Family Tech Talk: A Free Internet Safety Event for Schools
Help parents learn the risks kids face online in an AI driven world
Being a kid in today’s digital world isn’t easy. In the age of AI, deep fakes, and online scams, it's critical that parents stay on top of what their kids are doing online and understand the risks they face. Your group can help by offering this free Internet safety event!
Family Tech Talk is a free parent education event from PTO Today and global cybersecurity leader Trend Micro. For more than 13 years, we've educated parents across thousands of school communities about what kids are doing online, the risks they face (particularly in an AI driven world), and how they can help their kids use the Internet safely. Sessions are hosted by an Internet safety expert over Zoom; select your preferred event date during registration.
This free educational event is Title I parent and family engagement approved and available in multiple languages upon request.
Don’t miss this FREE opportunity to help parents stay informed and keep their kids safe online. Here's what parents will learn during this Internet safety presentation:
- Online gaming and social media insights
- Preventing online risks such as scams and deep fakes (and how AI is making these scams more convincing)
- Best practices to be safe online
- Managing screentime and bullying
- App settings for age-appropriate content
- Parental controls and tips on kid’s device setup
- Parents can also ask their own questions during the live Q&A
Bring this informative webinar to your school so that parents can learn how to shield their children from online scams and establish effective daily safety habits. Discover the latest scams targeting kids and teens, how AI is making these scams more convincing, and get actionable steps to safeguard families.
We’ll cover essential online safety practices, tips to help parents educate their kids, and what to do if you or a child falls victim to a scam.
Curious about AI and its impact on families? We’ll discuss how AI is integrated into everyday apps and services, its benefits and risks, its impact on scams and misinformation, and share tips for safe interactions. Register your school for this free event to help parents stay ahead in the digital age and get practical advice on helping kids use their devices securely.
👉 If you’d like to share this program with your principal first, you can download and customize this letter from your group.
How Family Tech Talk Works
1. Register for an event (it’s free!)
When you register for Family Tech Talk, select the Zoom webinar date and time that works best for your school’s parents:
- Digital Citizenship Week - Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 7pm Eastern/4pm Pacific (registration closes Sept. 27)
- Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 9pm Eastern/6pm Pacific (registration closes Oct. 25)
- Safer Internet Day - Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 7pm Eastern/4pm Pacific (registration closes Jan. 24)
- Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at 9pm Eastern/6pm Pacific (registration closes Feb. 28)
2. Promote your event
Immediately after registering, you’ll receive an email from PTO Today confirming the details for your selected event (the date, time and a Zoom link to share with parents). A few weeks before your event, we'll email you marketing materials (like a flyer and social media graphics) so your group can promote Family Tech Talk. You can also invite other schools in your community, too - just share your event details with them.
3. During your event
Parents will be prompted to sign in during Zoom webinars. If you’re a Title I school, remind parents that it's important for them to sign in when they attend. You can then request a copy of the parent sign-in sheet from your Trend Micro representative after your event to submit as Title I documentation.
This free educational event is Title I parent and family engagement approved and available in multiple languages upon request.
Why PTO and PTA groups love this free Internet safety event:
- Presented by a knowledgeable Internet safety professional from global cybersecurity leader Trend Micro’s Internet Safety for Kids and Families team
- Accessible to all families over Zoom
- All presentations are given in both English and Spanish with other languages available upon request (pending availability)
- Title I parent and family engagement approved
- Free Internet safety event for all schools
- Appropriate for parents of kids of all ages - elementary school as well as middle school
- Parents have the opportunity to chat (in real time) with other parents attending from across the country and feel supported during this shared educational experience
- A great (and free) way to supplement other ongoing Internet safety initiatives at your school
Family Tech Talk is hosted by professional Internet safety experts
Lynette Owens, Founder and Global Director of Trend Micro’s Internet Safety for Kids and Families program, has worked with PTO Today for more than 13 years to offer Family Tech Talk—a free parent education event—to families via PTO and PTA groups. Lynette or another Internet safety expert from her team will deliver an engaging presentation and Q&A over Zoom for parents (you can invite other local schools to attend, too!). With 20-plus years in the tech industry, Lynette speaks and blogs regularly on how to help kids become great digital citizens. She works with communities and school districts across the United States and around the world to support online safety, digital and media literacy, and digital citizenship education. She is a board member of the National Association for Media Literacy Education, is an advisory committee member of the Digital Wellness Lab, and serves on the advisory boards of INHOPE and U.S. Safer Internet Day.
Why your group should educate parents about Internet safety
Our increasingly digital world is changing faster than most parents can keep up, and often, children know more about it than the grown-ups! It’s not just about knowing the newest trends; it’s also about how to make smart, safe choices, how to balance time spent online and off-, and knowing the importance of being considerate and respectful of others (as well as yourself), and understanding the risks kids face in an AI driven world. Family Tech Talk makes it possible for PTO and PTA groups to connect their school’s parents with an Internet safety expert so that families can learn and talk openly about digital responsibility, online safety for kids, data privacy, and why it’s all so important.
What PTO and PTA leaders are saying about Family Tech Talk
What is digital citizenship?
Being a good digital citizen is much the same as being a good citizen offline—it means being mindful, careful, and considerate when using technology and spending time online. Digital media is just part of the everyday for kids today—gaming in communities like Roblox, using social media like Instagram and TikTok, sending snaps to friends, or using ChatGPT. As these types of digital interactions increase, so too does the importance of good digital citizenship and making smart, safe choices online.
Digital Citizenship Week is celebrated the third week of October each year - a great time to offer Family Tech Talk!
Digital Citizenship Week Oct. 14-18, 2024
Safer Internet Day February 11, 2025
This free educational event is Title I parent and family engagement approved and available in multiple languages upon request.
