Empowering youth through knowledge in the digital age is crucial for building a safe and prosperous future. Here are several ways to achieve this:
Digital Literacy Education:
Provide youth with resources to improve their digital literacy skills, including understanding how to navigate the internet safely and responsibly.
Common Sense Education offers a wealth of resources for educators, parents and students on digital literacy, including lesson plans and interactive tools.
DigitalLearn offers free, self-paced courses designed to help adults and seniors improve their digital literacy skills. While it’s primarily aimed at adults, some of the content can be useful for youth as well.
Google Digital Garage offers free courses on various digital topics, including online safety, data privacy and digital marketing. It’s a valuable resource for both educators and learners.
MediaSmarts is a Canadian organization that provides media literacy resources for educators and parents. Their website offers lesson plans, interactive games and guides to help young people become critical media consumers.
NetSmartz, developed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, offers a variety of resources to educate children and teens about online safety. It includes interactive videos, games and tip sheets.
Online Safety Workshops and Resources:
Host online safety workshops and direct youth to websites that offer guidance on staying safe online.
Stay Safe Online by the National Cyber Security Alliance provides valuable tips and resources for online safety.
Cyberbullying Research Center focuses on preventing and addressing cyberbullying. Their website provides research-based resources, including presentations and guides for educators and parents.
iKeepSafe is dedicated to promoting digital citizenship and online safety. Their website offers free resources, including curriculum materials and toolkits for educators and parents.
ConnectSafely offers a variety of resources related to online safety and digital citizenship. They provide tip sheets, guides and advice for youth, parents and educators.
Internet Safety 101 provides comprehensive resources on internet safety, covering topics like online privacy, cyberbullying and sexting. It includes educational materials for parents, educators and youth.
Coding and Technology Learning:
Encourage youth to learn coding and other tech-related skills through online platforms and coding academies.
Codecademy offers interactive coding lessons in various programming languages and has a dedicated section for kids and beginners.
Khan Academy offers free coding courses that cover topics like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Their interactive lessons are suitable for beginners and more advanced learners.
Scratch is a visual programming language developed by MIT. It’s designed for kids and beginners, allowing them to create interactive stories, games, and animations in a fun and creative way.
MIT App Inventor is a platform for creating Android apps using a block-based coding interface. It’s a great way for young learners to get into app development.
Code.org offers a wide range of coding courses and resources for students of all ages. Their Hour of Code activities are a great starting point for beginners.
Coursera provides access to courses from top universities and organizations, including technology and coding courses. While many courses require payment, there are free options available.
Media Literacy and Critical Thinking:
Teach youth how to critically analyze online content and news.
MediaSmarts provides media literacy resources and lesson plans to help young people become critical media consumers.
The Center for Media Literacy offers educational resources and curriculum materials for teaching media literacy. They emphasize the development of critical thinking skills through media analysis.
Ad Fontes Media provides a media bias chart that rates the reliability and political bias of news sources. It’s a valuable tool for teaching critical evaluation of news content.
FactCheck.org is a nonpartisan website that monitors the accuracy of political claims. It’s an excellent resource for teaching students how to fact-check information and discern credible sources.
Snopes is known for debunking urban legends and myths, but it also fact-checks a wide range of claims and misinformation circulating online.
The News Literacy Project focuses on helping young people develop critical thinking skills to evaluate information sources. Their website offers lesson plans, interactive tools, and resources for educators.
Open Educational Resources (OER):
Promote access to free educational content online, including textbooks, videos, and courses.
OpenStax offers free, peer-reviewed textbooks for various subjects, making quality education accessible to all.
MIT OpenCourseWare provides free access to course materials from MIT’s undergraduate and graduate courses. It includes lecture notes, assignments and other resources.
Coursera for Campus offers free access to courses and content from top universities and organizations. It includes video lectures, quizzes and assignments.
Khan Academy offers a vast collection of free educational resources, including video lessons, exercises and tutorials for students of all ages.
edX provides free access to online courses from universities and institutions worldwide. While some courses offer certificates for a fee, the course content is often freely available.
OER Commons is a digital library of open educational resources. It offers a wide variety of materials, including textbooks, lesson plans and multimedia content.
Online Civics and Digital Citizenship Education:
Websites can help teach young people about their rights and responsibilities in the digital world.
iCivics provides free, engaging civics education games and resources designed to educate young people about their role in society.
Common Sense Education provides lesson plans, videos and interactive tools to teach digital citizenship, online safety, and responsible technology use.
The Digital Citizenship Institute offers resources and events focused on promoting digital citizenship and responsible online behavior. They provide lesson plans and materials for educators.
Google’s Be Internet Awesome program includes free online games and resources designed to teach kids about online safety, privacy and critical thinking.
Cyber Civics is a digital citizenship curriculum designed for middle school students. They offer resources for educators and parents to teach responsible technology use.
Edutopia, run by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, provides articles, videos and lesson plans on a wide range of educational topics, including digital citizenship and civics education.
Youth Entrepreneurship:
Encourage youth to explore entrepreneurship through online platforms that offer guidance and support.
