School-based Programs: Your Life Online
We've heard you! We have updated our programs to reflect the feedback we’ve received over the past year. Our new programs are designed to offer you and your school (or group) flexibility in setting, activities and audience size, while continuing to offer our engaging research-based content. To keep current and topical, the specific examples and illustrations used may change over the year; however the core messages in our youth programs remain consistent.
SOLOS' core messages are:
- Everything you post online is permanent
- Everything you post online is public
- Protect your personal and private information
- Use critical thinking skills about information and people online
- Be responsible for what you post online
- Take a stand against online harassment
- Tell someone if you are being victimized
- Don’t take, or let anyone take sexual images of you
- Don’t talk about sex online
These messages are conveyed through age-appropriate videos, stories and dialogue designed for different audiences. For example, our grade 3-5 content includes the message “Don’t take, or let anyone take pictures of you naked”. At the grade 10-12 level, the content includes a clear and concise discussion of the legalities, effects and consequences of sexting.
Many recent academic research and industry reports suggest that educating children and youth about responsible online behaviour, respect for communal codes of conduct and the consequences of inappropriate activities decreases online harassment. Our Programs address the increasing demand within schools for pro-active, awareness-raising content that promotes positive citizenship online as well as assists teachers in meeting prescribed learning outcomes in the B.C. Curriculum.
Workshops and Assemblies
Classroom workshops - This new format (2012) is intended to give students a more meaningful learning experience by engaging them in interactive learning activities. Dialogue, games, worksheets and/or art projects will be used during this 90-120 minute classroom workshop.
Assemblies - Many school administrators describe our assemblies as the most useful and relevant presentation they have ever had in their schools. Dynamic and engaging, our multi-media presentations to large groups of students are accompanied by a student handout that reinforces the key messages. Schools can choose between:
Small assembly -(under 150 children or youth), which includes a multi-media lecture and question period and
Large assembly - (over 150 children or youth), which is lecture only.
Youth specific handouts are provided to schools via email in a format suitable for selective printing or posting on school websites for both assemblies and classroom workshops.
Resources for the classroom
SOLOS recognizes that our presentations are most effective when both teachers and students have the resources to continue and extend the learning, following their participation in one of our sessions. Every school that receives one of our Youth Presentations will receive a URL from which they can download follow up ( age-appropriate, relevant online) resources, videos and materials. Included are our handouts and resources that supplement youths’ learning experience.
Summary
| Format | Style | Size | Time | Cost |
| Classroom workshop | interactive activities, multi-media presentation and printed handouts | up to 30 children or youth | 90-120 minutes | $375 |
| Small assembly | multi-media lecture, question period and online follow up resources | under 150 children or youth | 70-90 minutes | $475 |
| Large assembly | multi-media lecture and online follow up resources | over 150 children or youth | 50-70 minutes | $625 |
Your Life Online:
Asks children and youth to think about;
- Their identities online -- are they private or public?
- How public is their Facebook and other online data?
- Online content is permanent.
- What may be consequences in the future from data they post now?
- What can others find out about you online?
- Who might be looking at your information online?
- Definitions of online harassment.
- Descriptions of and number of youth affected (CA statistics) by online harassment.
- How and where online harassment happens.
- How harassment is different online?
- How to capture information if you are cyber-bullied.
Students are encouraged to:
- Make values-based decisions about how they act online.
- Take online harassment seriously.
- Report online harassment (whether it happens to them or others).
- Participate online as positive cyber-citizens.
Publication and Resources
Online follow-up resources:
Every school that participates in our Youth Programs, will receive a URL where they can download follow up resources, videos and materials. Included are our handouts and resources that supplement and reinforce our basic messages. Links to SOLOS youth specific handouts will be provided to school via email (in pdf or online formats) in a format suitable for selective printing or posting on school website. Schools will also be provided with a link to a collection of age-appropriate, relevant online safety resources that can be used by students and teachers to continue to engage in online safety discussions following the SOLOS presentation.
Online channels:
Students attending the SOLOS Programs will be invited to engage with us online via Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and our blog. News about youth related issues will be highlighted on our social media channels.
Website resources:
The SOLOS website hosts several databases of news articles and links to public research on topics that interest us. All users of our website are welcome come to access these excellent resources. See the "Library" tab at the top of any page.
