PTA Connected: Fostering Authentic Family Engagement to Support Youth Digital Citizenship

Outcomes

After this session, participants will be able to:

1. Understand and describe the importance of strong family-school partnerships in supporting student success.​

2. Analyze and reflect on parent mindsets around technology and identify opportunities to increase awareness and shared learning.​

3. Explore National PTA’s digital safety initiative that supports families with building critical knowledge and skills for online safety and well-being.​

4. Adopt strategies to effectively engage parents and families in dialogue around edtech, screentime, healthy media use and digital citizenship.

Supporting research

1. New National Survey and Listening Sessions Reveal Parents’ Mindsets on the Internet and Digital Media Research and Press Release (https://www.pta.org/home/About-National-Parent-Teacher-Association/PTA-Newsroom/news-list/news-detail-page/2024/07/10/new-national-survey-and-listening-sessions-reveal-parents-mindsets-on-the-internet-and-digital-media)

2. National PTA’s Ready, Tech, Go! Program Helps Parents Navigate Raising Kids in the Digital Age Article (https://ptaourchildren.org/ready-tech-go-program-helps-parents-navigate-the-digital-age/)

3. How Teens and Parents Approach Screen Time Research (https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/02/PI_2024.03.11_Teens-and-Screens_REPORT.pdf)

4. Connected and Protected: Insights from FOSI’s 2025 Online Safety Survey (https://fosi.org/research/connected-and-protected-insights-from-fosis-2025-online-safety-survey/)

5. The 2025 Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Zero to Eight (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/the-2025-common-sense-census-media-use-by-kids-zero-to-eight)

6. Adolescent Perspectives: Mediation & Online Safety Features (https://digitalwellnesslab.org/pulse-surveys/adolescent-media-use-mediation-and-online-safety-features/)

7. Adolescent Media Use: Attitudes, Effects, and Online Experiences (https://digitalwellnesslab.org/pulse-surveys/adolescent-media-use-attitudes-effects-and-online-experiences/)

8. Children’s Engagement with Digital Devices, Screen Time (https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/07/28/childrens-engagement-with-digital-devices-screen-time/)

9. Schools and Teaching Digital Literacy and Citizenship. But Are They Doing It Right? (https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/schools-are-teaching-digital-literacy-and-citizenship-but-are-they-doing-it-right/2023/07)