The threat of teen sextortion has risen exponentially in the past year. In 2022, The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received 10,000 tips about the online exploitation of minors; now, in 2023, they’ve already received well over 12,500 reports.
We as educators, administrators, parents and guardians have a responsibility to protect our youth from this growing epidemic. While the numbers may seem daunting, there are steps you can take today to stay informed on this issue and work toward its prevention.
On December 5th, Digital4Good will be teaming up with experts from Snapchat to host an essential workshop on the prevention of teen sextortion. Whether you’re a teacher, counselor, school administrator, or parent, we strongly urge you to join us in December and to spread the word to your network. Learn more and register for free here.
You can also get your entire school educated on the dangers of sextortion by booking an on-campus presentation. We’ll provide you first-hand with the tools you need to prevent your students from becoming victims.
To learn more about our student presentations and to book a date, please visit www.icanhelp.net/student-body-presentations. (Our calendar for 2023-2024 is filling up, so be sure to contact us with your preferred date before it’s booked.)
Thank you for taking the time to read this email! I hope this message does not discourage you, but instead motivates you to take action against this rising threat.
#YOUWILLHELP,
Kim Karr
Executive Director | Digital4Good
Hey Awesome Educator Friends,
You and your students are invited to join us in person for the upcoming 2024 Annual Digital4Good Summit at Google NYC! This exciting event will spotlight 10 student changemakers who have started their own nonprofits or innovative projects to advance youth mental health, bullying prevention, girls in STEM, and more. Only 150 spots are available, so please RSVP as soon as possible by contacting kim@icanhelp.net.
WHEN: Monday, February 5, 2024
WHERE: Google NYC, 111 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
TIME: 9AM - 2PM
ADMISSION: FREE for 1 adult and 2 students per school. (6th grade - college-level students)
LODGING: Hotel Edison in Times Square, February 3-5, 2024. Call 212-453-4026 or use this link to make reservations. Please make reservations BEFORE January 4, 2024 AND identify yourself as a Digital4Good attendee in order to receive the discounted group rate ($149 for single room, $219 for double).
Can’t attend in person? No problem! You can still sign up to view the livestream with your students for free. Hosting a watch party in your classroom or school auditorium is a great way to spark classroom discussions and get all of your students inspired to start their own projects for good. A special, Summit-exclusive curriculum will be created to help you engage students and get the most value from this event.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at kim@icanhelp.net. Excited to see you in February to celebrate these student winners!
#YouRock,
Kim KarrExecutive Director | Digital4Good
According to high school students, school-related stressors are the biggest challenge to their well-being. Maybe even more than cyberbullying.
How do we empower students to navigate their lives, both online and offline, in positive and healthy ways?
Let's dive in:
p.s. Do you love The Huddle and want more ways to help students navigate current events, well-being, and social media in high-character ways? Request information about #WinAtSocial!
Students Tell All: What is truly impacting their mental health?
The Gist: Recent surveys conducted by the EdWeek Research Center shed light on a notable difference between what educators believe is impacting student well-being compared to the challenges that students say they are struggling with.
What To Know: While bullying on social media is often pinpointed by adults as the primary source of teen mental angst, the survey findings reveal a different narrative. High school students, it turns out, identify schoolwork-related stressors as their predominant mental health hurdle. This survey raises a crucial question for educators: How can we be tuned in to the stress triggers that impact our students?
TSI’s Take: When creating a plan to help students navigate daily stress, we have to take into account that schools are not the sole cause of this stress, but many students don't always feel at ease discussing stressors from their home and social life with teachers. Recognizing this reality, schools can foster an environment that not only acknowledges academic stressors but also equips students with ways to handle the pressure.
The Gist: One of students’ favorite apps, Instagram, has just unveiled its latest feature: collaborative carousels. Instagram carousels are posts that contain more than one photo or video, which users can view by swiping left on a post through the phone app. Instagram is now making these types of posts collaborative by allowing users to invite others to contribute photos or videos to their post, fostering a sense of community and shared experiences.
What To Know: For educators, staying informed about social media developments, such as Instagram’s new collaborative carousels, allows them to better understand what impacts students' lives outside of the classroom. It's not just about staying informed on new social media updates, but understanding the impact these features can have on students so that educators can support and improve student well-being.
TSI’s Take: Instagram’s collaborative carousels highlight an opportunity for students to play to their core and invite others to join them. By huddling with students on topics like collaborative posting, consent, and privacy, educators can empower students to make choices online that reflect their core values, while they collaborate and show their creativity with their friends.
The Gist: In a historic move, President Joe Biden has signed the first-ever executive order on artificial intelligence (AI). While AI can enhance learning experiences, there are concerns about privacy, discrimination, labor market disruptions, and scammers. This order aims to protect AI users from racial inequalities, deep fakes, and copyright infringement– a significant step towards making AI safer for students.
