CAZENOVIA — On Thursday, March 30, the Cazenovia High School Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) will present a family workshop aimed at facilitating meaningful technology discussions between teens and their parents/caregivers.
The “Build Up & Belong” workshop, which will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Betsy Kennedy Community Room at the Cazenovia Public Library & Museum, is designed for parents, caregivers, and teenagers ages 13 and older.
The event will examine the use of technology as a communication and relationship tool, discuss ways to build belonging and positive communities in a digital world, teach how to navigate privacy and safety on digital platforms, and help families engage in interactive conversations about online scenarios, experiences, and expectations.
The workshop will be facilitated by PTSA President and Fayetteville-Manlius High School Teacher Kathleen Benedict, Cazenovia Middle School Psychologist Micael Speirs, and Syracuse University Professor Jennifer Stromer-Galley.
According to the Syracuse University website, Stromer-Galley has been studying “social media” since before it was called social media, researching online interaction and strategic communication in a variety of contexts, including political forums and online games. She has published over 70 journal articles, proceedings, and book chapters, and received over $15 million in federal and corporate grants to support her research endeavors. Her book, “Presidential Campaigning in the Internet Age,” provides a history of presidential campaigns as they have adopted and adapted to digital communication technologies.
“There’s a lot to our workshop and a lot that both parents and teens can learn,” said Benedict. “The PTSA is asking that parents, caregivers, and teenagers ages 13 and up attend this workshop together as facilitators lead parents and teens through discussions of realistic scenarios that will both challenge and deepen our understanding of how our youth are interacting in today’s digital world.”
Food, including wraps and chips, will be provided starting at 6:45 p.m.
Register for the event by visiting cazhs.memberhub.com/w/buildupbelong.
The workshop is supported by a grant awarded by the National Parent Teacher Association (National PTA), the oldest and largest child advocacy association in America.
Cazenovia High School was one of 30 schools nationwide to receive funding last fall through the National PTA’s “PTA Connected: “Build Up and Belong” program, sponsored by Discord, an online gaming chat app.
The PTSA was awarded $1,000 to facilitate meaningful conversations between teens and their caregivers about ways to work together to protect privacy, be safer, and support one another online. The goal of the program is to help families explore ways to foster positive relationships, navigate digital dilemmas, and build belonging in the digital world.
According to Benedict, the Build Up & Belong workshop will include an overview of Discord and other popular social media platforms for teens, like Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram.
The PTSA is a member of both the National PTA and the New York State Parent Teacher Association Leatherstocking region.
According to the Cazenovia Central School District website, the mission of its parent teacher association programs is “to support and speak on behalf of children and youth in schools, to assist parents in developing skills they need to raise and protect their children, and to encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools.”
To learn more about the PTSA, visit cazhs.memberhub.com or email [email protected].
