Behind the Scenes at #Digital4Good 2019

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“Nothing is impossible – you just need to have the passion and heart to give back. I strongly believe that, even if you have nothing else to give to someone, your kindness will mean the world to them. It’s always deep in my heart to do that for my community, it will always be a part of my life, and I hope it will become part of yours too.”  – Shreyaa Venkat, co-founder, NEST4US

On September 15th and 16th, students, educators, and industry friends gathered at Facebook HQ in Menlo Park to celebrate the power of kindness, giving, and positivity. Organized by the California-based nonprofit #ICANHELP, #Digital4Good is now in its third year of honoring notable student achievements in positive tech and media use.

The students featured in this year’s event have led initiatives that feed the homeless, fund innovative pediatric cancer research, focus on suicide prevention, and so much more.

Aside from a selfless desire to help others, the thread that binds all of these students together is social media. Each of them uses a variety of social networks to amplify their reach, share their initiatives, and help their communities. Today, it’s more important than ever that we provide online spaces where they are free to share without fear of harassment or abuse.

Two Hat has been lucky enough to attend #Digital4Good for the last three years, and we are happy to report that it’s only getting better with age. #Digital4Good 2019 was the biggest and best yet, full of powerful speakers, inspirational stories, and one unifying message: When used for good, technology has an unparalleled power to connect us in meaningful ways.

An opportunity to connect

Speaking of connection, there was an added dimension to #Digital4Good this year. #ICANHELP founders Matt Soeth and Kim Karr paired industry experts with winners to mentor them through their #Digital4Good journey, providing insight, feedback, and encouragement as they prepared for the big day.

In our experience – and in speaking to other mentors, we’re not alone – the student winners were the real mentors. They inspired us to spearhead charitable works in our own organizations and they re-energized us to take action and inspire real change in the world around us.

Two Hat was honored to mentor Shreyaa Venkat, co-founder of NEST4US. A senior at Broad Run high school in Virginia, Shreyaa began her community service in the fifth grade and has since logged more than 850 hours of volunteer time.

A young woman stands in front of a sign reading #Digital4Good
Shreyaa Venkat, co-founder of NEST4US

She founded NEST4US with her younger sister Esha to help feed the homeless and reduce food waste. Since founding the 501©3 non-profit, they have expanded to provide tutoring services and “Birthday in a Box” for underprivileged kids through Nest Buddies, their latest initiative.

[Read more about Shreyaa’s work in Lessons in Kindness: How NEST4US is Giving Back to the Community]

Behind the scenes at #Digital4Good

On Sunday, September 15th, winners and mentors gathered at Instagram for an afternoon of conversation, roundtables, and even a Shark Tank-style pitch competition.

Winners met with experts from a variety of disciplines and learned marketing techniques, how to expand their reach, the best ways to use social media, and how to pitch to corporations. The Shark Tank judges (including previous #Digital4Good winner Karah Hopgood and Trust & Safety expert Anne Collier, and more) presented the #DigitalRockStar Awards.

#Digital4Good student winners pose on a stage with Matt Soeth and Kim Karr
The winners with #ICANHELP co-founders Matt Soeth and Kim Karr

Monday, September 16th was the big day. We gathered at Facebook HQ and went live at 9:30 am. About 300 teachers, students, and industry representatives from across the country joined us at Facebook. Thousands more tuned into the live stream. Hosts March For Our Lives co-founder Tyah-Amoy Roberts and Count Me In founder Shane Feldman introduced the winners and kept things lively between presentations.

Two young people in front of a #Digital4Good sign holding microphones
#Digital4Good hosts Tyah Amoy-Roberts and Shane Feldman entertaining the crowd

Speakers included “Ten Feet Tall” speaker and author Brandon Farbstein and Instagram comedian AdamW. We watched the debut trailer for a short student film about the power of social media on teens’ life and learned how to manage a social media crisis.

Brandon Farbstein stands on a #Digital4Good stage
Inspirational speaker Brandon Farbstein shared his story of severe cyberbullying

At the end of the event, Matt and Kim got on stage and led us in the #ICANHELP chant – “I can help, I did help, I will help!” After that rousing declaration, there were hugs, thank you’s, and goodbyes.

