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NEA Health Information Network and Sprint Expand Internet Safety Resources for Educators and Parents

Posted on: Wednesday, 14 January 2009, 10:31 CST

New comprehensive Web site, www.bnetsavvy.org, and Spanish language resources kick off second year of raising Internet safety awareness to educators, parents, and teens

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Education Association's Health Information Network (NEA HIN) and Sprint (NYSE:S) renewed their Internet safety partnership by announcing expanded resources to help educators and parents guide young teens in their use of social technology and Spanish language resources to raise Internet safety awareness in Hispanic communities. This is the second year of NEA HIN's partnership with Sprint to bring these important resources to young people and the adults in their lives.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081015/NEALOGO)

Bnetsavvy.org, is a comprehensive Web site where educators and parents can find Internet safety information, classroom tools, news stories, message boards, and articles written by experts, educators, parents, and teens on topics that cover the spectrum of social technology from social networking sites to cyberbullying and online gaming. Educators and parents can also subscribe to bNetS@vvy, a bimonthly e-newsletter offering the latest news and resources on Internet safety.

Sprint has committed $350,000 to the expansion of these resources in its second year of the Internet safety partnership with NEA HIN. Sprint continues to work with NEA HIN to help educators and parents learn more about the risks and opportunities of technology and gain access to tools that would help young people safely navigate their digital world.

"NEA HIN is excited to continue our partnership with Sprint. Our expanded bNetSavvy Web site and continuation of the bNetS@vvy e-newsletter will provide educators and parents with an invaluable tool to help them keep kids safer and more savvy when using technology," said Jerry Newberry, executive director, NEA HIN. "In addition, the continued emphasis on Spanish language resources is essential to making these resources reach as wide an audience as possible. Sprint is to be commended for its commitment to keeping kids safer and tech savvy," continued Newberry.

"We are thrilled to continue our partnership with NEA HIN and are excited about the new resources that we are bringing to parents and educators," said Debby Ballard, director of Community Relations for Sprint. "In this ever growing digital world, adults must educate themselves about what children are doing online. At Sprint, we are committed to providing educational resources to parents and educators to enable the conversations about Internet safety, and bNetSavvy is one way we are doing that."

Bnetsavvy.org is a key part of Sprint's 4NetSafety(SM) program. 4NetSafety provides children, teachers, parents, guardians and other adults with the tools and information they need so youth, particularly those in the susceptible "tween" range, can grow up using the Internet more safely. To learn more about 4NetSafety, please visit www.4NetSafety.com.

All 4NetSafety funding is provided through Sprint Project Connect, Sprint's long-running phone recycling program. Sprint Project Connect accepts wireless phones and accessories of any make and model, and from any carrier. Anyone wishing to support 4NetSafety and dispose of their old phone in an environmentally safe manner is encouraged to visit a Sprint Store or go online to www.sprint.com/projectconnect to print a postage-paid mailing label.

About NEA HIN

As the nonprofit health affiliate of the National Education Association, the NEA Health Information Network (NEA HIN) provides health and safety information, training, and services to 3.2 million educational employees and the more than 43 million students they serve. Since its inception, NEA HIN has addressed numerous health and safety related issues that affect NEA members and students, including chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, breast and cervical cancer, teen pregnancy, mental wellness, physical activity and nutrition, school safety, and school environmental quality, including asthma and indoor air quality. As new health and safety issues arise, HIN develops initiatives to address them, always with an eye to selecting those topics that are responsive to the expressed interests and concerns of NEA members.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving nearly 51 million customers at the end of the third quarter of 2008; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

SOURCE National Education Association

Source: PR Newswire

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