Workshop aims to bridge gap between kids’ digital lives and parents’ awareness

“Families don’t have to have all the answers before they walk through the door on April 29. They can come as they are, bring their questions, and learn from the experts, from our district staff, and from one another. Keeping our children safe in digital spaces is not something any one family or school can do alone. It truly takes all of us.” 

Quincy Superintendent Nik Bergman  

QUINCY — Quincy School District and local youth prevention partners will host a free workshop Wednesday night aimed at helping parents navigate the fast‑changing digital world their children use every day. 

“Raising Safe Digital Kids: Parent Strategies for Online Safety” begins at 6 p.m. at Quincy Middle School, with a free dinner at 5:30 p.m. and on‑site childcare to reduce barriers for families, according to the district’s announcement. 

“Kids are spending more time online today than they ever have before,” Quincy Partnership for Youth Coordinator Crystal Cruz said. “We noticed that there’s a gap between what kids know about the internet and what parents know about the internet, and so our goal is to try to keep parents informed so that they can better protect and support their kids while they’re online.” 

Cruz said the event grew out of a widening gap between what kids understand about technology and what many parents feel prepared to manage. 

“There are some great benefits to the internet,” Cruz said. “But there are also some very real risks, like cyberbullying and unsafe content and even online predators. We're just trying to make sure that we are providing knowledge and tools to our parents so that they can confidently guide their kids.”  

The workshop will feature a panel of local experts, including school district staff, law enforcement, mental health professionals and the North Central ESD’s behavioral threat assessment coordinator. Together, they will walk parents through current online trends, popular apps, gaming platforms and risks such as cyberbullying, scams, harmful content and online predators. 

“Ultimately, one of our biggest goals is to give tips to the parents, so that they are able to have real conversations with their kids,” she said.  

Cruz said bringing multiple sectors together was intentional. 

“Our panelists are experts that exist in our community, that work in separate sections of the community, that all have a similar goal of keeping our community safe and healthy,” she said. “We wanted to have a little bit of variety to make sure that parents saw the full scope of suggestions that exist.” 

Presenters will also address how children often bypass digital boundaries set by parents or schools, early warning signs that something may be wrong online, and strategies for starting real conversations with kids about their digital lives.  

Platforms discussed will include TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Discord, Roblox, Minecraft and AI companion apps. 

Quincy Superintendent Nik Bergman said the evening is designed to meet families where they are. 

“Families don’t have to have all the answers before they walk through the door on April 29. They can come as they are, bring their questions, and learn from the experts, from our district staff, and from one another,” Bergman said in the district’s statement. “Keeping our children safe in digital spaces is not something any one family or school can do alone. It truly takes all of us.” 

Cruz said the workshop is open to all parents and caregivers – including those who don’t consider themselves tech‑savvy or who believe their children aren’t online much. 

“There is never a wrong time to begin to learn,” she said. “Today is the best opportunity to get informed so that you’re able to protect your children today and tomorrow and the day after.” 

Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be provided by the Community for Advancement of Family Education. 

For more information, parents can contact Crystal Cruz at the Quincy Partnership for Youth at [email protected].  

“We do see that kids are spending a lot of time using their devices,” Cruz said. “We're just trying to make sure that parents understand some of the dangers that may exist and can potentially develop some healthy boundaries around technology so that kids are able to be kids and be protected.” 

Raising Safe Digital Kids: Parent Strategies for Online Safety 

April 29 

Dinner: 5:30 p.m.  

Event: 6-7 p.m. 

Quincy Middle School  

16 6th Ave SE, Quincy