Programs
We're all about an innovative education. Tablets and phones are necessary tools for interactive, engaging learning, and we love what that has done for classrooms. It has also opened a window for misuse.
Cyberbullying and pressured sharing are not the only serious threats technology and social media pose. Most kids are not aware of the impact of their digital footprint, and may post personal or inappropriate content that jeopardises their reputation and their safety. To combat that, we use a teaching method that engages kids to become part of the message rather than the audience for it.
There are two programs: one for schools, one for parents.
For schools: the student-led session
Project B3 appoints special student leaders to inspire kids to use the web safely and positively.
We see how captivated younger children are by their older classmates, and we take that opportunity deliberately — we model the older students into the visible examples of internet safety. Our leaders teach kids to be safe, be smart and be kind before they interact online. The peer-to-peer engagement this creates is, in our experience, the most effective learning environment available for this subject. We're passionate about it because we get to watch it come full circle and change the whole school community.
How a session runs
- Where — any elementary school or community space, during the regular school day, at a time you choose.
- How long — one hour. If you want us to reach more than 100 students, we schedule multiple one-hour slots across the day or week.
- How many — up to 100 students at a time, split into three smaller groups so the room stays casual and intimate enough that students actually ask questions.
- Who leads it — student mentors, alongside our adult coordinators.
Choosing the student leaders
We ask school administrators and teachers to nominate eighth-grade students who would be good mentors for the younger grades. In some cases we ask a neighbouring high school to appoint leaders instead. Either way, we train and prepare them before they present to their peers — they are not handed a script on the day.
What the session covers
The material maps to the same habits we write about here:
- What a post actually gives away — see Social Media + Sharing
- Group chats, video calls and game lobbies — see Safer Online Chats
- Recognising and reporting cyberbullying — see the quick guide
- Why "friends are people you've met" is the rule that holds
For parents: The Parent Feed
Today, parents are guiding their kids through a realm the kids already know better than they do.
Teaching a child to use the internet is not like teaching them to ride a bike. The dangers of the bike are visible; the threats of the internet are not, and a child's eyes don't catch them. A child may feel nervous before hopping onto a bike — but in front of a smartphone or tablet, they are fearless.
The reality is that the risks of the digital world are more serious than a scraped knee. With those threats around our children, the instinctive defence is to remove the technology altogether, or to monitor every click. Project B3 proposes a better answer.
We think teaching children to be digitally responsible should be as ordinary and as practised as teaching them to ride a bike. That's why we created The Parent Feed — a 90-minute session covering the practical methods that keep your child safer online.
In it you'll:
- Learn what the apps kids are currently using actually do, and which setting matters in each
- See how to protect against the specific features that create the most trouble
- Take home your own Parental Playbook to build a plan for your family's digital life
- Leave with a better understanding of how your child engages online — and a non-restrictive way to safeguard it
The written version of the same material lives in The Parent's Playbook.
By teaching kids to be safe, be smart and be kind before they interact digitally, they can keep the benefits of technology without putting themselves or anyone else in danger.
Let's keep raising fearless, brilliant kids — and let's give them the smart habits that make the fearlessness safe.
Bring Project B3 to your school
We're currently based in Northern Illinois and expanding. If you'd like to check whether your school is eligible, discuss volunteering, or talk about sponsorship, reach out — we answer every enquiry.
Read what schools and student leaders have said about the sessions on our testimonials page.