AOL Canada Inc. Newest Media Awareness Network Sponsor
Ottawa and Toronto, Ontario - May 16, 2001 - The Media Awareness Network (MNet) announced today that AOL Canada Inc. is its newest Bronze Sponsor.
"We are very pleased to welcome AOL Canada as a sponsor," said MNet Co-Director, Jan D'Arcy. "Support to the Media Awareness Network from one of Canada's leading interactive online services gives added impetus and energy to the development of public education in the field of Internet literacy."
"AOL Canada is familiar with parents' and educators' concerns as increasing numbers of young people go online and the safety, security and privacy of children on AOL is one of our top priorities," says Steven McArthur, President and CEO of AOL Canada Inc. "Through our industry-leading Parental Controls we are committed to helping parents make sure their children have a safe and enriching experience online and we commend the Media Awareness Network for its groundbreaking work in Internet education."
MNet's Web Awareness Canada program is a national public education program designed to bring parents, educators and librarians up to speed on the issues children and young people face as they go online. The Web Awareness Web site offers a huge range of resources - practical advice on the Internet environments that kids enjoy, information on filtering and blocking software, copyright-cleared teaching lessons, tip sheets, student handouts, Internet guidelines for home and classroom, an interactive student lesson and quiz, and two games, with teachers' guides, on cyber-hate, online privacy and authentication of online information. MNet's Web Awareness professional development resources have been licensed for use by the ministries of education of Alberta, Yukon, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
AOL Canada Inc. is a strategic alliance between AOL Time Warner, the world's first Internet powered media and communications company and Royal Bank, Canada's premier global financial services group. AOL Canada Inc. operates two interactive online services tailored to the Canadian marketplace, AOL Canada® and CompuServe® as well as several leading Internet brands including AOL.CA®, AOL Canada Search® and AOL Instant Messenger®. Working with its more than 80 content and e-commerce partners, AOL offers Canadian consumers and families value, ease-of-use and convenience through state-of-the-art features.
The Media Awareness Network is a national non-profit organization promoting and supporting media education in Canadian homes, school and communities. In 1997, MNet pioneered the concept of Web literacy as an essential literacy for the 21st century. Since then, the Media Awareness Network has become a world leader in Web literacy initiatives. This spring, the Media Awareness Network was awarded the prestigious CANARIE IWAY Award for Community Service, in recognition of its Web Awareness program.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Jan D'Arcy
Co-Director
Media Awareness Network
Tel: (613) 224-7721
Joan Simkins
Director, Corporate Communications
AOL Canada Inc.
Tel: (416) 960-6519