Google to teach school kids about online safety

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) — Google is spearheading an educational campaign to teach pre-teen children how to protect themselves from scams, predators and other trouble.
The program announced Tuesday is called “Be Internet Awesome.” Google coordinated the curriculum with several online safety groups, including the Family Online Safety Institute, the Internet Keep Safe Coalition and Connect Safely.
The lessons are tailored for kids ranging from eight to 12 years old, a time when many of today’s children are getting their own smartphones and other devices that connect to the internet. To make the experience more fun, Google and its partners developed a game called “Interland” to help teach children about the ins and outs of online safety.
Google is encouraging teachers to use elements of its program in their classrooms, too.