We had planes and Ubers to catch, and work and school to get back to.

But everyone who attended walked away with the same feeling – there is no limit to what we can achieve with a little kindness, a willingness to give, and the technology that allows us to share.

When was the last time you did something for the first time?What is your idea of the perfect day?

A message of hope

At #Digtal4Good, we were reminded that social media is one of the most powerful tools in the world. Our job at Two Hat is to ensure that everyone – student, child, or adult – who uses online communities to share can do so without fear of harassment or abuse.

We are more inspired than ever to continue our mission – helping social networks build safe and healthy online communities by removing negative social interactions to make room for positive human connections.

But we can’t do it alone. Will you join us? 

Two Hat believes that everyone should be free to share online without fear of harassment or abuse. We also believe that making this vision a reality is a shared responsibility.

That’s why we have allied ourselves with diverse organizations including non-profits, government agencies, private companies, and industry alliances to share best practices, produce online safety resources, and spread the word of proactive, purposeful content moderation.

Does your organization share a similar vision? If so, we would love to hear from you at hello@twohat.com.

Learn more about the #Digital4Good 2019 winners: 

Shreyaa Venkat – NEST4US
Riley Damiano – The Blue Lollipop Project
Olivia Rush – Sunshine Loves You
Clementine Chamberlain – Tampon Tuesday
Gabby Frost – The Buddy Project
Michael Pascal – Vets Van
Christina Mazzi – Project WOC
Ashley Lin – Project Exchange
Shreeya Aora – Tracking Our Heroes

Lessons in Kindness: How NEST4US is Giving Back to the Community

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Shreyaa Venkat is no ordinary high school senior. A certified soccer referee and player, 3rd-degree black belt and assistant instructor at CJR Martial Arts, Kathak dancer, and recent graduate of the Governor’s School of Agriculture at Virginia Tech, she also maintains a 4.5 GPA and has been recognized as the top 3% of her class.

For most teens, that would be more than enough. Not for Shreyaa, who has dedicated her young life to giving back to the community. Since beginning her community service in the fifth grade, Shreyaa has logged more than 850 hours of volunteer time.

She’s also helping other students give back to the community through NEST4US, the nonprofit she founded to provide volunteer and leadership opportunities to make the world a better place through kindness.

Because of her tireless efforts to feed the hungry and inspire youth in her community to give back, Shreyaa is one of ten #Digital4Good winners who will head to Facebook HQ in September to share her story.

Two Hat is an official supporter of #Digital4Good and also has the honor of mentoring Shreyaa before and after the event. We sat down to talk to her about the power of kindness, #Digital4Good, and using social media to spread a positive message.

Carlos Figueiredo: What inspired you to initially get involved with volunteering? What inspires you now?

Shreyaa Venkat: Initially, I would volunteer at many different events as a solo volunteer, but I wanted to get more of my friends and community involved, so along with my sister, Esha Venkat, I founded a nonprofit organization called NEST4US as a platform for giving back to the community in a multitude of ways. Our organization has grown from a small project to an impactful organization with over 450 dedicated volunteers.

Shreyaa Venkat tutoring students
Shreyaa Venkat tutoring students.

 

As we give back to our community, we felt a sense of joy and pride that we are doing something meaningful and making a difference. The smiles and happiness on the faces of the people we serve are priceless.

My motivation comes mainly from the joy I get from giving back to the community, particularly the less fortunate as I feel that it’s my responsibility to help those in need.

CF: What initiatives are you currently working on with NEST4US?

SV: Currently, we’re hosting a school supply drive, sandwich assembly project, “Birthday in a Box” for underprivileged kids in local schools, and our regular feeding and tutoring programs as always!

CF: Who nominated you for #Digital4Good?

SV: My mom nominated me. She has been an extraordinary influence on my life and always will be. My mom has not only raised me to be a positive person but has supported me in every stage of my life.

CF: What do you hope to get out of your experience at #Digital4Good?

