Building a Long-Term Culture of Cyber Safety Across a Catholic Diocese

Cyber safety education is most effective when it isn’t treated as a one-time conversation.

A Catholic diocese in Florida recognized the importance of providing students with ongoing, age-appropriate cyber safety education. Over several years, the diocese has worked with Cyber Safety Consulting to provide cyber safety curriculum and presentations to K–12 students and parents.

Approximately 6,000 students and parents have participated in the programming.

The Challenge: Keeping Cyber Safety Education Current

Technology changes quickly, but the need to help students make safer decisions online remains constant.

Rather than waiting for a specific online incident to trigger a response, the diocese recognized the value of educating students every year.

The goal was to provide consistent cyber safety education that could grow with students as their technology use, online experiences and risks changed.

A Long-Term Cyber Safety Education Approach

Cyber Safety Consulting provided in-depth, age-appropriate sessions using the Cyber Awareness & Safety Education (CASE) Curriculum.

Because the program serves K–12 students, cyber safety concepts can be presented in ways appropriate to students’ ages and stages of technology use.

Parents were also included in the education process through an hour-long cyber safety session, helping extend important conversations beyond school and into the home.

Addressing the Online Issues Students Face

The programming addressed a broad range of cyber safety and digital citizenship topics, including:

The ability to address a broad range of topics allows cyber safety education to evolve as technology and online risks change.

The Impact of Consistent Cyber Safety Education

The diocese’s relationship with Cyber Safety Consulting demonstrates the value of making cyber safety education an ongoing part of student education rather than a one-time event.

The diocese reports that students have been safer online since receiving Cyber Safety Consulting’s educational services.

The programs have also become something participants recognize and anticipate. Students and families enjoy the programming and look forward to Cyber Safety Consulting returning each year.

Why Annual Cyber Safety Education Matters

A kindergarten student’s digital world looks very different from that of a middle-school or high-school student.

As students grow, they encounter new devices, platforms, social pressures and online risks. Providing cyber safety education throughout the K–12 years allows schools to reinforce foundational concepts while introducing new information as students’ online lives become more complex.

It also gives parents opportunities to better understand what their children are experiencing and continue those conversations at home.

For this Florida diocese, that means cyber safety isn’t simply a reaction to an online problem. It has become part of an ongoing commitment to protecting and educating students.

Bring Ongoing Cyber Safety Education to Your Schools

Cyber Safety Consulting works with schools, districts, dioceses and other educational organizations to provide age-appropriate cyber safety education for students, parents and educators.

Programs can include student presentations, parent education, educator training and the CASE Curriculum—and can be customized for different grade levels and school communities.

Ready to build an ongoing cyber safety program for your schools?