New Digital Citizenship Curriculum Teaches Online Safety and Best Practices to Young Students

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Educators and parents now have a way to teach children about their rights and responsibilities as digital citizens in Navigating the Digital Universe, a new curriculum developed by SAE International's A World In Motion® (AWIM) and d'Vinci Interactive. This exciting new educational solution builds upon AWIM's nationally-recognized PreK-8 STEM education programming.

Through blended hands-on and digital activities, elementary students learn how to engage with technology and the digital world in a positive, responsible way. With the help of a trusted robot named Maze, students explore five planets to learn the importance of digital safety, communication, literacy, and ethics. The interactive, character-driven curriculum creates an emotional connection between young learners and content—providing compelling learning opportunities and dramatically improving knowledge retention.

"Preparing students for an emerging digital world is imperative. They need to learn how to engage with technology in a way that empowers them to make balanced and informed decisions," said Allison Hostetler, SAE Pre-Professional Program Director. "Developing savvy online users is the best way to foster a generation of safe, smart, and empathetic digital citizens," she added.

Aligned with national education standards, this flexible program can be implemented in virtual, hybrid, or in-person classrooms. To aid in delivery, educators have access to a comprehensive curriculum as well as supporting PowerPoints—all provided via a user-friendly online portal. Students have access to printed and interactive AWIM Notebooks to record their questions, ideas, observations, and reflections.

By framing each lesson with relatable scenarios, AWIM's Navigating the Digital Universe inspires young learners and provides the tools they need to be responsible digital citizens. In pilot, the resounding feedback from educators highlighted how the combination of engaging activities and relevant content helps students make connections and apply the core concepts in their real life.

Combined, these innovative lessons provide students with essential guidance for how to be kind, how to protect their private information, and how to create a healthy balance between their online and offline worlds—practical lessons that will last a lifetime.

For more information on purchasing SAE International's A World In Motion® (AWIM's) Navigating the Digital Universe, please visit their website.

About SAE Foundation

The SAE Foundation encourages and increases student achievement and participation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to build an inclusive, STEM-fluent workforce. Funds raised by the SAE Foundation support SAE International's award-winning A World In Motion® (AWIM) program, Collegiate Design SeriesTM (CDS), awards and scholarships. SAE's STEM education programs enable students to develop the 21st century skills needed to succeed in real-world work environments and connect classroom learning with real-life application. Overall, SAE's STEM programs have reached more than six million students worldwide and engaged more than 30,000 STEM industry professionals as volunteers. SAE International is a global association engaging nearly 200,000 engineers, technical experts and volunteers to advance mobility knowledge and solutions for the benefit of humanity.

About d'Vinci Interactive

d'Vinci Interactive revolutionizes learning experiences and educational websites to achieve extraordinary outcomes for K-12 and adult learners. d'Vinci's clients include leading organizations such as PBS, Discovery Education and National Geographic Education. d'Vinci expands its capabilities and capacity by partnering with its parent company JPL, a leading marketing and communications agency.