SV: First of all, I’m super excited to be part of the 2019 #Digital4Good initiative! From my experience, I hope to get more outreach for NEST4US and inspire more youth to get involved in their community. In addition, I would like to use what I learn in the conference (tips for increasing fundraising, enhancing mission/vision, better marketing, and more outreach) to help grow our organization more and more so that we can touch more lives and spread our impact to hopefully more states.

Feeding the homeless with NEST4US
Feeding the homeless with NEST4US.

 

We have many plans that we want to implement (including releasing our new app Nestables that we built), but in order to do so, we would need lots of funding, so through #Digital4Good, I’m hoping to connect with more people for corporate sponsorships and partnerships.

CF: What is the role of social media in your organization?

SV: Social media is our main marketing tool for our events and programs and currently, we have pretty good outreach, particularly on Twitter, as we just reached 1K followers! In addition, through social media, we frequently post inspirational quotes in order to motivate everyone to spread kindness always.

CF: How do you use social media to inspire people to get involved?

SV: Through our social media platforms, I promote awareness of reducing hunger by advocating for zero waste and strive to spread kindness and project positive messages to my peers in order to support my community in any way possible.

CF: What message would you like to share with young people who are reading this?

SV: I really want the youth to look at the world in a different way – a world where they are not the center. Community service provides a great pathway for this, yet many kids claim that they don’t have enough time to volunteer. However, I believe that you don’t need to have time, you should make the time to help others. Nothing is impossible- you just need to have the passion and heart to give back. I strongly believe that, even if you have nothing else to give to someone, your kindness will mean the world to them.

Shreyaa serving at Central Union Mission in Washington, DC
Shreyaa serving at Central Union Mission in Washington, DC

 

Also, many people do community service solely for hours or some other incentive, which I believe defeats the purpose. Finding a volunteer activity that interests you or that you can along with people who share the same interests as you can really motivate you to volunteer with passion.

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Supporting Student Voices and Digital Leadership with #Digital4Good

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On September 15th and 16th, students, educators, and industry friends will gather at Facebook HQ in Menlo Park to celebrate the power of kindness, giving, and positivity. Organized by the California-based nonprofit #ICANHELP, #Digital4Good is now in its third year of honoring student achievements in positive tech and media use. The students featured in this year’s event have led initiatives that feed the homeless, fund innovative pediatric cancer research, focus on suicide prevention, and so much more.

Two Hat is excited to announce that we are proudly supporting #Digital4Good for the third year in a row.

In addition to celebrating with the winners at the event itself in September, we are also taking part in a brand-new initiative and mentoring one of the winners.

Shreyaa Venkat is a junior at Broad Run High School who founded the non-profit organization NEST4US, dedicated to feeding the hungry, inspiring youth to volunteer, and connect the world. In a short time, NEST4US has grown from a small family-based project to an impactful organization with over 350 young dedicated volunteers wanting to make the world better.

Keep watching the blog for an interview with Shreyaa – we guarantee she will inspire you to give back! 

Make sure you tune in to the #Digtal4Good live event on Monday, September 16th from 9:00 am – 10:oo am PST for the “power hour,” during which all ten student winners will present their projects.

Sign up here to receive the direct live stream link on September 16th.

Want to learn more about #Digital4Good and #ICANHELP? Check out these blog posts:

How #ICANHELP is Empowering a New Generation of Digital Citizens (an interview with co-founder Matt Soeth)

#ICANHELP Light the Fire: An Interview With Musician Lisa Heller

Introducing the Tech Power Panel at #Digital4Good

Four Surprising Lessons I Learned From Students at #Digital4Good

We believe that everyone should be free to share without fear of abuse or harassment.

We also believe that making this vision a reality is a shared responsibility.

That’s why we’ve allied with diverse organizations including non-profits, government agencies, private companies, and industry alliances to share best practices, produce online safety resources, and spread the word of proactive, purposeful content moderation.

We’ve partnered with #ICANHELP because they empower students to use social media in a positive, healthy way.

