Connected, Not Consumed: Digital Safety and Healthy Screen Time in Afterschool Programs

FREE & Virtual: Thursdays- October 22nd and 29th from 10am-12pm 

Trainer: Dr. Willie Williams

DIGITAL SAFETY, SCREEN TIME & ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

This two-part, four-hour workshop prepares afterschool professionals to create healthier, safer, and more intentional digital environments for youth while building their own confidence with technology and artificial intelligence (AI). Participants will explore common digital safety concerns—including cyberbullying, inappropriate content, scams, privacy, and unsafe online interactions—and examine strategies for balancing educational, recreational, social, and passive screen time. The workshop will also introduce practical ways AI can support everyday afterschool responsibilities such as activity planning, family communication, brainstorming, administrative tasks, and program development. Through hands-on practice, participants will learn to create realistic technology expectations, strengthen supervision and digital safety practices, and use AI responsibly while considering privacy, accuracy, bias, and professional judgment. The goal is to help afterschool programs harness the benefits of technology without allowing digital tools to replace meaningful relationships, creativity, or human connection.

Learning Objectives
Participants will:

1. Identify common digital safety risks affecting youth in afterschool settings, including cyberbullying, inappropriate content, scams, privacy concerns, and unsafe online interactions.
2. Distinguish between educational, recreational, social, and passive screen time and develop strategies for establishing healthier technology habits.
3. Establish realistic screen-time boundaries, supervision practices, technology expectations, and digital safety procedures that support youth learning and engagement.
4. Teach youth practical strategies for protecting their privacy, personal information, digital footprint, and online well-being.
5. Identify everyday afterschool responsibilities where AI can be used to save time and support programming, communication, planning, brainstorming, and administrative tasks.
6. Create and evaluate effective AI prompts and AI-generated content for accuracy, bias, tone, appropriateness, and alignment with program goals.
7. Apply responsible AI practices by recognizing sensitive youth, family, employee, and organizational information that should not be entered into public AI platforms and maintaining professional judgment when using AI.

Audience: Youth development professionals, including program staff, managers, coordinators, directors, instructors, mentors, and organizational leaders who want practical strategies for improving digital safety, establishing healthier technology practices, and responsibly incorporating AI into afterschool programming.

FACILITATOR BIO

Willie Williams, Ph.D.

Dr. Willie Williams has over 10 years of experience as a licensed teacher, youth worker, educational advocate, curriculum developer, and 17-time published author. As an educator, he secured a grant that provided 15 teens from Chicago’s South and West Sides with the opportunity to visit the West Wing of the White House and meet President Barack Obama. In 2019, he received the Teach2Give Award honoring Chicago’s Most Remarkable Educators.

Dr. Williams has served as a Network 9 Social Science Professional Development Presenter, CPS Civics Committee Member, and Teacher Facilitator for Chicago Public Schools. He has also designed curriculum in collaboration with the Better Arguments Project, Stanford University, and the University of California, Riverside. He currently serves as Chair of the Rebecca Crown Youth Center Local Advisory Board and as a Community Service Consultant for Chicago Greek Weekend.