The Bedford County, Virginia, Sheriff’s Office formed one of the first Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces in the nation in 1998. With the development of ICAC, Sheriff Mike Brown saw the need for a preventative measure that would help children avoid falling victim to online sexual predators. The best defense was to educate kids through Internet Safety Education. The Safe Surfin’ Foundation was formed and is a 501c3 non-profit Cyber Safety and Responsibility educational initiative dedicated not only to protecting youth from those who would do them harm, but pro-actively educating them in the safe and responsible use of today’s ever-changing technology. In 2008, the partnership with Moose International was formed.
Through the support of the Moose International family, we have raised public awareness for the need of Internet safety education, and have promoted the availability of these educational materials to schools, libraries, and law enforcement. Moose members have and continue to sponsor educational programs at their Lodges and have reached out to other civic groups throughout their communities. The Moose/SSF partnership continues to present numerous opportunities for positive publicity for the fraternity with our nationwide involvement as we strive to protect children and sharing this important information to as many communities as possible.
The Safe Surfin Foundation is working to make Internet Safety mandatory in Virginia.
Delgate Wendell S. Walker is sponsor of House Bill 1575 requiring Safety While Accessing Technology, ( SWAT ), in all public elementary and secondary schools.
link to HB1575 on Virginia's Legislative Information System ... https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+sum+HB1575&fbclid=IwAR12HLr51a5uLlaC86j3uhNGB3NlVTZOn-xCxQ58ZWQtdi54xdfEl6PY1Ck
Any support you can give the Safe Surfin Foundation while in your travels and meetings is greatly appreciated.
Eddie Worth
Executive Director/President
Safe Surfin' Foundation
https://safesurfin.org/
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:
Public elementary and secondary schools; development of the Safety While Accessing Technology education program; annual instruction required. Directs the Board of Education, in collaboration with law-enforcement agencies, criminal justice agencies, and other nongovernmental organizations with experience in child online safety issues and human trafficking prevention, to develop an age-appropriate Safety While Accessing Technology (SWAT) education program and permits the Board to develop and provide age-appropriate instructional materials and resources to assist local school boards in establishing and implementing the SWAT education program. The bill requires that the SWAT education program include instruction on (i) safe use of social networking websites and other modes of online communication; (ii) the risks of transmitting personal information on the Internet; (iii) copyright laws on written materials, photographs, music, and videos posted or shared online; (iv) the importance of establishing open communication with responsible adults about any online communications or activities; (v) recognizing, avoiding, and reporting suspicious, potentially dangerous, or illegal online communications, including solicitation by sexual predators, unsolicited or deceptive communications, harassment, and cyberbullying; and (vi) resources and assistance programs available for any child or parent who may have encountered online solicitation by sexual predators or other illegal online communications or activities. The bill also requires each local school board to adopt policies requiring all elementary and secondary schools to provide such SWAT education program at least once each school year to students in grades three through 12 and to permit a parent to opt his child out of participating in such SWAT education program. Finally, the bill requires the Board to make the SWAT education program and any accompanying instructional materials and resources available to all local school boards before the start of the 2024–2025 school year and requires each local school board to implement such SWAT educational program beginning with the 2024–2025 school year.
SafeSurfinBrochure.pdf
Safe Surfin' Foundation celebrity spokesman, Erik Estrada (far left) joined Supreme Council Member, Wes Crowder of Virginia (middle) and Bedford County Virginia Sherriff, Mike Brown (far right), to help launch a partnership between the Safe Surfin' Foundation and the Moose.
Memorandum of Understanding
Eddie Worth, President of Safe Surfin Foundation and Wilson Lee, Chief of Staff of Young Marines jointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding on September 2, 2021 to help over 7,000 Young Marines across the nation learn about Internet safety through the implementation of Safe Surfin’s Cyber S.W.A.T. program. Cyber S.W.A.T. is an innovative peer-to-peer program that helps teens stay safe and make better choices online.
Learn more at www.teamcyberswat.org
Also in attendance for Safe Surfin was Michelle Kreps, Director of Marketing and Taylor Landreth, Trainer. Also representing Young Marines was Abra Hogarth, Director of Strategic Communications and Kayla Nakano, Training and Education Manager