Parenting the NetGeneration

National Family Week

Bringing parents up to speed on the Internet

Canadian Home and School Federation launches workshops to help parents manage their kids’ online world
Did you know that:

• 20 percent of Grade 4 students have their own Internet-connected computer, and half of those computers have webcams attached;
• 90 percent of kids’ favourite Web sites have registration procedures in which they’re asked to identify themselves, typically by first and last name, age, gender, and email address; and
• almost one-third of kids’ favourite Web sites incorporate material that is violent (28 percent) or highly sexualized (32 per cent)?

These compelling statistics are from Canada’s largest-ever survey of kids’ Internet use, conducted by Media Awareness Network (MNet) in 2005. The survey of 5,200 students, in Grades 4 to 11, raised concerns about young people’s Internet activities and the issues they face when they go online. At the same time, there were encouraging findings about the positive impact of parental involvement.

Many parents today feel ill-equipped to help their children with their online explorations because kids are so far ahead of adults when it comes to using the technology. However the majority of students surveyed said they want adult involvement and thought that schools and parents have a role to play in protecting them from certain kinds of online content and activities. As well, the survey showed that having rules about specific Internet activities makes a considerable difference, especially for younger children.
 

With these findings in mind, MNet approached the Canadian Home and School Federation (CHSF) in 2006 to partner on a national school-based program – Parenting the Net Generation – to educate parents about kids’ Internet use.
 

Through the program, which was made possible with the support of Bell Canada, Parenting the Net Generation workshops are available free to parent councils in every province and territory until July 31, 2007.  The workshops look at the challenges kids face online and provide tools and solutions to help parents positively manage Internet use in the home.

The workshop comes with a facilitator’s guide containing handouts for participants and tips for hosting a successful event. Topics covered in the workshop include: cyber bullying, privacy, the use of social networking sites, online marketing aimed at kids and how to tell if online information is true.

To access the Parenting the Net Generation workshop in Alberta, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon please contact licensing@media-awareness.ca. For all other provinces, contact your provincial representative of the Canadian Home and School Federation listed on their Web site at: http://www.canadianhomeandschool.com/ federation/members.htm.

For further information on this program, contact the Canadian Home and School Federation at chsf@bellnet.ca

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The Media Awareness Network/Réseau Éducation-Médias (MNet) is a national, non-profit organization that strives to ensure children and youth possess the necessary critical thinking skills and tools to understand and actively engage with media. Since 1996, MNet has pioneered this vision through the development of media and Internet literacy programs across Canada.

Public Service Announcement

 Do you know an outstanding school principal?

Nominations now being accepted for The Learning Partnership’s

Canada’s Outstanding Principals™ Award

TORONTO, May 23, 2007 – Nominations for Canada’s Outstanding Principals™ are now being accepted.  Anyone, from across the country, may nominate an outstanding principal in a publicly funded school in their community, including parents, colleagues, community members, local business people or social agency partners. 

Deadline for nominations is October 31, 2007.  Thirty winners will be announced in mid-January and will participate in the fourth annual Canada’s Outstanding Principals program, running during the last week of February, 2008 in Toronto.

To learn more about The Learning Partnership’s Canada’s Outstanding Principals program or to nominate a principal in a publicly funded school please visit www.thelearningpartnership.ca and follow the links.

Canada’s Outstanding Principals program was developed in the fall of 2004, as a partnership endeavour between The Learning Partnership and the Canadian Association of Principals’ member organizations, in collaboration with the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management Since being launched, 91 exceptional leaders from across the country have been selected as Canada’s Outstanding Principals and inducted into the National Academy of Canada’s Outstanding Principals™.

For information (media only):

George James

The Learning Partnership

416 440-5124 or 416 402-3783

gjames@thelearningpartnership.ca

News Release

November 20, 2006

Parents Helping Parents to Prevent Drug Abuse as Part of National Addiction Awareness Week

The Canadian Home & School Federation (CHSF), the country’s first established voice for parents, is busy helping parent leaders across Canada to inform parents to prevent substance abuse.  

The national project is bringing high quality information to parents across Canada. With funding from Health Canada’s Community Initiatives Fund, CHSF had an expert gather together the best resources for individual parents, for parent volunteers and for parent leaders.  

These resources include fact sheets and tips for parents, how to manuals and programs in areas such as Safe Grads and Mentoring for parent volunteers and advice on mobilizing parents and advocating for better school and community programs for parent leaders.    

Georgina Allen, President of the CHSF, has welcomed the chance to inform parent leaders:   “Parent and schools are often unaware of the excellent programs and resources out there.  As well, community and addictions groups often struggle to get their information to parents. This project will help to bridge that gap.” 

This week’s activities will underline the importance of the project during the National Drug and Addictions Week held November 19-25, 2006.  

·            The national CHSF Board members and staff have trained volunteers, prepared the project resources booklet and are reaching out to national organizations to spread the word about the project.

·            In New Brunswick, sessions are being offered on November 20, 2006 to local schools in the Petitcodiac area. 

·            In Nova Scotia the first local school session will be taking place on November 22, 2006 reaching out to parents at St. Margaret’s Bay Elementary & Tantallon Elementary in the St. Margaret’s Bay Area. 

·            In Kelowna, British Columbia, over 250 parents will gather at the BCCPAC Fall Conference this weekend where they will receive an overview of the project and will be trained to take the sessions back to their local schools. 

·            In PEI, sessions will be taking place in Morell High School and Three Oaks High School and East Wiltshire Intermediate High School  

·            All other provinces are at varying stages of training or offering sessions in the local schools throughout the fall months. 

With growing public concern about new highly addictive drugs such as crystal meth and oxycontin as well as ongoing problems such as binge drinking, the funding ($307K) being provided by Health Canada to CHSF is arriving at an opportune time.     

The project does not create yet another educational resource for parents. Instead, the project is seeking to ensure that parents are aware of the many good ideas, programs and materials that are already available to them. 

The project uses “parent power”, the existing network of CHSF parent organizations and willing, able volunteers to transmit the information.  

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Donna Norris, Office Administrator at the CHSF office at 1-613-798-2837.