Castro Valley Educational Foundation

Contact Information:

CVEF

Castro Valley, CA 94546

Tax ID# 94-2797523

The Castro Valley Educational Foundation is a 501(c)(3)corporation.  Donations may be tax deductible.  Please consult your tax advisor.

Make a donation through PayPal. Just click on the PayPal icon to get started.

The Castro Valley Educational Foundation is now a partner with the United Way of the East Bay. When you make your contribution be sure to designate CVEF.

Making the Web a Safe and Rewarding Experience for Your Children

The Internet has become a part of daily life for many adults and students. Used correctly, the Web provides unprecedented access to educational resources and a remarkable tool for communication and collaboration. But the Web has a dark side too. As parents, we have the responsibility to insure that our children can use this potent force safely. 

Be an active participant in your children's Internet experience.

Know the Web and know what your children are doing on the Web. Don’t let young children surf the Web alone. Talk to your children about Internet safety. If you feel a little unsure of yourself, here are some websites that will give you some good information about Web safety.     

A Parents' Guide to the Internet and How to Protect Your Children in Cyberspace by Parry Aftab -    http://cyberangels.org/parentsguide/contents.html

Parents Guide to the Internet Tips for Safe Traveling - http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/internet/

Set your own home internet safety rules.

• Think carefully about discussion groups and chat rooms. Consider banning them from your children’s internet experience or monitor them very closely.  
• Make sure you know where your child is going online, who they've been talking to, what they are learning?
• Look at any website that your child posted a website on Tripod, Geocities, or another location? 
• Consider limiting the amount of time your children spend on the Internet.
•  Think about whether they should have computers in their own rooms.
• Consider filtering software for your computers.

Make sure your children know the basic rules of Internet safety.

• Do your children know how to use the back button?
• If your child stumbles onto threatening or disturbing material, they must know how to back out of the site quickly. Urge them to tell you about the experience.
• Are they aware of basic netiquette?
• Do they know how to protect themselves in a chat room flame war?
• Do they understand privacy issues?  How much information do they routinely provide marketers?

Yahooligans - Staying Street Smart on the Web!
http://www.yahooligans.com/docs/safety/index.html

New York Public Library (NYPL) - A Safety Net for the Internet
http://www.nypl.org/branch/safety.html

SafeKids.com - SafeKids.com
http://www.safekids.com/

Child Safety on the Information Highway
By Lawrence J. Magid
(c) 1998 National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
http://www.safekids.com/child_safety.htm

Rules for Online Safety
http://www.safekids.com/myrules.htm

Teen Safety on the Internet
http://www.safeteens.com/safeteens.htm

American Library Association - ALA - Librarians Guide to Cyberspace for Parents and Kids
http://www.ala.org/parentspage/greatsites/guide.html

America Links Up - America Links Up - select safety tips for parents
http://www.netparents.org/

The Children's Partnership (TCP) - The Parents' Guide to the Information Superhighway, 2nd Edition
Rules and Tools for Families Online
http://www.childrenspartnership.org/pub/pbpg1.html

US Government Printing Office  - Parents Guide to the Internet
Tips for Safe Traveling
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/internet/tips.html

US Department of Education - Office of Educational Technology http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/safety.html

US Department of Justice - Cyberethics for Teachers: A lesson plan outline for elementary and middle school children
http://www.cybercrime.gov/rules/lessonplan1.htm

KidsHealth for Parents (Nemours Foundation)                        http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/net_safety.html