Karr teaches students to be Digital First Responders
Kim Karr spoke to Waynesville Middle School students about the importance of being Digital First Responders and how to take action for good during a school assembly on Dec. 13, 2022.
Karr started #ICANHELP in 2011 after seeing the destructive power of online negativity firsthand. Her website states: An anonymous user created a simple, yet destructive Facebook page targeting a teacher at her school. Over the next two weeks, 1,000 students followed the page with many commenting and fueling the fire. One student finally stepped up and reported the page, ending the school-wide drama.
Karr never wanted this to happen again so she developed an online safety and positivity program that trains students to become Digital First Responders.
When a similar type of Facebook page appeared about a year later, 30 students took action and left positive comments supporting the teacher. The page was taken down within 24 hours.
Since Karr and her co-founder Matt Soeth launched the nonprofit in 2013, #ICANHELP has trained thousands of students to be Digital First Responders.
“We’re on a mission to empower students from around the world to use digital for good,” Karr said. “We believe students should be part of the solution.”
#ICanHelp
Issued Jan. 25, 2023
