The book, created by the Internet Keep Safe Coalition, is designed to teach children the "Three Keeps" of basic Internet safety: to keep safe personal information; to keep away from ever meeting Internet strangers; and to keep telling parents about anything they see on the Internet that makes them uncomfortable. The message is told through the adventures of "Faux Paw, the Techno Cat."
The announcement was made at a press conference today at Riverside Elementary Public School #44 in Indianapolis. ENA officials, who presented the books on behalf of Governor Mitch Daniels and Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Suellen Reed, were joined by Marsali Hancock, President of the Internet Keep Safe Coalition and Steve Kelly of the Indianapolis FBI Cybercrime Unit and other officials. With today's announcement, all 50 states have joined the Coalition's "Three Keeps" national campaign.
"As parents and educators, we are all faced with the growing threat of Internet predators and the need to teach our children how to protect themselves online," said Merle Gruesser, Indiana State Director of ENA. "Our mission is to protect children at school from inappropriate material on the Internet, but we also want to provide useful learning tools and recommendations for parents and students at home."
In addition to the books, ENA will also provide access for public school teachers and librarians to an animated companion film to the book through INschools and INPubLibraries, statewide networks the company provides for Indiana's K-12 schools and libraries.
"The bottom line is that you don't have to be a computer expert to protect your children online. The Internet is a powerful learning tool, but with it comes the need to be extra vigilant to ensure our children are not exposed to inappropriate material and activities that can happen online," Gruesser added.
