EBR schools take online safety lessons beyond Digital Citizenship Week
Students are learning how to protect personal information, respond to cyberbullying and think before they post. East Baton Rouge Parish schools plan to keep those conversations going each month.
BATON ROUGE, La. — A lesson about online safety at Wedgewood Elementary School this week is part of a broader effort to make digital citizenship a regular topic in East Baton Rouge Parish classrooms.
District technology staff are visiting schools during Digital Citizenship Week, Sept. 21-24, to discuss cyberbullying, privacy and responsible online behavior. Starting this school year, schools will also receive a new digital citizenship topic each month, with age-appropriate materials teachers can use in kindergarten through 12th grade. September’s focus is the district’s acceptable use policy for technology.
At Wedgewood, system analyst Nikki Washington taught students how to recognize cyberbullying and urged them to tell a teacher, parent, or another adult when they see it. She also discussed why children should guard personal information when interacting with strangers online.
The lessons extend beyond what students do on school devices. Principal Charletta Williams said Wedgewood staff wore orange Wednesday as a reminder that students’ actions online, at home as well as at school, contribute to a digital footprint. The district asked schools to wear orange in support of online safety and positive behavior.
The school system’s 2026-27 student handbook addresses cellphone use, social media, cyberbullying, online threats, and the recording or sharing of inappropriate content. The district is asking students to consider whether a message, video, or post could harm or embarrass someone before they share it.
Families have a role, too. Terrica Jamison, the district’s administrative director of technology, urged parents to monitor their children’s social media activity and reinforce respectful behavior online. The monthly school topics are intended to keep those conversations going after Digital Citizenship Week ends.
