Common Sense, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids and families thrive in a world of digital media and technology, has recognized Olalla Elementary as a Common Sense Certified School: Digital Citizenship.

Olalla Elementary has demonstrated its commitment to taking a whole-community approach to preparing its students to use the immense power of digital media to explore, create, connect and learn, while limiting the perils that exist in the online realm, such as plagiarism, loss of privacy and cyberbullying.

“We applaud the faculty and staff of Olalla Elementary for embracing digital citizenship as an important part of their students’ education,” Jessica Lindl, Head of Common Sense Education, said. “Olalla Elementary deserves high praise for giving its students the foundational skills they need to compete and succeed in the 21st-century workplace and participate ethically in society at large.”

Heather Wilson, the librarian at Olalla Elementary has been using Common Sense Education’s innovative and research-based digital citizenship resources, which were created in collaboration with Dr. Howard Gardner of the GoodPlay Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The resources teach students, educators and parents tangible skills related to Internet safety, protecting online reputations and personal privacy, managing online relationships and respecting creative copyright. The free resources are currently used in more than 90,000 classrooms nationwide.

“We’re honored to be recognized as a Common Sense Digital Citizenship Certified School,” Wilson said. “By preparing students to use technology safely and responsibly, we are providing them unlimited opportunities to maximize and personalize their learning.”

To learn more about the criteria Olalla Elementary STEM met to become certified as a Common Sense Certified School, visit www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/certification.