Boys & Girls Club Teens Answer Parents' Cyber Safety Questions For Internet Safety Month

ATLANTA, June 4, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids are growing up in a digital age and keeping up with the latest trends and technology is a part of everyday life. Parents, on the other hand, are oftentimes less savvy than their kids when it comes to cyber behavior. In light of Internet Safety Month in June, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and Sprint (NYSE:S) are launching the third annual Cyber Safe Futures campaign, a digital campaign aimed to raise Internet safety awareness among parents.

One in three parents believes their teens to be much more tech-savvy, leaving many feeling helpless when it comes to monitoring their teen's online behavior.* Throughout the month of June, BGCA and Sprint are inviting parents to submit their top questions about cyberbullying, social networking, online privacy, mobile smarts and other cyber-related issues. BGCA's CyberTribe, a panel of Boys & Girls Club teens from around the world, will answer parents' questions from a teens' perspective on CyberSafeFutures.org. Their answers will educate parents and other mentors to help avoid risky situations for their kids and teens online.

"BGCA is committed to keeping kids safe, and today that also means practicing safer online behavior," said Dr. Damon A. Williams, senior vice president and chief education and youth development officer at BGCA. "But like anything else in life, they need the support of adults to help guide them through a constantly evolving digital world. We're excited our Boys & Girls Club teens can provide their perspective on what it takes to have a cyber safe future."

Also for parents on the campaign website, CyberSafeFutures.org, is the Cyber Survivor Challenge, an interactive quiz that assesses parents' cyber savviness and gives tips on key Internet safety issues when it comes to their children. Additionally, the site provides tips, 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.

"At Sprint, we are in the business of connecting people, providing the tools and services they need to communicate," said Debby Ballard, director of Community Affairs 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."

Since 2007, Sprint has donated more than $6 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 submit a question and see teen responses, 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 nearly 4 million young people annually through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native 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:
Sprint (NYSE: S) offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint served nearly 55 million customers as of March 31, 2014 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; 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, over the last six years. Sprint has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America in 2011, 2012 and 2013. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

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SOURCE Boys & Girls Clubs of America

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