Read any newspaper, magazine or blog and it's no secret that Internet safety is at the top of today's list of parenting concerns. Why shouldn't it be? With seemingly no restrictions, we let our children use a machine that connects them to the entire world - and, more importantly, connects the entire world to them!
The benefits of the Internet spread far and wide; but for as much good as it has brought, there are those who use the internet to do bad things, including prey on children. From Internet predators to thieves and cyberbullies to illegal downloads and kids themselves doing naive but dangerous things like "sexting," the dangers associated with the Internet are many and they are REAL! Parents need to think twice before allowing the children to use the internet without monitoring what they are doing.
Pandora Corp. makers of PC Pandora computer monitoring software, in association with nationally recognized child advocate, Maureen Flatley, and her team at Flatley McNeil and Associates, have created a comprehensive Internet safety symposium, available to anyone looking for or in need of materials to educate parents and discuss online safety in their local community.
"Every day," says Flatley, "countless children are exposed to inappropriate content and are actually victimized either in cyberspace or in their own schools, neighborhoods or homes by abusers who range from hardened criminal predators to opportunistic abusers to their own peers. Letting your child go on the internet alone is like letting them get in a car with a stranger."
"The first step in achieving a safer global internet is education and awareness for families and the people who serve kids, whether it's schools, day care centers, community groups or even law enforcement," says Pandora Corp. co-founder James Leasure. "We've taken the time and devoted the resources to creating a simple-but-thorough PowerPoint presentation, so busy professionals, parents, educators and community groups have the ability to download and provide simple, straightforward information to groups quickly."
"This is also a critical time to present Internet safety as a topic of importance to parents," adds Flatley. "Kids are heading back to school soon and we will see a new wave of children using the internet for the first time."
The PD Pandora Internet Safety Symposium is an informative and customizable 90-minute safety seminar that analyzes the common threats children and families face online every day. The symposium covers Internet predators, cyberbullying, peer-to-peer file sharing, social networking and more, as well as solutions that will help any 21st century parent. The complete package consists of a full PowerPoint presentation, read-along script, 6-page parent hand-out for distribution and marketing materials.
The PD Pandora Internet Safety Symposium is designed for any parent group, community organization or law enforcement body that is in need of concise but thorough Internet safety materials for a planned, requested or desperately needed community meeting on the topic.
"Education is really the first step," explains Leasure. "An educated community is a strong one. We are thrilled to be able to offer this resource to communities and organizations that need help."
The materials cost nothing and are free for anyone to download and utilize, but there is an extra incentive that Pandora Corp. is hoping will be a driving force. While they aren't the first to offer Internet safety materials for educational use, they are the first to offer a fundraising partnership incentive.
Pandora Corp. is providing the opportunity for local community groups to hold PD Pandora Internet Safety meetings. By promoting the company's well-reviewed computer monitoring software, PC Pandora, now in its 6th iteration, organizations and communities can raise funds for their own ventures. This makes the PD Pandora Internet Safety Symposium not only educational for parents, but beneficial for the organizations hosting symposiums.
"Any organization that registers for a PD Pandora kit will be given the option to use the symposium as a fundraiser," explains Leasure. "Help us spread the benefits of PC Pandora, and we'll send a substantial portion of money raised right back to where it matters most - your community."
A copy of the PC Pandora computer monitoring software is included in the PD Pandora Internet Safety Symposium kit.
So, if you are ready to talk Internet safety in your community and need materials, or if you are in need of a fundraising vehicle - and are tired of selling candy bars and magazines from a flyer - please take a look at what the PD Pandora Internet Safety Symposium has to offer. It's the easiest way to make 2009 a safer year for kids on the internet, while giving back to your school or community at the same time.
For more details, head to the PD Pandora Internet Safety webpage at www.pcpandora.com/pdpandora, where you can view a sample of the materials and fill out the short online form to get started. You can also email the company directly.
About PC Pandora: Pandora Corporation was formed with one goal - to help our customers monitor, control and protect their families and themselves online. First released in mid 2005, PC Pandora has been constantly upgraded to industry-leading specifications and has received accolades from users, reviewers and even school districts and law enforcement agencies, who use the program to help in the day-to-day supervision of the children and citizens they are charged with protecting. The company website devotes space to helping parents by providing them with 18 Tips to Safe Surfing and Pandora's Blog, where current news in the world of online safety is discussed regularly. PC Pandora has vaulted into a leadership position for parental control software by boasting a combination of features that are unparalleled in the monitoring industry. In 2008, Version 5.0 was released, again widening the spectrum of coverage and protection offered by the program. Currently in version 5.3, the next release of PC Pandora will incorporate Pandora LIVE, a web-based service that will allow parents to check content from anywhere through a secure server.
