<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div apple-content-edited="true"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><!--StartFragment--><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; ">FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 23, 2009</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; ">Common Sense Media: New Partnership Helps Parents Engage in Their
Kids’ Digital Lives</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align: left;"><span style=""><b><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Program offers guidance on helping kids make
smart and safe digital media choices</span></font></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">AUGUSTA –
A new partnership will provide parents with the information they need to help
their kids make safe and smart decisions about how they use the Internet,
mobile phones, social networking sites, TV, and other digital media.</span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The
partnership announced Thursday by the Maine Department of Education and Common
Sense Media will work with parent-teacher groups to pilot the program, which
helps parents understand the technology children are using.</span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">“This
is about far more than just internet safety,” said Maine Education Commissioner
Susan A. Gendron. “This partnership offers us the best opportunity to engage
parents even more deeply in our technology programs and to provide them with
important information about the ever-changing digital media issues that kids
experience every day. Common Sense Media’s expertise in helping parents manage
the 24/7 media lives that kids live in today makes them the perfect partner for
us.”</span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The
pilot program for Maine schools is modeled on the already successful
Common Sense Media Schools program, which launched in November 2008 and
provides more than 2,000 schools across the country with free, simple-to-use
materials about digital media issues. The program offers parent tip
sheets, videos and discussion guides on issues such as social networking, cyber
bullying, digital etiquette, gaming, virtual worlds, commercialism and
cheating. The program also provides training and support to help schools
effectively communicate the information to parents.</span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The
pilot program is designed for parents of elementary and middle school children
and costs nothing for school systems or the state. Common Sense Media will
provide materials, as well as face-to-face and online training for parent
groups. Jeff Mao, Learning Technology Policy Director at the Maine Department
of Education, said he hopes the program will attract 30 to 40 schools for the
pilot program.</span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Gendron
said parent involvement “is critical to youth development, improved student
achievement, and to successfully expanding and improving Maine’s
state-wide technology initiatives.”</span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">“Maine has
been a leader in education innovation for many years and so it’s no surprise
that the State is leading the way in digital media education for parents,” said
James P. Steyer, Founder and CEO of Common Sense Media. “We constantly
hear from educators and parents around the country that they feel like
‘tourists’ in the media lives of their kids. This partnership is designed
to provide both educators and parents with all of the information they need to
understand the technology kids are using and to offer smart guidance, while
avoiding potential dangers.</span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">Common
Sense Media is the nation's leading nonpartisan, nonprofit organization
dedicated to improving the impact of media and entertainment on kids and
families. Common Sense Media provides trustworthy ratings and reviews of media
and entertainment based on child development criteria created by leading
national experts. Maine schools that are interested in participating
should contact Emily Hunt at Common Sense Media </font></span></font><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><a href="mailto:ehunt@commonsensemedia.org">ehunt@commonsensemedia.org</a></font></span></font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"> or
415.553.6702. In-person trainings for the pilot program have been
scheduled for May 14 (Bangor) and May 15 (Scarborough). To learn more
about the Common Sense Schools program, visit </font></span></font><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><a href="http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators">http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators</a></font></span></font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">.</font></span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">With
the Maine Learning Technology Initiative, Maine became the first
state to provide laptops to all public school students in grades 7 and 8, as
well as teachers in grades 7 through 12, and the first to plan for deployment
of laptops to all public high school students. MLTI is about much more than
just technology, supporting learning with professional development and support
to fully tap the potential of computers and the Internet. Laptops go home with
students, so they have home access to research and learning opportunities. The
Legislature is now considering approval of a contract that would allow high
schools to participate in the 1-to-1 program, if they desire. More information
can be found at: </font></span></font><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><a href="http://www.maine.gov/mlti">www.maine.gov/mlti</a></font></span></font></span><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000">.</font></span></font><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Contact Information:</span></font></div><!--StartFragment--><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13px;"><b>Maine
Department of Education</b></span></font></span><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13px;"><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13px;">Jeff
Mao, Learning Technology Policy Director, 207-624-6634/798-2460</span></font></span><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13px;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13px;">David
Connerty-Marin, Director of Communications, 207-624-6880/831-3313</span></font></span><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13px;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><br></b></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13px;"><b>Common
Sense Media</b></span></font></span><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13px;"><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></font></span></p>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13px;">Marisa
Connolly, Communications Manager, Common Sense Media, (415) 553-6703</span></font></span></div>
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