Rockford — In the interest of giving parents and guardians the tools they need to safeguard children from some of the unseen dangers of the digital world, the Rockford Education Foundation is hosting an upcoming webinar on social media safety.
The free webinar takes place from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, on Microsoft Teams. The meeting can be accessed here.
The virtual event will be hosted by Alisha Meneely, government and outreach director for the Michigan Child Protection Registry, who has worked with the district on similar programs in the past.
Larinda Fase, Rockford’s director of special programs, said the webinar will focus on informing parents about some of the threats that exist in the social media world, including some of the lesser-known apps predators and traffickers use to target children.
“This social media safety presentation is beyond the basics of how much screen time is too much screen time,” Fase said. “It’s about understanding the specific tactics that predators can use to reach children today.
“Our goal of the hour is that our parents feel informed, empowered and one step ahead of the digital risks that are out there.”
The webinar is open to the public, and Fase encourages parents and guardians to consider attending, no matter how young their kids might be.
“I would say it’s never too early to stay one step ahead,” she said. “We want our parents to walk away with practical steps they can implement at home, immediately, to improve their kids’ safety.”
Fase said Meneely will take some time at the end of the event to answer questions from parents and guardians.
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