It’s time for the annual Minnesota ‘Kids Safe Online Poster Contest’!

The Kids Safe Online Poster Contest is a great way to teach children in grades K-12 about cyber security. The deadline to submit posters is Feb. 5, 2014.

• Kids Safe Online Submission Form

The contest is open to all public, private or home-schooled students in kindergarten through twelfth grade and is administered by the State of Minnesota’s central IT organization, MN.IT Services and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC).

Many homes that have never had internet, now have school issued iPads. Read more about this in our 1:1 iPad initiative blog published September 9th, SW And Central Minnesota Embrace Technology In The Classroom. And to make it even trickier for parents, more and more electronic devices are now internet capable (gaming systems, ipods, Nintendo DS, etc). So now, more then ever, it is important that our children understand the possible dangers and how to keep themselves safe.

According to the getSTEM website:

The primary emphasis of the contest is to raise the awareness of cyber issues for our student population. As students utilize technology and mobile devices more and more, in school and socially, the risks increase. The purpose of the contest is to educate students about safe use of technology, curb cyber bullying, and raise awareness about cyber security. With October as Cyber Security Awareness Month and Bully Prevention Month it may be a great time to talk with your students about these important topics. Entries do not need to come from an entire school or even an entire class. Entries may also come from a school group or club. Entries must be submitted by February 5, 2014.

If you have any questions about the contest please feel free to contact Nancy.Sktua@state.mn.us. You will find the contest rules and submission forms the MN.IT Services Website at http://mn.gov/oet/support/cyber-security-awareness/#.  Please feel free to forward this message on to other educators. I hope we might see an entry from your school and the students you work with.

How did Cyber Security Awareness Month come to be?

Each October, State security experts host a series of events on the State Capitol Campus to promote cyber security. See the October 2011 Proclamation signed by Gov. Mark Dayton in honor of Cyber Security Awareness Month. – MN.IT Services

If your family or business is in need of fast, reliable and affordable broadband internet service ~ check our online coverage map for a list of the communities we are proud to serve.