Helping students thrive as responsible digital citizens requires more than one-off lessons; it takes intentional systems that shape habits, skills, and culture. “We want our digital citizenship efforts to encourage students to take ownership of their digital presence, practice balance, and model positive online interactions,” says Amy Lupardi, the interim director of technology for Englewood Public School District in New Jersey.
Here are five key areas schools can focus on:
The internet never “forgets.” A positive digital footprint can open doors to college and careers, while a careless one can close them. Encourage practices like respectful contributions to online communities, using school projects to model professionalism, and conducting self-audits where students search their own names to see what appears online.
Students are flooded with information daily: some accurate, much not. Embedding media literacy in curriculum helps them evaluate sources, spot bias, and think critically. Strategies include analyzing the purpose of content, checking sources with fact-checking tools such as Google Fact Check Explorer, MediaWise, or Checkology, and modeling credible digital communication in classrooms and school messaging.
One of the key initiatives in Englewood has been the Teacher Leader Corps’ focus on digital citizenship. “We are supporting teachers in integrating lessons on digital footprint, media literacy, and responsible online behavior directly into classroom practice,” explained Lupardi.
Cyberbullying is relentless and harmful. Schools can counteract it by setting clear, consistently communicated policies; providing safe reporting systems; and teaching students that their words have real impact. Accountability must extend to both on- and off-campus online behavior.
Common Sense Media’s Teacher’s Essential Guide to Cyberbullying Prevention highlights practical ways educators can prevent and respond to harmful online behavior.
Strong digital systems should protect both student and school data. Teach students to safeguard personal information, use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication, and set appropriate boundaries on what’s safe to share. Schools should also ensure networks and platforms meet high security standards.
Digital citizenship includes balance. Excessive screen time can harm sleep, focus, and mental health. Encourage wellness by creating device-free times and spaces, teaching strategies for managing notifications, and providing resources for families to model healthy tech habits and proper device care both at school and at home.
Empower student tech teams to extend this work. For example, the Frontier School of Excellence student tech team created a Chromebook Device Care video, helping their peers take ownership of maintaining school technology. Schools looking to build similar programs can explore the Student Tech Team Toolkit as a starting point for creating structured, student-led initiatives.
Digital citizenship can be reinforced through many avenues. From the understanding of a student’s digital footprint to an increase in privacy and digital wellness, digital citizenship should not just be a “one and done” educational program. A consistent message throughout the school year creates the conditions for a school-wide culture of positive digital citizenship.
Englewood’s Lupardi echoes this point: “We want these efforts to encourage students to take ownership of their digital presence, practice balance, and model positive online interactions,” she said. “From an IT perspective, building capacity and knowledge in this area is essential, and our goal is to make both students and staff more aware of how their digital choices impact themselves and others.”
With a robust plan for digital citizenship, students and staff can protect themselves online and become positive contributors to their online communities. Explore ways to develop a digital citizenship strategy for your school, and discover engaging ways to celebrate Digital Citizenship Week, which takes place every October. In addition, as part of their Digital Wellness initiative, Verizon has partnered with Discovery Education to create resources that empower educators to teach students the real-world skills they need to become informed and confident digital citizens.
