Google to teach school kids about online safety, etiquette

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – 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 co-ordinated 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.

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This story has been corrected to reflect the name of the campaign is “Be Internet Awesome” instead of “Be Internet Aware.”