 

How #ICANHELP is Empowering the Next Generation of Digital Citizens

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Two Hat believes that everyone should be free to share online without fear of harassment or abuse. We also believe that making this vision a reality is a shared responsibility.

That’s why we have allied ourselves with diverse organizations including non-profits, government agencies, private companies, and industry alliances to share best practices, produce online safety resources, and spread the word of proactive, purposeful content moderation. One of those organizations is the California-based non-profit #ICANHELP.

We recently sat down with Matt Soeth, co-founder and executive director of #ICANHELP to discuss the organization’s upcoming initiatives with the NY Yankees, his thoughts on social media legislation, and #Digital4Good, their annual event celebrating student achievements.

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Carlos Figueiredo: Tell us about your organization, #ICANHELP.

Matt Soeth: #ICANHELP educates and empowers students to use social media positively.

We train students how to be digital first responders. When they see something online we want them to know how to report content (when necessary), how to respond to negative content, and in the words of students, how to respond to all the “drama.”

At the same time, we work with students to build positive social media campaigns. We train educators and admin best practices around modeling and guiding students in developing their digital identity.

CF: What initiatives are you working on right now?

MS: We are excited to announce our partnership with the NY Yankees as part of their Bronx Education All Star Day. About 9000 students and educators were at the game on May 29 being recognized for academic achievement, civic engagement, and leadership. We will be working with Bronx schools in the fall with our curriculum and resources to help students develop social projects for the 2019-2020 school year.

We have two new online courses for teachers and administrators we are excited to share. Our teacher course walks educators through building up their social media presence, managing student social media teams, and the best way to model and guide students in creating and managing content. Our admin course will help anyone looking for policy examples and guidance on how to respond and investigate social media incidents. We walk everyone through how to create an incident response plan related to a social media incident as well as how to work with law enforcement, social media companies, and gaming companies to get content removed that violates a platform’s terms of service.

We are excited to announce a collaboration project with the Well Being Trust, the foundation for Providence/St. Joseph Health, to create mental health and wellness curriculum around digital wellbeing. So much of what we see in digital wellbeing currently is focused heavily on devices and we are looking to develop some tools for young people and educators to help them talk about stress, anxiety, and online negativity.

CF: How can people get involved?

MS: Check out our website. You can always contact us through our site. We are very active on social media, @icanhelp on Twitter, @icanhelpofficial on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. We are sharing content all the time, so if schools are looking for ideas, that’s the place to connect with us.

That being said – share! So much of what we do is word of mouth and we have students all over doing some amazing work. We’d love for more people to know those stories.

If you are an educator or parent and care about this topic, please reach out and share our resources, invite us to your community or school, help us grow the conversation and keep it going.

CF: What is your take on the social media legislation being introduced around the world – Online Harms and Duty of Care in the UK, Sharing of Abhorrent Violent Material in Australia, the Christchurch Call?

MS: All of these actions are leading to new policy and regulation to hold companies accountable for the content on their site. The challenge will come when trying to enforce these laws and regulations as that part is still unclear. The intent behind these actions is clear, making the internet a better and safer place for users, particularly youth.

The one challenge I do have with all of this is the emphasis on government regulation and corporate responsibility. Whenever there is a major social incident – offline, that then goes viral and plays out online – we as users react. In this case, with a landslide of recent incidents, we got the white paper, identifying and removing terrorist content, and so on. It solves the problem now, but I often wonder if gets to the systemic underlying issue causing all of these problems. For example, there is so much talk about cyberbullying, but kids are still more likely to be bullied in person than online. Responding to cyberbullying is good, and needs to happen, but regulating companies is not enough. If the internet is going to be a better place, it needs to be a collective effort: users, nonprofits, content experts, education institutions, companies, you name it. It takes all of us.

CF: Can you give us a sneak peek at #Digital4Good 2019?

MS: We are really excited about #Digital4Good 2019. It’s being held at Facebook HQ in Menlo Park, CA. We have our winners selected and will be sharing more about them soon. It’s a diverse group of students from all over the US covering a range of topics and projects around bullying, race, homelessness, robotics, leadership development, and cancer research.

