I-SAFE: INTERNET SAFETY PROGRAM COMES TO MIDDLESEX

i-SAFE America, Inc. is a non-profit foundation whose mission is to educate and empower youth to safely and responsibly take control of their Internet experiences. The i-SAFE program provides students with the awareness and knowledge they need in order to recognize and avoid dangerous, destructive, or unlawful behavior and to respond appropriately.

The United States Congress has designated i-SAFE America, Inc., a non-profit Internet safety education foundation, to bring Internet safety education and awareness to the youth of the nation. i-SAFE is devoted to empowering students to take control of their Internet experiences by giving them vital knowledge that will enable them to act safely and responsibly.

Founded in 1998, and designed as a proactive prevention-oriented Internet safety awareness program, i-SAFE America provides students with the critical-thinking and decision-making skills they need to recognize and avoid hazards in cyberspace and how to respond appropriately to those hazards.

In 2002, the i-SAFE Safe Schools Education Initiative and Outreach Campaign received bi-partisan recognition and support from both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Consequently, the United States Congress awarded i-SAFE $3.5 million to begin to fulfill its mission and goal. In 2003, Congress increased its support of i-SAFE and awarded it $5 million to continue educating and empowering students nationwide. The Safe Schools Education Initiative and Outreach Campaign was launched in 24 states during 2002-2003 and has expanded into all 50 states during 2003-2004.

I-SAFE offers training in its Safe Schools Education Initiative. The I-SAFE training curriculum, which covers grades k-12, provides students with dynamic, interactive, up-to-date safety lessons, utilizing peer-to-peer communication and cooperative learning activities to help students retain and recall this valuable information. Educators and law enforcement become involved with the i-SAFE program by attending a Professional Development Program (PDP). i-SAFE employs a "train-the-trainer" approach whereby those who have attended a PDP are qualified to train others in their district. At a PDP, participants receive a Professional Development Manual, which includes a CD with the PDP PowerPoint(r) Presentation, K-12 Curriculum Samples, and Implementation Forms.