At National Heritage Academies®, Safe Schools Week Starts with the Internet
NHA takes steps to keep students safe in school and, with the help of parents, online.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Safe Schools Week is not just about classroom emergency plans – it's also about protecting children from harm on the internet.
During Safe Schools Week, which this year runs Oct. 19-23, the National Heritage Academies® (NHA®) network of partner-schools sets aside time for visits from local first responders, safety drills, and spirit days. Students learn what to do during severe weather events and how to build safety plans for emergencies at home.
They're also learning how to protect themselves online.
According to Pew Research, nearly half of teens say they are online almost constantly, and Safe Schools Week helps students understand how to stay safe with every search, text, and click. The goal is to prevent damaging experiences, both physical and psychological. Reaching that goal requires the efforts of both teachers and parents.
"Technology is entwined in school, it's entwined with how kids do their homework," said Chris McKenna, founder of Protect Young Eyes, an 11-year-old advocacy organization that trains parents and educators on digital safety for children.
McKenna and NHA Director of Safety and Health Brian Gard recently discussed digital safety during a webinar for parents that will be distributed to NHA schools. Gard described some of the steps that NHA takes, while McKenna offered tips for parents.
All 105 schools in NHA's network use BARK for Schools, a tool that monitors student online activity to flag mentions of self-harm, threats, bullying, and questionable searches. At NHA, the tool monitors about 80,000 searches, emails, and other activities per day across student Google accounts and the school's internet.
When a student's activity alerts BARK, the app in turn warns NHA's Safety Team, who respond.
"We get alerts about threats of self-harm, and we're able to intervene," Gard said. "In one instance, the parent reached out and said the student was able to get the counseling and support they needed. That parent credited BARK for saving their student's life."
Still, the risk does not end when students leave the classroom.
"There are 17 hours outside of the school day where parents need to pick up the digital leadership baton and do their job to prepare and protect their kids online," McKenna said.
Talking to children, particularly teenagers, about their online activity can be awkward, which is why McKenna encourages parents to have many small conversations rather than one big one.
He shared two tips. First, start early and stay curious. Ask what your child is doing online, then join in. That might mean watching videos together or playing a video game side-by-side.
Second, don't freak out. Sooner or later children will send or see something they shouldn't. McKenna said it helps to practice your response ahead of time, the same way you would rehearse a speech.
"If all of your tech conversations are consequences, negativity, and yelling, what are the chances that when digital crisis happens, they'll come to you?" McKenna asked. "They need to know through modeling, and being shoulder-to-shoulder with them, that they're safe. It all works toward building that connection, so they'll land with you when the tough stuff happens."
McKenna pointed to NHA's Moral Focus™ program and said that teaching virtues like Respect, Wisdom, and Integrity help students make good choices before trouble finds them.
About National Heritage Academies:
National Heritage Academies® (NHA®) is a network of 105 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. For more information, visit nhaschools.com. To find the nearest charter school near you, use the NHA school finder.
SOURCE National Heritage Academies
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