WINNIPEG – Click by click Sterling McLeod is becoming a little safer.
The Grade 5 student is one of 80 children at Dufferin School who are learning how to safely navigate social media through an online program funded by the NHL and NHL Players’ Association.
“If you don’t stay safe, then bad things will happen to you,” said McLeod. “And your risk of getting into trouble is higher.”
The program is called Future Goals and was created out of the 2012-13 NHL lockout.
“If something good could come out of that, to give back to the kids, then I think it’s been a benefit,” said Dwayne Green of the Winnipeg Jets True North Foundation.
Students at the core-area school stick handle through hockey-themed games and quizzes. The goal is to target pre-teens before they create a Facebook or Twitter account.
“The fact is, our kids are on media every day,” said Dufferin School principal Wayne Wyke.
Children also learn about the consequences of cyberbullying.
“It affects their self-esteem,” said Wyke. “It really makes them feel bad about themselves. Then we see it affects their own way that they work with others here at the school.”
So far, Dufferin is the only school in Winnipeg using the program. Talks are in the works for at least another dozen classrooms to log on. The NHL and NHLPA hope to one day expand the program into other subjects like science, engineering and math.
“There’s a lot of different areas that hockey and sport can touch upon beside the phys. ed. and health curriculum,” said Green. “It’s a motivator that a lot of teachers and school divisions are starting to tap into.”
Comments