Schoolfamily.com - Helping parents help their kids succeed at school

Just wanted to give you a heads up to a neat contest that one of our partners, Trend Micro, is running. Their “What’s Your Story” contest invites anyone age 13 and up to grab a camcorder and talk about what being safe and smart online means to them.

What I think is cool about the contest is that it empowers teens to have a voice about internet safety. As parents we are always talking to our teens about the importance of being safe online. Sometimes you wonder whether what you are saying is heard as blah, blah, blah. A chance to win $10,000 may just be the ticket to get our teens to be thoughtful about what internet safety really means and talk about it. Also, the fact that the “What’s Your Story” contest is opened to anyone 13 and older offers an opportunity for parents and teachers to collaborate with teens on this project. Lots of great possibilities.

Here are the details:

Entries are due April 30th, 2010

Prizes:

• One Grand Prize Winner will win $10,000 cash!
• Four Runners Up category winners will win $500 each.

To enter: Complete the online submission form and upload your short original video at http://whatsyourstory.trendmicro.com on one of the following topics:

• Keeping a good reputation online
• Staying clear of unwanted contact (such as harassment, cyberbullying or online predators)
• Enjoying legal and age-appropriate content
• Preventing cybercriminals from stealing your personal info

Good luck and have fun!

Oh and helpful Internet safety info from Trend Micro you might want to look at:

Safety Tips for Social Networking
General Internet Safety Tips for Families
Safety Tips on Cyberbullying