Baltimore County Public Schools

PTA Council of Baltimore County

Towson University

Challenge

President Clinton and Vice President Gore announced a plan to build a family-friendly Internet. The plan included the following challenges:

Involvement of parents to learn more about the Internet

Industry to develop easy-to-use child protection technologies and content specific sites for children and families

Enforcement of existing laws to protect children in cyberspace

Mission

Ensure that the Internet is a safe, educational, and entertaining online environment for children and families by empowering parents with information, resources, training, human support services, and technical solutions.

Return to the P.I.E. homepage.

Goals

This initiative was inspired by the Online Summit: Focus on Children which took place in Washington, D.C. in December 1997. The P.I.E. Steering Committee's vision is to address some of the compelling issues with regard to the need for parents to learn more about the Internet so that they are able to help their children make responsible choices when using the Internet, guide them in the safe use of the Internet, and ensure that this valuable resources is part of their child's educational and leisure-time experience. Five important areas this initiative will focus on are:

What great information is available on the Internet for children and families?

How can we reduce the "fear" of using the Internet and the technology?

How can parents use the Internet as a tool for parenting?

How can parents use the Internet to communicate with their children?

How can parents use the Internet for their own career development and their family's economic well-being?

Return to the P.I.E. homepage.

Strategies

• Conduct a Parent Internet Survey of 8,000 parents (March 1998) to determine what they already know, want to learn, and how they currently use/or not use the Internet with their children. (Letter sent with survey.)
  Return to the P.I.E. homepage.
  
• Form partnerships and seek sponsors.
  
• Organize P.I.E. School Training Teams which will provide a series of workshops (local and personal touch) at the school site for parents beginning in the Fall 1998. The team membership will include the library media specialist, teacher, parent, student, administrator or designee, and senior citizen. The agenda and content of the workshops will be designed by the Training Materials Subcommittee to ensure a consistent message and reduce the planning time of the P.I.E. School Training Teams. The training teams will be encouraged to schedule hands-on training at computer labs linked to the Internet at nearby schools or other community facilities (if not available in their school). A list of computer facilities and contact person will be published for the training teams.Return to the P.I.E. homepage.
  
• Conduct a Family Internet Town Meeting (Fall 1998) utilizing the Distant Learning Labs and the Education Channel. Parry Aftab and a panel of experts, along with parents and children, will discuss issues and uses of the Internet. Other counties in Maryland wishing to link to the Town Meeting may call Bob Harris at 410-887-4292. Return to the P.I.E. homepage.
  
• Produce a series of video programs featuring Parry Aftab (Spring/Summer 1998) talking with parents and children. Model it after the segment done at the Online Summit. Get community leaders and popular personalities to talk about their favorite websites and how they use the Internet in their lives. The video would be part of the training materials that local P.I.E. Training Teams would utilize. Return to the P.I.E. homepage.
  
• Hold a Parent Internet Expo as a kick-off event on June 5, 6, 7, 1998. Times are: Friday, June 5, 12 -8 pm, Saturday, June 6, 9 am - 8 pm, and Sunday, June 7, 12 - 6 pm. Invite exhibitors representative of the following groups: (1) the Internet industry to showcase products, tools, and services; (2) developers of content specific sites for children and families; (3) child advocacy groups which focus on Internet safety issues and children ; and (4) publishers and producers of books and media about the Internet. In addition to the exhibits, numerous Internet workshops and training sessions will be offered to parents.Return to the P.I.E. homepage.
  
• Produce a video program that would chronicle the "learning experiences" of 5 families (elementary, middle, and high school families) - "Before, During, and After the Parent Internet Education Project." Students from Randallstown High Mass Communications Magnet Program will produce this video beginning April 1998 and due for completion Fall 1998. Return to the P.I.E. homepage.
  
• Provide parental participation incentives and awards, e.g., a computer system, 1-year ISP service, Internet publications and software. Parents will earn "Passports" by attending various workshops; these tickets will be used to enter into drawings for a computer workstation.
  
• Babysitting services and bus transportation will be provided for parents who participate in all P.I.E. workshops and the Family Internet Expo.
  
• Market and publicize all components of the Parent Internet Education initiative with public service announcements produced and broadcast by The Education Channel, articles in the newspapers, articles for school newsletters, radio, and posters and flyers in community areas.
  
• Produce a Community Internet Resources and Services Directory. The list will include community facilities to access and learn about the Internet, Internet service providers, community exprts, and places to borrow or purchase
  Internet publications. Thids document will be included in the P.I.E. Training Materials. Return to the P.I.E. homepage.
  
• Keep the public informed about the progress of the P.I.E. initiative by making available the Steering Committee's Meeting Minutes .
  Meeting 1; Meeting 2; Meeting 3; Meeting 4; Meeting 5.Return to the P.I.E. homepage.
  
• Develop and maintain the P.I.E. website to communicate with the public and the stakeholders and to serve as a vehicle to distribute training materials and other information. Begin design in Marcnh 1998. The URL is http://www.bcpl.lib.md.us/centers/education/LibraryWeb/pie.
  
• Timeframe is as follows:
  
  

  January 22, 1998 (ESS) February 13, 1998 (ESS) February 27, 1998 (ESS) March 11, 1998 (Perry Hall Middle) April 1, 1998 (ESS) April 14, 1998 (ESS) May 5, 1998 (ESS) May 18, 1998 (ESS)	Steering Committee Meetings
  March 1998	Parent Internet Survey
  June 5-7, 1998	Family Internet EXPO
  Fall 1998	Internet Town Meeting
  Spring/Summer 1998	Video Production with Parry Aftab, Esq.
  Spring - Fall 1998	Video Production Documentary of 5 Families
  Fall 1998 - Spring 1999	Local School Parent Internet Training Workshops

  
  
  
• Return to the P.I.E. homepage.
  

Contacts

http://www.bcpl.lib.md.us/centers/education/LibraryWeb/pie/index.html
Della Curtis, Coordinator, Office of Library Information Services

Return to the P.I.E. homepage.