Vicenza Middle School PTSA
Armed Forces
Vicenza Middle School PTSA is a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) school that serves military families stationed overseas. With more middle schoolers than ever using social media and other online platforms, they wanted to help their families understand and navigate online communities, digital citizenship and the pressures of social media. Using their grant from National PTA and Discord, they held a Build Up and Belong event during the school’s Month of the Military Child celebrations. Their event included an engaging and interactive presentation and group discussions that sparked conversation about online behavior, content sharing and the impact of social media.
“Our program sought to equip students and parents with the knowledge and tools to handle online interactions responsibly. For students just beginning to explore the digital world, this initiative was crucial to ensuring they have a positive and safe online experience,” reported the PTSA.
They had a great turnout for their event, including the entire 8th grade class. Following the program, the PTSA hosted a cookout that featured food and games.
“Programs like this are especially important for our overseas military families, who often face challenges accessing resources that are available to stateside communities. Thanks to National PTA and Discord, we were able to share information to help families navigate the digital landscape safely and responsibly. Their commitment to supporting military families and fostering safe online spaces made a lasting impact on our community and empowered families to better support their children’s success and well-being in the online world.”
“By providing a space for both students and parents to learn and connect, we were able to strengthen our Vicenza military community.”
In their own words:
“This grant allowed us to provide a unique and valuable experience for both students and parents, helping us all navigate the complexities of online communities and digital citizenship in today’s world.”
Apollo Middle School PTSA
Hollywood, Fla.
To help their Title I school community navigate conversations about online safety, digital citizenship and screen time, Apollo Middle School PTSA in Hollywood, Fla., used their grant from National PTA, Google and YouTube to host a Be Internet Awesome event.
“The provided program guide gave us a clear roadmap for structuring our event,” reported the PTSA. “Families engaged in meaningful conversations about digital responsibility and healthy digital boundaries.”
They invited a guest speaker to talk about online safety, who provided valuable insights on digital safety and reinforced the idea that internet safety is a shared responsibility between parents, kids, educators and the community.
Families also learned about Google and YouTube’s digital safety tools, including Google’s SafeSearch and Family Link, through a presentation of the Meet LEO program. This gave them practical safety solutions they could implement immediately.
“The feedback from families was overwhelmingly positive. Parents appreciated the interactive approach, the practical advice and the opportunity to discuss internet safety in an open and supportive environment. Students enjoyed participating in discussions and learning how to be safe and responsible online. They are also now more aware of their online habits.”
The PTA shared the program materials and speaker slide deck with attendees and the wider school community following the event to help keep conversations going about digital responsibility.
“Our Be Internet Awesome event was engaging and impactful. It brought parents, students and educators together to learn and grow as a community.”
Interested in hosting an event at your school? Learn more about PTA Connected programs today!.
In their own words:
“I was amazed at how much knowledge I was able to walk away with from this event.”
Roscoe Wilson Elementary School PTA
Lubbock, Texas
Parenting in the digital age can be challenging. Families are faced with many important decisions surrounding technology use and digital safety, including knowing when their child is ready for a phone and how much screen time is appropriate.
To give parents tools and resources to guide their technology decisions, Roscoe Wilson Elementary School PTA in Lubbock, Texas, used their grant from National PTA supported by AT&T to host a Ready, Tech, Go! event.
Using the provided materials, program guide and PhoneReady questionnaire, they facilitated break-out sessions and discussions about screen readiness and healthy device usage.
“I found the discussions with other parents really helpful. They gave me insight into how other families are approaching technology decisions,” noted one parent.
A key takeaway attendees learned is that the content kids are consuming online is just as important as how much time they are spending on screens. Parents received tips for finding high quality digital content and activities that encouraged learning, not scrolling.
Parents also learned about tools like parental controls that they can use to keep their kids safe online.
“The program was incredibly useful for us as parents. It allowed us to consider {our children’s} readiness for advanced technology and opened up valuable opportunities for our family to have ongoing discussions about cell phone safety.”
“Another parent noted that "the program helped me feel more confident about making technology decisions. Taking the phone readiness questionnaire was very helpful as I have been concerned my child is not ready for additional technology, and that was confirmed in the results of the questionnaire.”
Following the event, the PTA distributed the information and resources from the program to the entire school community so that people who were not able to attend could benefit from the information. They also plan to hold the event in the future to help more families make important decisions about technology.
Learn how your PTA/PTSA can host a Ready, Tech, Go! event at your school. #HowWePTA
In their own words:
“After attending the Ready, Tech, Go! program, I feel more confident about making technology decisions.”
New York City Community Special Education PTSA
New York, N.Y.
New York City Community Special Education PTSA is a unique and untraditional PTSA serving special education students in schools across the city’s five boroughs. They wanted to take a grassroots approach to help families in their communities explore internet safety, digital wellness and digital citizenship. They used their grant from National PTA and TikTok to host a Create with Kindness event at a local hospital in the Bronx.
