Breaking It Down is a blog series where we break down Youth Speak Out International’s curriculum week-by-week, exploring the major concepts and activities. This post looks at the lesson for Week Three. Cyberbullying is a major issue facing today’s young people. The internet and devices provide a shield for kids to hide behind as they hurt other people. Some kids might not even realize the impact of their words or actions because of the distance […]

Breaking It Down is a blog series where we break down Youth Speak Out International’s curriculum week-by-week, exploring the major concepts and activities. This post looks at the lesson for Week Two. The internet provides people with the ability to share information quickly and easily. This can be incredibly useful– but also potentially dangerous. In the second week of our Today’s Digital Citizens program, we explain the concept of a “digital footprint” and explore with […]

This summer, students in Youth Speak Out International’s Today’s Digital Citizens program had the opportunity to collaborate with senior citizens. At Acts of Kindness summer camp, students in the 3rd-5th grade class heard from a local senior citizen about how technology impacts her life and her relationships with her grandchildren. She also helped students work on their projects, assisting with the creation of storyboards for each group’s Public Service Announcement (PSA).  This opportunity to collaborate […]

Breaking It Down is a blog series where we break down Youth Speak Out International’s Today’s Digital Citizens curriculum week-by-week, exploring the major concepts and activities. This post looks at the lesson for Week One.  The first moments of any of our summer and afterschool programs are filled with butterflies. Students make decisions right away about the facilitator and what he or she is there to teach them. At the same time, the Youth Speak […]

Digital technology plays a critical role in our daily lives. Many of us are constantly attached to our devices– whether that’s working on a computer, watching a new show through a streaming platform, or simply having our smartphones within reach at all times. But talking about the impact that these devices and platforms have on our lives can be incredibly difficult– especially when it comes to conversations with our children.  In Youth Speak Out International’s […]