These students will be sharing their stories live on September 16, 2019. We’ve invited a few schools to attend, though seating is limited. You can tune into the live stream and see the event as it happens (or watch again later). To get notified about the live stream, fill out the form on the page. We will tell you when the event is happening and share out the schedule of student speakers.

CF: Thanks for sitting down with us, Matt!

MS: My pleasure, Carlos!

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#ICANHELP Light the Fire: An Interview With Musician Lisa Heller

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Singer, songwriter, and actress Lisa Heller is using her voice to change the world — online and offline.

Only 21 years old, Lisa is already making waves. She’s released three successful singles, was named Ambassador for the first annual #Digital4Good event held at Twitter HQ this summer and is poised to release a new video “Light the Fire” to support the non-profit #ICANHELP in their newest campaign to support positivity in social media.

As a teenager, Lisa suffered from anxiety and low self-esteem. She turned to songwriting for strength.

“I found my purpose by writing music,” she says. I’m able to inspire other people. Now I know why I’m experiencing anxiety — it’s for a reason. So that I can inspire others, so they know there is something else out there who is going through the same thing. That’s why I think this happened to me — so that I can be strong for other people, and talk about my experiences.”

Lisa took time out of her busy schedule (in addition to writing, performing, and recording music, she’s in her senior year at university) to talk to us about #ICANHELP and “Light the Fire.”

Carlos Figueiredo: How did you get involved with #ICANHELP?

Lisa Heller: There’s a guy named Charlie Peake, who’s from Simsbury Connecticut, where I’m from and who went to Colgate University where I go. He read an article about me and reached out to me about SCORE, a free nationwide mentorship program. He helped connect me with David Ryan Polgar, who is a board member for #ICANHELP, who connected me with Matt Soeth, co-founder of #ICANHELP. Everything clicked from there.

CF: How did you become Ambassador for the #Digital4Good event at Twitter HQ?

LH: Matt and I started talking about how it would be cool if I had a song that would fit well with the next online #ICANHELP campaign. I mentioned that I had this song “Light the Fire” that has a similar message as #ICANHELP. He asked me to talk at the #Digital4Good event in San Francisco and said we could also film a video for the song while I was there to tie it into #ICANHELP.

The students in the video are all worldwide winners who were nominated by their peers for the #Digital4Good program.

CF: What was your experience at #Digital4Good?

LH: It was pretty cool. The first half of the day students talked about their experiences having a positive impact online, and shared their accomplishments in middle school and high school.

I spoke about my “Hope” video and I got to announce that I was doing “Light the Fire” with the #ICANHELP campaign.

I stuck around for the rest of the day where we had all of these different panels, and I was able to talk with the students and people in tech. We all met in small groups and had some pretty cool conversations.

CF: You’re active and popular on social media, with a combined 26k followers on Instagram and Facebook. Have you experienced harassment and abuse online?

LH: The reason I started doing music was because I felt a sense of alienation growing up before I even posted anything online. Part of the reason I wanted to make music was to be a strong person who could stand up to people and show that it’s okay to be criticized because you can be the stronger, bigger person.

When I started posting videos, it was hard. Sometimes I would get negative feedback. When I released my “Hope” video, which is about kids with terminal illnesses, some people made some really horrible comments, like they wished these kids would pass away. But the amazing thing is that my fans would all stand up to those people, and it created this online community where the people who had made negative comments ended up being won over and even apologizing. They ended up supporting the song and the video.

As hard as it was at the beginning to read those negative comments, I’ve also become a stronger person. I’ve learned that often people make comments because they might be insecure themselves. And I’ve learned to handle it because I want to be that strong person for other people who might be experiencing harassment every day.

CF: Let’s talk about “Light The Fire.” What is the message of the song?

LH: I started writing “Light the Fire” a year and a half ago. The point of the song was to inspire others to get involved with whatever cause they believe in and to stand up for their beliefs.

