Free, adaptable workshop materials and training resources to help community organizations teach adult learners how to stay safe and informed online, and how to protect those they care about. |
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The Curriculum
Navigating life online has never been more important: from AI-generated scams to contradictory health information online, the digital world moves fast, and it can be hard to keep up, even for experts.
Pitt Cyber's Digital Survival Skills initiative is here to help! We've developed a free, ready-to-use curriculum for trainers, librarians, and community organizations to adopt so that more people can learn the digital skills they need to stay safe, healthy, and empowered online.
Created by subject matter experts and developed in close collaboration with digital inclusion community partners who know the needs of adult learners today, our train-the-trainer curriculum covers essential "digital survival" topics.
Each workshop includes a complete PowerPoint presentation, trainer materials including a script, and one-page take-away resources to share with participants. All materials are fully editable and tailorable to meet the needs of diverse audiences.
- AI 101
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Generative AI is everywhere: in our search results, our news feeds, and our everyday apps. Some of us already use it without realizing it. Some of us are curious but don't know where to start. And some of us aren't sure we want anything to do with it at all. This workshop meets learners wherever they are. It's a simple overview of generative AI, how it works, the basics of how to use AI tools responsibly, and strategies for how to verify information generated by AI tools.
Learning outcomes:
- Identify common AI tools and uses in the world around you
- Describe AI's strengths and weaknesses
- Engage with AI tools responsibly
- Avoiding Frauds and Scams
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Scams are getting harder to spot, and the stakes are higher than ever for those who are targeted, which is pretty much everyone these days. This workshop helps trainers teach community members how to recognize and avoid common scams by focusing on the psychological methods scammers use to trick people into giving up personal information or money. It overviews common scams and preventative measures people can take to be more empowered and stay safe online.
Learning outcomes:
- Spot common ways scammers trick you
- Identify common scam types
- Check if the information is real
- Protect yourself early and know what to do if targeted
Bonus resource: What I Want My Kids to Know About AI a non-technical conversation guide designed for caregivers who want to talk to their tweens and teens about generative AI and how it affects them and the world around them. - Child and Youth Safety Online
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Parents and caregivers have real concerns about keeping kids safe online, but finding good, practical guidance can be tough. This workshop equips trainers to lead conversations on screen time, social media safety, and internet safety for families. It focuses on what caregivers can control, influence, and teach young people in their lives and provides guidance for different age groups.
Workshop module and accompanying materials in development!
In the meantime, check out What I Want My Kids to Know About AI : a non-technical conversation guide designed for caregivers who want to talk to their tweens and teens about generative AI and how it affects them and the world around them. - Finding Reliable Health Information Online
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Most of us turn to the internet (“Dr. Google” or maybe even “Dr. Chatbot)” when we have a health question. But not everything we find is accurate, and the consequences for acting or not acting on bad health information can be serious. This workshop helps trainers teach community members how to find and evaluate trustworthy health information online. It gives places people can go to find good health information but also gives tips on how to investigate information people may come into contact with online.
Learning outcomes:
- Identify some reliable online sources for health information
- Use the SIFT method (stop, investigate the source, find better coverage, trace claims) to evaluate a claim
- Investigate an unfamiliar information source
Bring Digital Survival Skills to Your Community!
We partner with libraries, tech and computer literacy organizations, community nonprofits, and volunteer training programs across the region. Our goal is to support and expand the great work already happening in these organizations. Are you a librarian, trainer, or community organization interested in using our curriculum or partnering with us? We'd love to hear from you.
Contact cyber@pitt.edu to gain access to these free resources and start a conversation about how you can deliver this content.
Current partners include Literacy Pittsburgh, AgeWell at the JCC, iServe at the University of Pittsburgh, Goodwill SWPA, the Greater Pittsburgh Digital Inclusion Alliance, and public libraries across the region, among others.
About This Initiative
Digital Survival Skills is part of Pitt Cyber's Civic Resilience Initiative developed in close collaboration with community partners across Southwestern Pennsylvania. The initiative is supported by The Henry L. Hillman Foundation.
We worked deeply with researchers, librarians, and subject experts at the University of Pittsburgh including:
- Elise Silva, Pitt Cyber
- Beth Schwanke, Pitt Cyber
- Rebekah Miller, Health Sciences Library System
- Kelsey Cowles, Health Sciences Library System
- Rachel Suppok, Health Sciences Library System
- Aakash Gautam, School of Computing and Information
We also want to thank expert reviewers and guidance from the University Center for Teaching and Learning.
Many organizations shaped this work with deep iterative involvement, especially our partner organizations:
All Digital Survival Skills Content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0)