EIE Partners with Maryland PTA, MCAP, and Verizon Foundation to Educate Parents, Teachers and Other Caring Adults
 

Enough Is Enough^®® Partners with the Maryland PTA, MCAP and the Verizon Foundation to Educate Parents, Teachers and other Caring Adults to Protect Kids Online

November 11, 2010, Linthicum, Md. - National Internet safety organization Enough Is Enough^®® (EIE) has partnered with the Maryland Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), the Maryland Coalition Against Pornography (MCAP) and the Verizon Foundation to bring the organization's award-winning Internet Safety 101^®® program to adults throughout Maryland. 

 

EIE received a generous grant from the Maryland Verizon Foundation to provide a "train-the-trainer" program to partnering organizations.  Earlier this year, EIE held the first of a series of Internet Safety 101^®® programs focused on providing parents, educators and other caring adults with the knowledge and resources needed to protect children under their care from pornography, sexual predators and cyber bullies.  The program also highlighted how to keep kids safe on social networking sites, gaming and mobile devices. 

 

"It is critical that parents and educators become actively engaged in the cyber-lives of the kids under their care.  In our ever-evolving Internet world and with the myriad of Internet enabled devices, this can seem like a daunting challenge, " said  Enough Is Enough^® President Donna Rice Hughes. "Through our partnership with Maryland PTA, MCAP and with generous support from the Maryland Verizon Foundation, we are able to educate and equip Maryland parents and educators with our multi-media 101 program and training events, empowering them to be the first line of defense to protect Maryland's children."

 

This weekend, EIE will hold a second training with the Maryland PTA during its 95th annual State Convention in Linthicum, MD.

 

"One of the missions of Maryland PTA is to assist parents in developing skills and provide access to the tools they need to raise and protect their children in a safe home, school, and community environment.  As more and more children have increased access to the Internet, Internet Safety 101^®® is one resource that parents can readily use to protect their children," commented Sam Macer, President of the Maryland PTA. "Maryland PTA is pleased to be able to provide this program opportunity to our PTA members." 

 

William R. Roberts, Verizon president for Maryland and Washington, D.C., said, "the Internet is a wonderful educational tool for our youth and a fun, easy way for them to interact with people their own age.  But it's important for parents and educators to teach our children about the Internet in the same way we teach them about other things that require responsibility and care, like driving a car."

 

"Providing a safe online environment for children is a priority for Verizon," Roberts added.  "Our partnership with Enough Is Enough^®, the Maryland PTA and MCAP will bring valuable information to the community."

 

EIE will continue to work with MCAP and the Maryland PTA throughout 2010 and 2011 to educate, equip and empower parents to prevent Internet-initiated crime.  The next training will be held on November 16^th, click here for more information.

 

The 101 Program first was piloted in Virginia - in partnership with the Virginia PTA, Verizon Foundation and Virginia Attorney General's office - to distribute the program to over 5,000 parents, educators and faith-based leaders in the state.  Of those surveyed, 95 percent reported that they were educated about Internet dangers and motivated to implement Internet Safety 101SM Rules ‘N Tools®.

 

EIE also received support from Maryland Congressmen C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes and Roscoe Bartlett to roll out the Internet Safety 101^® program throughout the state beginning this fall.

 

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About Enough Is Enough^®

Enough Is Enough^®® (EIE), a non-partisan, 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, emerged in 1994 as the national leader on the front lines to make the Internet safer for children and families.  Since then, EIE has continued to pioneer efforts including the widely acclaimed Internet Safety 101^® program, which educates, equips and empowers parents, educators and other caring adults with the knowledge and resources needed to effectively protect children from pornography, sexual predators and cyber bullies as well as how to keep kids safe on social networking sites, gaming and mobile devices.

 

About the Maryland PTA

The Maryland PTA's mission is to promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school, community and places of worship; to raise the standards of home life; to bring into closer relation the home and the school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.

 

About the Verizon Foundation

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its free educational website, Verizon Thinkfinity (www.thinkfinity.org), and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence.  In 2009, the Verizon Foundation awarded $67.9 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad.  It also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in $26.1 million in combined contributions to nonprofits.  Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered more than 5 million hours of community service since 2000.  For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

 

About the Maryland Coalition Against Pornography (MCAP)

The Maryland Coalition Against Pornography (MCAP) is a volunteer-based organization.  Focused on the nation's capital region, MCAP works to protect children, families and communities from the devastating effects of pornography.