The line “If we light the fire, build our own heat, we’ll brothers and sisters march the streets,” is about peacefully standing up for what you believe in, in order to spread a positive message. The line “Strike one match, that’s all we need,” expresses the idea that only one person needs to stand up, but if you work hard enough then other people will join in with that positive message, and you can spread it and build something really great. “Light the Fire” is about spreading positive messages and having a positive impact online and offline.

About #ICANHELP

Formed by educators Matt Soeth and Kim Karr, #ICANHELP is a non-profit organization that educates and empowers students to use social media positively. To date, #ICANHELP has worked with students to take down over 800 pages dealing with harassment, impersonation, bullying, and more. They work closely with schools in training students on how to respond to cyber issues.

About #ICANHELP to Light the Fire

#ICANHELP is excited to partner with Lisa Heller on “Light the Fire.” Lisa collaborated with #ICANHELP and our students to plan, record, and edit this video. #Digital4Good is about students inspiring students and “Light the Fire” is a perfect way to promote that message. Together we are powerful, together we can make a difference.

About Lisa Heller

21-year-old alternative pop singer Lisa Heller started writing music when she was only fourteen. Songs helped her work through her tough adolescent years battling anxiety and low self-esteem.

Her debut single “Hope” set the foundation for her career when the music video reached over 1.6 million views on YouTube and Trended to #1 in 5 countries (top 10 in 7). Heller’s original songs share inspirational messages such as her commentary on college hookup culture in “Midnight” and her experiences in overcoming anxiety with old school “Things You Never Said”. The Edit, a clothing line by Seventeen Magazine, has featured Heller as an Influencer on social media.



Four Surprising Lessons I Learned From Students at #Digital4Good

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“I can help, I will help, I did help!” — student leaders at #Digital4Good

Most of the conversations I have about online behavior have negative overtones. Sadly, it’s not just my professional discussions, which naturally tend to focus on the negative. It happens in my non-professional life too.

In fact, most conversations about the internet tend to begin and end with the far-from nuanced sentiment “the internet is the worst and people are awful.” Often, when we get together with colleagues, friends, or family, we immediately start talking about the unfortunate things we’ve experienced or heard about online.

But on September 18th, 2017, the conversation was different.

Last week, students, educators, and the tech industry came together for the very first #Digital4Good Day at Twitter Headquarters to celebrate student leadership, and discuss the challenges facing digital citizens today. Organized by the non-profit #ICANHELP, the event was the first of its kind, but hopefully not the last.

We heard from students who created social media mentoring programs at their schools, founded volunteering organizations that have gone national, created a website for people with dietary restrictions, and much, much more.

For my part, I learned a few surprising and ultimately powerful lessons from those students. I’d like to share them with you.

Lesson 1: Relax: The internet isn’t all bad.

Like I said, it’s easy (and often tempting) to dwell on the negative, but it gets you nowhere. The students at #Digital4Good believe in a better internet, and they know it’s possible. After all, it’s their future that they’re shaping.

Instead of dwelling on the negative uses of social media and other platforms, these students are meeting such behavior with kindness and respect at every turn, often taking the higher road and respecting everyone involved when facing hate.

That’s a lesson we can all use. These students are shining examples of individuals facing the nuanced complexities of our digital age without giving up or giving into despair. Inevitably, we all make mistakes on and offline.

We could all use more patience and understanding when relating to others, and we can certainly pay more attention to the positive things going on around us.

Lesson 2: The kids are alright.

My colleagues and I left #Digital4Good impressed and inspired by teenagers going above and beyond to improve their local communities, both online and off.

Students discussed the challenges of online civics at an impressively composed and wise level. They dove into the most challenging dilemmas social media moderators face today, including:

  • Freedom of expression in the digital age
  • Defining hate speech — where is the line crossed?
  • Political posts and political propaganda on social media

They tackled these complex questions thoughtfully and with surprising wisdom for their ages. They demonstrated the compelling power of minds set to positive motivation.

Like I said, they have already improved their online and offline communities. And they are committed to doing more and bigger things.

Lesson 3: Forget IRL. The internet is officially real life.

“Our lives are blurred across online and offline. Everything is real life. They’re just different formats.”

