[MLTI-MS] Common Sense Media: New Partnership Helps Parents Engage in Their Kids’ Digital Lives

[Juanita Dickson]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 23, 2009

Common Sense Media: New Partnership Helps Parents Engage in Their  
Kids’ Digital Lives

Program offers guidance on helping kids make smart and safe digital  
media choices

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.

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.

“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.”

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.

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.

Gendron said parent involvement “is critical to youth development,  
improved student achievement, and to successfully expanding and  
improving Maine’s state-wide technology initiatives.”

“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.

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 ehunt at commonsensemedia.org 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 http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators.

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: www.maine.gov/mlti.

Contact Information:
Maine Department of Education

Jeff Mao, Learning Technology Policy Director, 207-624-6634/798-2460

David Connerty-Marin, Director of Communications, 207-624-6880/831-3313



Common Sense Media

Marisa Connolly, Communications Manager, Common Sense Media, (415)  
553-6703



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