Facebook, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Mozilla,
and the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) today announced a series
of activities to advance healthy online experiences so young people can
more easily make smart and responsible choices on the Internet.
Under
the banner Project:Connect, the four partners will launch an all-day
“hackathon” in New York City on Thursday, May 9. The event will bring
together programmers, designers, and educators to develop prototypes for
social tools, including apps, badges, and curriculum in pursuit of a
better Web.
“Supporting healthy online communities is a top
priority for MacArthur,” said Connie Yowell, Director of Education at
the MacArthur Foundation. “Research shows us that the Internet has
become a place where young people are learning and growing. The online
world is rapidly becoming a hub for civic activity and lifelong
learning, and we need to give youth the tools they need to become
engaged and responsible digital citizens.”
Surfacing Innovative Ideas – The Project:Connect Hackathon
Borne
out of a shared belief that technology can advance a dialogue about
what it means to participate responsibly in a digital world,
Project:Connect’s May 9 hackathon will award prizes in the following
areas:
· Social Tools for Social Good – Enabling people to create a culture of kindness and respect that enhances civic participation.
· Social Tools that Enable Control of Information – Helping people understand how to control their information, and manage privacy and security.
· Social Tools that Enable Literacy – Helping people build, access, and understand or make components of the Web.
Top concepts, as identified by a panel of expert judges, will be awarded cash prizes.
"We’re
thrilled to partner with the MacArthur Foundation, Mozilla, and FOSI to
promote innovative solutions that can help parents, teachers and teens
connect and share safely and do good online,” said Marne Levine, Vice
President for Global Public Policy at Facebook. By encouraging digital
literacy and responsible online behavior, we can enable teens to use
technology as a vehicle for opportunity, learning, and social change.”
Continuing Momentum For Youth During The Summer
The
May 9 hackathon will be followed by a series of events at museums and
libraries around the country for youth and their families to learn new
skills related to digital literacy and civic engagement.
“The
beauty of the Web is that when you want to make it better, you don’t
have to sit back and wait for someone to fix it for you," said Mark
Surman, Executive Director of Mozilla. "You can build it yourself. We’re
thrilled to come together with such great partners to help people make
the Web what they want it to be.”
A Platform for Good
In
addition to monetary awards, winners of the May 9 hackathon will have
their social tools featured on FOSI’s A Platform for Good (aplatformforgood.org),
a site dedicated to helping parents, teachers, and students connect,
share and do good. A Platform for Good is supported by MacArthur and
leaders across several industries, including social media,
telecommunications, software and the Internet.
"This hackathon
is a great way to highlight the best new thinking around digital
citizenship and we are excited to host some of the winners on ‘A
Platform for Good’," said Stephen Balkam, CEO of the Family Online
Safety Institute. "Events like this allow for collaboration on some of
today’s biggest challenges and show how technology can be used to do
great things.”
For more information about Project:Connect, please visit http://dmlcompetition.net/project-connect.
About Facebook
Founded
in 2004, Facebook's mission is to make the world more open and
connected. People use Facebook to stay connected with friends and
family, to discover what's going on in the world, and to share and
express what matters to them. To find out more about Facebook, visit our
website at www.facebook.com.
About The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
The
MacArthur Foundation supports creative people and effective
institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful
world. In addition to selecting the MacArthur Fellows, the Foundation
works to defend human rights, advance global conservation and security,
make cities better places, and understand how technology is affecting
children and society. Since 2004, MacArthur has invested more than $100
million in research, design, and practice to better understand how
digital media are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize
and participate in civic life, and what that means for learning and the
institutions that support it. More information: www.macfound.org/reimagine.
About Mozilla
Mozilla
is a global non-profit that promotes openness, innovation and
opportunity on the Web. It strives to make the Web a force for good,
while encouraging the users of the Web to also become makers of the Web.
About the Family Online Safety Institute
The Family
Online Safety Institute is an international, non-profit organization
that works to make the online world safer for kids and their families.
FOSI convenes leaders in industry, government and the non-profit sectors
to collaborate and innovate new solutions and policies in the field of
online safety. Through research,resources, events and special projects,
FOSI promotes a culture of responsibility online and encourages a sense
of digital citizenship for all.
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