Youth Entrepreneurs provides resources and programs to inspire and equip young people to pursue entrepreneurial ventures.
Young Entrepreneurs Academy provides a comprehensive entrepreneurship education program for middle and high school students. Their website offers information on local programs and resources.
The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship provides entrepreneurship education programs for young people worldwide. Their website offers curriculum resources, success stories and information on competitions and events.
Junior Achievement offers programs that teach financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work-readiness skills to young people. Their website provides resources for students, educators and volunteers.
Youth Business International is a global network of organizations that support young entrepreneurs. Their website offers resources, case studies and information on programs and initiatives.
SCORE is a nonprofit organization that provides free mentoring and resources to entrepreneurs of all ages. They offer webinars, articles and templates that can be beneficial to young entrepreneurs.
Cybersecurity and Ethical Hacking:
Promote websites that offer resources for learning about cybersecurity and ethical hacking.
Cybrary offers a wide range of cybersecurity courses and resources, including ethical hacking training.
The SANS Institute provides cybersecurity training, certification and resources. Their website offers whitepapers, webcasts and newsletters on various cybersecurity topics.
Open Web Application Security Project is a community-driven organization focused on improving the security of software. Their website provides resources, tools and best practices for web application security.
SecurityTube offers free video tutorials and courses on ethical hacking, penetration testing and security-related topics. It’s an excellent resource for hands-on learning.
Hack This Site! is a platform that allows users to practice their hacking skills legally on vulnerable web applications. It offers challenges of varying difficulty levels.
Metasploit Unleashed is a free resource that provides in-depth tutorials on using the Metasploit framework for penetration testing and ethical hacking.
Online Support Communities:
Connect youth with websites and online communities where they can seek advice and share experiences.
Reddit’s r/Youth is a platform where young people can engage in discussions on various topics and seek advice from peers.
ReachOut is an online platform dedicated to supporting young people’s mental health and well-being. It offers articles, forums and stories to help young individuals navigate difficult emotions and experiences.
TeenHelp provides an extensive online community for teenagers dealing with issues such as mental health, relationships and self-esteem. The website includes forums, articles and chat support.
Youth Beyond Blue, a part of Beyond Blue, focuses on youth mental health. It offers information, personal stories and forums where young people can discuss their mental health experiences.
7 Cups provides emotional support through trained listeners and it has a dedicated section for teens. Teens can connect with a listener to discuss their concerns anonymously.
Scarleteen is a sex education and information resource for young people. It offers articles, forums and chat support on topics related to sexuality, relationships and sexual health.
Positive Online Engagement and Social Impact:
Encourage youth to use the internet for positive purposes, such as activism and volunteering.
DoSomething.org offers campaigns and resources that empower young people to take action on social issues.
Change.org is a platform that allows individuals to start and sign petitions on a wide range of social and environmental issues. It’s a way to mobilize support for causes you care about.
Idealist is a platform that connects individuals with volunteer opportunities, nonprofit organizations, and social impact jobs. It’s a valuable resource for those looking to get involved in positive social initiatives.
VolunteerMatch helps individuals find volunteer opportunities in their local communities. You can search for volunteer positions based on your interests and location.
GoFundMe is a crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise funds for personal causes, charities, and nonprofit organizations. It has been used to support a wide range of social and humanitarian efforts.
CaringBridge is a platform that helps people create personalized websites to share health updates and receive support during challenging times. It’s often used for medical fundraisers and emotional support.
Parental Guidance:
Direct parents to websites that provide guidance on parenting in the digital age.
Parent Zone offers articles and resources to help parents understand and navigate the digital world with their children.
Common Sense Media offers a dedicated section for parents with guidance on managing screen time, choosing age-appropriate media and teaching digital citizenship.
Family Online Safety Institute offers resources and advice for parents on topics such as online safety, privacy and responsible digital citizenship.
ConnectSafely provides guides and resources for parents to help their children use technology safely and responsibly.
iKeepSafe provides resources, tools and guides for parents to promote a safe and positive online experience for children.
Screenagers is a documentary film that explores the impact of screens on children and offers resources and tips for parents navigating the digital age.
CyberWise offers resources for parents and educators on digital literacy, online safety and media literacy for children.
Online Learning Platforms:
Encourage youth to explore online learning platforms that offer courses on a wide range of subjects.
Coursera provides access to courses from top universities and organizations, empowering young learners to expand their knowledge.
Udacity specializes in tech and coding-related courses, including nanodegree programs that focus on building practical skills for the job market.
Khan Academy is a free platform offering lessons, practice exercises and instructional videos on a wide range of subjects, primarily focused on K-12 education.
Skillshare offers a vast library of creative and practical courses taught by industry professionals. It covers topics like design, photography, business and more.
Pluralsight specializes in technology and IT training, offering courses and assessments for developers, IT professionals and creatives.
Udemy is a marketplace for courses on a wide range of subjects. It features both paid and free courses, with a focus on practical skills.
Codecademy focuses on coding and programming. It provides interactive coding lessons in various programming languages.