Community partners including a gun violence prevention organization and an agent from the Secret Service Cyber Crime Task Force were invited to share their insights on digital safety. They also invited TikTok influencer Zeddy Will, who led an engaging and meaningful conversation on digital responsibility and social media culture.
“The special agent delivered an eye-opening talk on online safety. For many of our students, meeting a Secret Service agent for the first time was both inspiring and empowering,” reported New York City Community Special Education PTSA. “And Zeddy Will’s energy, relatability and message sparked excitement among the students.”
Their event included a panel discussion, which both Zeddy Will and the special agent joined.
"One of our students was overwhelmed with nerves and insisted that they couldn’t speak in front of a crowd. After repeated encouragement from Zeddy Will, the student not only spoke, but shined. In that moment, he realized he was capable for more than he believed.”
Another key highlight of their program was the deep involvement of students, who helped organize the event and decorate the space. A student also served as the emcee.
Families reported that the event was enlightening and deeply impactful, and the PTSA plans to bring it back next year.
“Create with Kindness was more than a one-day event, it was an investment in our youth, their stories and their future. It demonstrated what’s possible when we create inclusive, youth-centered spaces grounded in collaboration, compassion and community.”
Learn how your PTA/PTSA can host a Create with Kindness event at your school at PTA.org/Connected.
In their own words:
“As New York City’s Community PTSA, we were proud to create a space where youth could truly shine. We watched them step into leadership roles, discover new talents and reflect deeply on how social media impacts their lives. It was powerful to see them realize just how capable they are when given the opportunity.”
West Brook High School PTA
Beaumont, Texas
Having conversations with teenagers about online behavior and safety can be challenging. To give their families the tools they need to have open discussions about these important topics, West Brook High School PTA, which serves a diverse Title I community in Beaumont, Texas, used their grant from National PTA and TikTok to host a Create with Kindness event.
Using the provided program guide, parents and students discussed digital safety, responsibility and how to be kind while interacting online. The school’s guidance counselor led the discussions using real-world scenarios, sparking conversations on how to handle different situations.
Their event also included a panel discussion, where teens shared their own experiences of things they encountered online.
“The students did a great job speaking honestly about their experiences, and the parents appreciated the candid responses,” reported West Brook High PTA.
"As both a parent and a minimal social media user, I have long held a skeptical and pessimistic view of the preeminent role it plays in the lives of teenagers today. This program gave me the opportunity to hear from the student panel just how positive their social media interactions can be, particularly when employed to enhance the learning experience and foster creativity and connectedness among online communities. Learning about their experiences was both enlightening and reassuring, and it motivated me to explore these same benefits of social media use with my own teenage children," said one West Brook High School parent.
Families also learned about safety tools built into social media apps like TikTok that are designed to keep teens safe online. Families left the event with printed copies of TikTok’s Guide for Parents and cards with different online scenarios so they could continue conversations about online safety and good digital citizenship at home.
Visit the PTA Connected initiative to learn more about hosting a Create with Kindness program in your school.
In their own words:
“Learning about the student panel’s experiences was both enlightening and reassuring and motivated me to explore these same benefits of social media use with my own teenage children.”
Overlea High School PTSA
Baltimore, Md.
Overlea High School PTSA in Baltimore, Md., wanted to bring families in their Title I school community together to talk about navigating digital life, including learning practical tips for staying safe online and being good digital citizens. Using their grant from National PTA and Discord, they held a Build Up and Belong event. Their event included a powerful guest speaker and fun and thoughtful breakout sessions where teens and their parents/caregivers discussed how to handle different online scenarios from the provided program guide. They also shared a video of students talking about their online experiences.
To give families additional tools and information, the PTSA held a resource fair at their event, where community partners shared information on local mental health services, technology support and career and college readiness opportunities.
Local elected officials and school leaders joined the event, and at least one teacher asked for the digital scenarios to use in their classroom.
“National PTA provided clear guidance, helpful resources and ongoing encouragement that made it easier for our team to plan and follow through. It felt like we had a partner rooting for us the whole time,” said Overlea High School PTSA. “Our families walked away feeling more informed, more connected to each other and more aware of the resources available to help them thrive.”
Learn more about hosting a Build Up and Belong event or other PTA Connected programs in your school. #HowWePTA
In their own words:
“This grant didn’t just fund an event—it gave our PTSA a platform to address real needs, connect families on a critically important topic in a deeper way and try something new with confidence.”
University Hills Elementary School PTA
Rochester Hills, Mich.
True or false: 8 to 12-year-olds spend about five hours per day using screens for entertainment.
This was a question posed to parents and caregivers at a Ready, Tech, Go! event held by University Hills Elementary School PTA in Rochester Hills, Mich. The PTA used their grant from National PTA supported by AT&T to host the event.
