those budget lines would be appropriate.
Many local PTA’s in Utah don’t know they have direct access to funds for White Ribbon Week. Each school in the state has a School Community Council (SCC) which determines the usage of the school Trust Land Funds. The state legislature has given each SCC the task of assuring that Digital Citizenship education happens in each school (HB 213) and encourages the use of their Trust Land Funds for that purpose.
If you have minimal or no budget for White Ribbon Week, go to your Principal or SCC chair, present one of the step-by-step, science-based programs shown here and request money to purchase. Usually, SCC’s are thrilled to have the volunteer power of the PTA to help fulfill this requirement.