October isn’t just about pumpkins, costumes, and apple cider donuts. It’s also Cybersecurity Awareness Month. This year’s theme, Stay Safe Online, is about the simple ways students can protect themselves, their classmates, and their school from online threats.
Computer literacy and security have become an essential part of elementary education, starting at the earliest levels—because even preschoolers have access to internet-enabled devices.
Google and Sesame Workshop have teamed up to help children build healthy relationships with technology. New videos and digital resources featuring the beloved Muppets of Sesame Street teach children, families, and caregivers how to create healthy digital habits—from how to “stop and take a breath” when using digital media to prioritizing connections with loved ones.
Throughout the fall, Sesame Workshop will take these digital wellbeing resources on the road with librarian-led workshops for children and caregivers at public libraries across the country. (The Sesame Workshop site provides a growing list of participating libraries.)
To complement the resources for children, Sesame Workshop has created a free online course that brings to life healthy digital habits for adults, including teachers, social workers, healthcare professionals, and caregivers. Through engaging and interactive content, such as quizzes, forums, videos, and printables, providers will learn to guide media use, share information in ways that strengthen relationships, and create safe, exciting exploration opportunities both online and in person.