HARRISBURG – Attorney General Tom Corbett announced the six finalists in the Attorney General’s Operation Safe Surf video contest on Internet Safety for Pennsylvania teens.
The contest, which is co-sponsored by Microsoft and Comcast, is part of the Attorney General’s Operation Safe Surf initiative to keep kids safe on the Internet and was open to all Pennsylvania middle and high school students. Students were encouraged to help spread the word about online safety by producing a 30-second public service announcement.
“With the increasing popularity of social networking sites, instant messaging and blogs, teenagers need to learn how to be safe online,” Corbett said. “This contest was the perfect opportunity for teens to talk about online safety from their perspectives and a chance for them to impact the lives of other kids their age by creating provocative public service announcements.”
Both sponsors agree that online safety must be a priority, and are excited to be involved in a contest that promotes internet responsibility.
A spokesman from Microsoft had this to say about their involvement in the contest:
“Microsoft is proud of its cooperation with local law enforcement officials to help educate kids and teens on the resources available to keep their Internet experiences productive, fun and safe,” said Beth DeHaven, Microsoft State and Local Government Manager for East Region. “The students participating in the Operation Safe Surf contest are great role models for their peers here in Pennsylvania, and Microsoft is committed to helping these young people apply rules of safety from the real world to activities in the online world.”
Comcast’s spokesman also said that they were proud to be involved in this contest.
“As the nation’s leading residential Internet service provider, Comcast is committed to delivering a safe, secure and superior online experience,” said Linda Hossinger, senior vice president of Comcast’s Three Rivers Region. “We are honored to work with the Office of Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett and leverage our video on demand platform to expand the reach of Operation Safe Surf. This innovative program fits seamlessly with our comprehensive, multi-layered approach to online safety that includes working with state government officials and partnering with leading Internet safety software vendors and advocates.”
Six regional semi-finalists, three from western PA and three from eastern PA, were chosen out of dozens of entries by a panel of judges. The finalists had the opportunity to travel to Harrisburg and put the finishing touches on their videos in a state-of-the-art production facility.
Comcast Digital Cable customers can view the Operation Safe Surf videos at no additional charge by tuning to Channel 1 on their digital cable lineup or pressing the ON DEMAND button on their remote control, then clicking on “Get Local” and selecting the “Specials” folder where they will find “OSS Video Contest.”
All voting will take place on the Attorney General Web site.
Corbett encourages anyone who visits the website between now and May 2, 2008 to take the time to view each school’s hard work and to vote for the video that effectively articulates the importance of Internet safety.
The video that receives the most votes will be announced during a special ceremony in May at the winning schools and will air throughout the month of May on Pennsylvania television stations through a partnership with Comcast.