Bedford schools eye computer-use safety

4/9/2008

TEMPERANCE - Bedford Local Schools will host a computer safety program April 22 designed to protect children from Internet predators.

The program, part of Michigan Cyber Safety Initiative, was scheduled for late February, when students in each of the district's five elementary schools and the junior high school were to be told about Internet safety and how to navigate safely in chat rooms and social networking sites.

A snow storm canceled school that day and caused the district to cancel the community seminar, which is open to parents and others who live outside the school district. The program will begin at 7 p.m. in the high school, 8285 Jackman Rd.

The Internet safety presentation will give tips on how to access the state sex offender registry and receive e-mail on updates to the site.

The Internet safety program was introduced last year by Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox.

A 10-member team from Mr. Cox's office is available to give presentations for different age groups. They focus on warning children against giving personal information about themselves and their families to strangers in Internet social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook.

More than 150,000 school children in the state have been reached through the program.

After the seminar, Monroe County sheriff's deputies will be available to discuss Internet predators and will hand out software information.