HODGDON, Maine — Mill Pond School and Hodgdon High School have scheduled a cyber safe/bullying event on Wednesday, March 23 during school hours for students and at 6:30 p.m. for parents.
The parent session will take place at Mill Pond School. Childcare will be provided.
Cybersafety expert and “STOPit” cop Sgt. Tom Rich will serve as the lead presenter. STOPit Cybersafe Rallies are presentations designed to connect with today’s youth and provide tools for navigating the dangers and vulnerabilities imposed on them daily by social media. Generating awareness of the pitfalls and offering protection for students in an upbeat and positive manner, students are empowered to manage today’s technology in a safe and constructive way.
“With Snapchat, Instagram, Vine, Facebook, and other social media platforms putting children at risk, we have chosen to use STOPit rallies to encourage good digital citizenship, and to empower our students to do the right thing so we can take control of issues before they spiral out of control,” stated Mary Harbison, principal at Hodgdon High School.
Sgt. Rich is an 18-year veteran of the Summit Police Department in New Jersey, where he worked as a patrol officer, detective, juvenile detective, D.A.R.E. officer, juvenile sergeant, and patrol sergeant. Sgt. Rich has been a keynote speaker at over 700 events nationally, reaching over 1,000,000 students worldwide. He has also been a featured expert on the subject of online safety and cyberbullying for Good Morning America, CNN and Fox television.
Most recently, he was named the 2014 Citizen of the Year by Probation Association of New Jersey.
Sgt. Rich’s goal is to create “teachable moments” to help bridge the gap between students and adults, be they administrators or parents. He aims to open the lines of communication through education and awareness by sharing both the personal and legal consequences of misusing technology, social media, and popular apps like Snapchat and Yik Yak.
Sgt. Rich challenges audiences to go beyond stereotypes, become upstanders, and to be aware of the dangers that lurk behind the screen. Using videos and creative solutions, Sgt. Rich’s high energy presentations lead the audience on an engaging journey, showing how the many forms of communication available today can also be used positively. He reinforces the idea that character education and supportive school climates are the keys to changing our youth’s experiences.
To learn more about STOPit, please visit www.stopitcyberbully.com.
