Boys & Girls Clubs of America And Sprint Test Parents' Cyber Smarts For Internet Safety Month

"Cyber Safe Futures" Campaign Raises Awareness of Youth's Online Behavior to Parents

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Jun 04, 2013, 09:00 ET

ATLANTA, June 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Are today's parents cyber savvy? Research points to a disconnect between kids and parents when it comes to young people's online behavior. In light of Internet Safety Month in June, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and Sprint (NYSE:S) are giving parents an opportunity to test their cyber smarts through Cyber Safe Futures, a campaign aimed to raise Internet safety awareness among parents.

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One in three parents believes their teens to be much more tech-savvy than they are, leaving them to feel helpless to keep up with their teen's online behavior.* To test their cyber smarts, BGCA and Sprint are inviting parents to take the Cyber Survivor Challenge on CyberSafeFutures.org. The interactive quiz assesses parents' cyber savviness and gives tips on key Internet safety issues when it comes to their children.

"BGCA is committed to keeping kids safe, and in today's world that means being safe online," said Dan Rauzi, senior director, good character & citizenship at BGCA. "The way we communicate is going to continue to change in an ever-evolving online world, and parents need to be aware of what it takes to give their kids a cyber safe future."

Cyber Survivor videos focus on relevant issues like cyberbullying, social networking, online privacy and mobile safety. The site provides tools and resources to educate parents on current trends and how to have an open dialog with their children when it comes to staying safe online.

BGCA is also using Facebook to fuel the conversation during Internet Safety Month, providing an avenue for parents to talk about important safety topics that could potentially impact their children's lives.

"At Sprint, we are in the business of connecting people, providing the tools and services they need to communicate," said Ralph Reid, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility at Sprint. "In this important partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Sprint is proud to help provide tools parents need, help families stay connected and help young people stay safe when communicating online. Getting potentially life-saving information into the hands of families across the country is absolutely the right thing to do."

Since 2007, Sprint has donated more than $5 million to Internet safety initiatives. In addition to this year's Cyber Safe Futures campaign, Sprint is supporting 40 local Boys & Girls Clubs in their efforts to provide a cyber safe future to youth through Internet and Media Safety awareness events.

To join the conversation and see what parents are saying, visit CyberSafeFutures.org. Additional Sprint Internet-safety resources can be found at www.4NetSafety.com.

*Source: "The Digital Divide: How the Online Behavior of Teens is Getting Past Parents," McAfee, 6/2012. Visit CyberSafeFuture.org to see all our Internet Safety statistics.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,000 Clubs serve some 4 million young people annually through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native American lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun, friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at http://www.bgca.org/facebook and http://bgca.org/twitter.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 55 million customers at the end of the first quarter of 2013 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The American Customer Satisfaction Index rated Sprint as the most improved company in customer satisfaction, across all 47 industries, during the last five years. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in both its 2011 and 2012 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation's greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

Related Link
CyberSafeFutures.org

SOURCE Boys & Girls Clubs of America