A panelist said this during the Tech Power Panel, and it rings true for students in 2017.

When I discuss user and player behavior with my colleagues, we make a point of avoiding generalization. Very few people are always “good” or always “bad.” We are all subject to change and many things can affect our behavior online, from day to day.

Sometimes, we even see people not only taking responsibility for their actions — but also taking on the challenge of making online spaces better for everyone. Those users and players know the importance of not being a passive bystander. They know that their actions matter and they understand the importance of voicing their opinions.

I ask you: does that sound similar to what it means to be a citizen? You have your rights and you have your obligations. Being an online citizen is still being a citizen. We are all accountable and responsible for our actions online just as we are off the screen.

Student leaders get this. And they remain committed to positive action despite all the challenges in front of them.

Lesson 4: It’s time to raise the bar.

We will and we must continue to discuss online behavior and how we can all play a part in improving things.

The example of those young leaders will remind me to talk more about the positive examples happening every day online. Nothing is as simple as “good” or “bad” online and offline, so let’s not dwell and get lost on the negatives.

I saw the faces of those Internet users I had previously seen behind an avatar speaking up against cyberbullying or encouraging new users on a platform. Their commitment was contagious.

As an industry, there’s a lot we can do, from the way we design safety into our products to how we facilitate systems where users can learn and change. It’s up to us to place our pieces of the puzzle with the same courage those teenagers demonstrate daily.

For my part, I’m committed to collaborating with industry partners, schools, and society at large to discuss our digital challenges and find actionable ways to increase the health of our online communities. Just recently I presented the Six Essential Pillars of a Healthy Online Community. In October I will be sharing how online communities can prepare for and react to worldwide events and trending topics.

Now, the real question is — what will you do to encourage good digital citizenship?

Feel like you missed out? Don’t worry — #Digital4Good was live-streamed on Periscope, and you can watch the recording.

Check out the Tech Power Panel discussion, featuring industry experts from friends at Supercell, Unity Technologies, and more.

Follow #ICANHELP on Twitter for upcoming events.

Follow me on Twitter for community building tips, new blog posts, and upcoming events.

Photos courtesy of @icanhelp

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Introducing the Tech Power Panel at #Digital4Good

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We’re excited to announce that Two Hat Security will be attending the very first #Digital4Good event on Monday, September 18th!

Held at Twitter HQ in San Francisco, the event brings together highly-engaged students, educators, and industry leaders to empower positive tech and media use.

A panel of tech superstars

Two Hat Security Director of Community Trust & Safety Carlos Figueiredo will be moderating the Tech Power Panel.

Featuring industry experts AJ Glasser (Sr. Business Developer for Mobile Games at Unity Technologies), Jess Hollmeier (leader of the Anti-Fraud & User-Safety initiatives at Supercell), and more, the panel will discuss digital citizenship in games.

The panelists look forward to:

  • sharing their thoughts about digital citizenship
  • providing examples of in-game challenges they’ve faced and how they overcame them
  • presenting tangible actions students can take in games and throughout the digital world to make a difference

The entire event will be live-streamed on Periscope! You can sign up to receive the link Monday morning. The panel discussion takes place from 3:15 pm – 3:45 pm PST.

#Digital4Good — an origin story

#Digital4Good was spearheaded by the non-profit organization #ICANHELP. Founded by Matt Soeth and Kim Karr, their mission is to help students, educators, and parents navigate social media and create a positive school culture.

Their first national event #Digital4Good is a celebration of student voices and digital leadership, with a focus on digital citizenship. It will feature fast-paced presentations, panels, and videos, as well as the first ever #Digital4Good awards — nominated by students for students.

Whether you’re a student, teacher, or a member of the digital industry, you don’t want to miss this one-of-a-kind event!

Don’t forget to sign up to receive the Periscope link delivered straight to your inbox Monday morning.

We are all citizens of the digital world — let’s make it better, together.

Want to learn more?

Digital citizenship, fair play, and sportsmanship are some of the most-discussed digital topics in 2017. Check out these resources to stay up-to-date:

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