Digital Citizenship is comprised of the knowledge and practices that allow students to safely interact in a digital environment. Topics cover appropriate online behavior, responsible use of social networking websites, and cyberbullying prevention. All students must be educated annually in this subject in order to comply with Federal law.
Curriculum
You may provide instruction using any of the approved curricular providers below.
Free Options
- Be Internet Awesome: Google’s Be Internet Awesome supports students in grades 2 - 7 in being safe, confident explorers in their online world.
- Common Sense Education: This curriculum provides free lesson plans, interactives, and videos designed to support K-12 students in being good digital citizens. You can also use their Essential Guide to Digital Citizenship for CIPA & E-Rate. (Open external link)
- EverFi- Ignition – Digital Wellness and Safety: Ignition: Digital Wellness and Safety is a digital literacy curriculum designed to provide students in grades 6-9 with the information they need to safely and confidently navigate the digital world, and the skills to leverage technology safely and effectively.
- Teaching Digital Citizenship Through an Inquiry Lens - The NYCDOE Department of Library Services has aligned the Common Sense Digital Citizenship Curriculum to the Empire State Information Fluency Continuum to help build digital citizenship skills through an inquiry model for grades K-12.
Fee Options
- BrainPOP: FAMIS Vendor ID: BRA550283
- BrainPOP Jr.
- Curriculum consists of lesson ideas, quizzes, games, and activities for students in grades K-3
- BrainPOP Digital Citizenship
- Curriculum consists of topics, learning pathways, and support resources for teachers and students grades 3 and up.
- BrainPop Promo Video
- i-Safe: FAMIS Vendor ID: ISA821845
- Standards-based, Common Core ready digital learning content for students in grades K-12.
Schools Must Certify
As soon as schools have educated students about appropriate online behavior, including responsible use of social networking websites and cyberbullying prevention, schools need to certify compliance. The deadline to do so is April 5, 2024.
Learning Opportunities
On-Demand Classes
WeLearn
On-demand Digital Citizenship classes are available from our partners through WeLearnNYC
Sign into the WeLearn platform. Then select the "Discover” tab and type in the name of the class you’d like to take from the list below. The class will then be listed in “My Courses” when you visit your home screen again. Most classes also qualify for CTLE credit:
- Google’s Be Internet Awesome (Grades 3 - 5)
- CommonSense Education (Grades K - 12)
- EverFi(Grades 6 - 9)
Recorded Class
This class does not qualify for CTLE credit:
- Teaching Digital Citizenship Through an Inquiry Lens (Grades K-12)
Digital Citizenship Certification Programs
You can visit our #NYCSchoolsTech certification page for opportunities to take a live-led synchronous class and get certified from Common Sense Education or EverFi.
Social Media
Learn more about the Social Media Guidelines for staff and students.
Resources
- Digital Citizenship Responsibilities
- Digital Citizenship Infographics for:
- Digital Citizenship Student Activity Book (InfoHub)
- Note: you must be logged into the InfoHub for the above link to work
- Staff Social Media Guidelines (InfoHub)
- Internet Acceptable Use Policy
- Library Services
Important Dates
Below are dates (listed chronologically) where you might want to focus on cyber safety and digital citizenship--note that if a date has "(link TBD)" next to it, it's because the event's sponsor has not yet published a link for the 2024 year event.
- World Bullying Prevention Awareness - October 2, 2023
- Blue Up - October 2023
- Make Friends with Someone you don’t know at school - Week of October 3rd
- Stand Up for Others Week - Week of October 9th
- Week of Inclusion - Week of October 16th
- Start the week with conversations amongst your peers - Week of October 23rd
- National Coming Out Day - October 11, 2023
- Digital Citizenship Week - October 16 - 20, 2023
- Media Literacy Week - October 23 - 27, 2023
- National Block it out Day - November 14, 2023
- CS Education Week - December 4 - 10, 2023
- Hour of Code - December 5 - 10, 2023
- Respect for All Week – February 12 – 16, 2024
- No One Eats Alone Day - February 16, 2024
- National Culture Week - April 22 - 26, 2024 (link TBD)
- 5th Annual Culture Shock Event - April 23, 2024 (link TBD)
- Be Kind Online Day - May 10, 2024
- Mental Health Awareness Month - May 2024 (link TBD)
- Pride Month - June 2024 (link TBD)