On March 9, 2011, the Verizon Foundation, New Jersey Partnership for Online Safety, and The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication (IROC2) aligned to provide the women of Rutgers University’s Douglass College with a nationally acclaimed and award winning digital safety, responsibility and awareness program titled, “The Course to Digital Consciousness.™”
This preventative and solution oriented live program was awarded the 2010 Exemplary School Safety Program Award by the School Safety Advocacy Council, and has been presented to over 400 audiences across the United States since June 2009.
After the event, Katherine Fudacz, a Rutgers student in attendance had the following reaction.
“Richard Guerry is a dynamic speaker! Richard opened my eyes to the importance of having a public and permanent mindset when using the internet. Knowledge is power, therefore I will take the initiative to empower other individuals with what I’ve learned about internet safety. I hope Richard will return to Rutgers to spread his message. All college kids should be aware of what can happen with the information they put on the internet. IROC2 is awesome!!”
These sentiments were echoed by Karina F. Martinez, Hall Director for Katzenbach Hall at Rutgers University who stated,
“Richard Guerry is such a personable speaker. He was able to foster a trusting rapport with an audience of college students through vital information that could affect the rest of their lives. All of my residents left the seminar with a new idea or information that could protect them not only through their college career but for the rest of their lives!”
This Verizon-sponsored educational program provided those women attending the event at Douglass College with a greater awareness of negative, irresponsible, and malicious digital behaviors and trends, primarily affecting young girls and women today, and the means to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of a cyber-crime or digital exploitation through responsible digital decision making.
Throughout the 2011/2012 school year, there will be a variety of Verizon Foundation sponsored IROC2 events in New Jersey. Dates are currently being scheduled and will be released through the Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication accordingly. Any New Jersey schools interested in bringing a Live Event to their school or community should reach out to the Institute’s Speakers Bureau through their website, www.iroc2.org.
IROC2 is proud to be working with Verizon and the New Jersey Partnership for Online Safety to ensure all digital citizens have an opportunity to receive the information necessary to know how to make informed and responsible decisions with their digital tools.
The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, uses its technology, financial resources and partnerships to address critical social issues, with a focus on education and domestic violence prevention. In 2010, the foundation awarded nearly $67 million to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation’s largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered nearly 6 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.
Verizon and The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell Phone Communication Preventing Digital Issues.