Ready, Tech, Go! is designed to help families navigate parenting in the digital age through meaningful peer-to-peer discussions about screen readiness. The program also promotes healthy and responsible device use for all members of the family.
The statement about screen time is true. A 2021 survey conducted by Common Sense Media found that children ages 8-12 spend around five and half hours a day using screens for entertainment, with boys having slightly higher screen times than girls on average.
Attendees learned that not all screen time is created equally, though. How kids spend time online is just as important as how much time they are spending on screens. Parents learned to look for high-quality digital content and activities that are hands-on and minds-on.
“The program changed my outlook on technology,” noted one parent. “I usually think of technology as bad, but in reality, it is something our children will have to use daily in their careers and in their social life.”
Attendees also completed the PhoneReady Questionnaire created by AT&T and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The questionnaire helps parents and caregivers explore if their child is ready to own a phone.
“I liked sharing the questionnaire with my son,” said another parent. “We used the quiz as a tool to establish benchmarks as to when he would possibly be ready for a phone."
A highlight of the event were the breakout sessions, which sparked conversations and gave attendees from diverse backgrounds insight into how other families are approaching technology use in their own homes. Breakout groups explored questions like:
- When your child asks to use new or more technology, what goes through your mind? How do you decide what to tell them?
- How do you communicate technology and screen expectations to your children?
- What steps do you take to help your child use technology safely and responsibly?
Parents were also given resources to help them find age-appropriate digital content and a tip sheet to guide ongoing conversations at home about screen time and phone readiness.
“Our event was both informative and thought-provoking,” said the PTA. “Parents gained valuable insights into new tools and resources designed to keep their kids safe online and better manage technology use at home.”
Learn how your PTA can host a Ready, Tech, Go! event in your school. #HowWePTA
In their own words:
“Our Ready, Tech, Go! event not only facilitated connections among parents from diverse backgrounds, but it also sparked an important conversation about raising kids in the digital age that engaged everyone there.”
Deer Park Elementary School PTA
Centreville, Va.
Deer Park Elementary School PTA in Centreville, Va., wanted to educate their families about digital safety and empower them to set clear digital boundaries in their homes. Using their grant from National PTA and Norton (a part of the Gen family of brands), they hosted The Smart Talk, an event that offers practical guidance on how families can have positive, proactive technology conversations. During the event, parents and students worked on personalized family technology agreements to set healthy digital limits together.
They invited an education consultant and children’s advocate to guide the interactive discussions using the provided program guide. The consultant shared information about screen time, good digital citizenship and online safety, and offered evidence-based strategies that families can use to keep their kids safe online.
"The Smart Talk presentation was such a fun and eye-opening experience,” said a Deer Park Elementary parent. “I was surprised by how much our kids already knew!”
To be more inclusive, they offered two sessions—an in-person event and an online version that families could attend via Zoom.
“Parents that attended reported feeling more confident in navigating online safety with their children. The students gained valuable awareness of responsible digital habits,” reported the PTA. “Through this program, our PTA reinforced its commitment to equipping families with resources that support student well-being in today’s digital world.”
Interested in running The Smart Talk in your school? Learn how. #HowWePTA
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In their own words:
“My child and I had never really sat down to discuss online safety in such a structured way before, and this event gave us the tools to create clear boundaries together.”
H. Frank Carey High School PTSA
Franklin Square, N.Y.
“How can I be kind today?”
That was a question student members of the H. Carey High School PTSA, located in Franklin Heights, New York, asked their classmates to think about during their Kindness Café, which was held during the school’s lunch period. The PTSA hosted the café and a Create with Kindness evening event for families using their grant from National PTA and TikTok.
Create with Kindness is a program designed to bring parents/caregivers and teens together for open and interactive discussions about online experiences, safety and how to be good digital citizens.
At the Kindness Café, which had a social media theme, students took pictures and made a video about kindness. In addition to inspiring students to think about kindness, the goal of the café was to drive attendance for the evening event.
Led by the school’s guidance counselor, the evening event engaged students and their families in discussions about online behaviors. Using the provided program materials, families talked about safety, setting boundaries, modeling good behavior and the importance of being kind when using social media. The event included a student panel, who shared some of their online experiences and their thoughts on being good digital citizens.
“The highlight of the evening was our student panelists who spoke from the heart. Sharing their personal experiences and thoughtful reflection truly made the evening a success,” noted the PTSA. “We were so impressed with the amount of student involvement, and we really enjoyed the conversations about the worthwhile things we see on social media and the things to look out for.”
Learn how your PTA/PTSA can host a Create with Kindness event at your school at PTA Connected.
In their own words:
“I was surprised by how similar my classmates’ experiences were to my own. The discussion was a reminder of how when used the right way, we can all benefit and enjoy social media.”