What To Know: As technology, safety, and education continue to evolve and overlap, this new executive order will have a profound impact on schools as it creates new guidelines that will shape the future of AI and the way students navigate it.
TSI’s Take: It's important to huddle with students about positive technology use and empower them to use tech for good, in and out of the classroom. While the government plays its part in keeping AI users safe, students should continue to protect themselves online and use technology for good.
From FOMO to increased levels of stress, students face the pressures of social media every day. This month, we're sharing resources and insights that empower students (and adults!) to handle the pressure.
Watch this on-demand webinar to explore expert tips from Dr. Catherine Pearlman, founder of The Family Coach and author of First Phone: A Child’s Guide to Digital Responsibility, Safety and Etiquette, on how your school can equip students with the habits and skills they need to handle the pressure on and offline.
When you partner with The Social Institute, educators and families gain access to our Platform Playbooks. These are curated and detailed breakdowns of the most popular social media platforms that students are using. Check out our Snapchat Playbook for everything you need to know about equipping students with winning moves to navigate one of their favorite apps.
Forward this email to them and point them to this link!
The Social Institute empowers students to navigate their social world positively — including social media and technology — to fuel their health, happiness, and future success.
It’s the shared effort of teachers, support staff, principals, administrators, students, families and communities that makes education a success. And we know educators are at the center of bringing it all together.
Thank you, this week and every week, for all you do.
We’re your biggest fan!
Horace Mann is a long-time PAMLE corporate supporter. Please visit us at horacemann.com or contact your local agent if we can be of service.
Horace Mann Service Corporation and certain of its affiliates (Horace Mann) enter into agreements with educational associations where Horace Mann pays the association to familiarize association members with the Horace Mann brand, products or services. Contact association.relations@horacemann.com for more information.
EMM-00537-1 (10-23)
Some Spooktacular news from #PAMLE24 Keynote speaker, Jack Berckemeyer
Read more here!
Thousands of Pennsylvania kids under 19 could lose their CHIP health plan coverage if they fail to renew their eligibility now that the public health emergency has ended. This has a direct impact on the health and wellness of your students. CHIP families are again required to complete their renewal information using the state COMPASS system to maintain their child’s State coverage.
Highmark HEALTHY KIDS can provide helpful details and assistance for those families who need to complete their CHIP renewals or no longer qualify for Medicaid. CHIP coverage, an HMO offered by Highmark Healthy Kids is affordable, comprehensive health insurance. All kids who are under 19, residents of PA, are a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or qualified alien, and do not qualify for Medicaid are eligible for CHIP, regardless of income.
Contact Cami Burns at camellia.burns@highmark.com for additional information.
Hello, PAMLE members!
We at eCYBERMISSION are thrilled to join forces with the Pennsylvania Association for Middle Level Education to help bring high-quality education to Pennsylvania students and support Pennsylvania educators.
eCYBERMISSION is a free, virtual STEM competition for students in grades 6-9. Students form teams of 2-4, led by an adult Team Advisor, and select a problem in their community to investigate with science or solve with engineering. eCYBERMISSION is phenomenon-based, project-based, and problem-based, and encourages students to see the impact they can make with STEM while learning to work together to solve real-world problems. Registration for eCYBERMISSION is now open at www.ecybermission.com/register and projects can be submitted any time until March 6, 2024.
eCYBERMISSION aligns with Pennsylvania state science standards and provides free teaching resources in the form of lesson plans, activities, and more at www.ecybermission.com/advisorhelpcenter. Additionally, students have access to eCYBERMISSION CyberGuides, real scientists and engineers who are available to answer questions and provide technical support for projects through our online message board and monthly Zoom Live Chats (both of which are monitored by staff and invite parents and Team Advisors to attend with their students).
Funding in the form of the eCYBERMISSION Mini-Grant is available to Team Advisors that incorporate eCYBERMISSION in their classroom. Mini-Grants come in the form of two payments, the first to the school to cover the cost of project supplies and the second to the Team Advisor(s) as a professional stipend. The application takes less than 10 minutes to complete, requires no essays, and is open until November 16 at www.ecybermission.com/minigrantprogram.
Once again, we are so excited to begin our partnership with PAMLE in support of Pennsylvania STEM education. If you have any questions or just want to say hello, feel free to email us at missioncontrol@ecybermission.com or follow us on social media!
eCYBERMISSION is an Army Educational Outreach Program competition administered by the National Science Teaching Association.
Check out this great webinar from PAMLE-partner American College of Education.
Register today! https://aceedu.zoom.us/.../WN_qSEGIU1uTaaiANhjINNTAw...
Looking for a motivating, engaging, practical, fun and relevant professional development experience? Tired of paying for expensive conference registrations, airfare, hotel and rental cars for 10 people when you would love to have brought more people to a conference?
Contact us so we can create the perfect conference experience for your amazing educators.
Jack Berckemeyer
Dedra Stafford
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