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Press
Release
QWEST FOUNDATION DONATES $500,000 TO NATIONAL
CENTER FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILDREN TO CREATE NETSMARTZ411
AND INCREASE INTERNET SAFETY AWARENESS
NetSmartz411.org Provides the Public with Simple, Timely
Access to Expert Help
WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 15, 2007—As
leaders in online safety education, the Qwest Foundation and the National
Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC)
are announcing NetSmartz411, a first-of-its-kind, free online safety
resource for parents, guardians, children, teens, educators and law enforcement
to help raise online safety awareness and keep children safer online.
Members of Congress will participate in the announcement today at the
U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., including: U.S. Sens. Blanche Lincoln,
D-Ark., and Richard Shelby, R-Ala., co-chairs of the Senate Caucus
on Missing, Exploited and Runaway Children; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska;
and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; and U.S. Reps. Bud Cramer, D-Ala., and
Nick Lampson, D-Texas, co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Missing
and Exploited Children.
Online exploitation continues to have a startling impact on the estimated
24 million young Internet users. According to a recent study conducted
by the University of New Hampshire researchers for NCMEC, one in seven
youths online is sexually solicited, and one in three youths will
encounter unwanted exposure to sexually explicit material online.
NetSmartz411 is debuting as an online resource that will be managed
by experts at NCMEC, and located on the Internet at www.NetSmartz411.org.
Using NetSmartz411.org, anyone can directly access experts at NCMEC
who will begin responding to
their questions within one business day. Individuals can also search
the extensive online safety knowledge base to learn more about issues
related to Internet safety and online security.
“Parents and guardians have a very tough job keeping up with their
children in this ever changing world of technology,” said Ernie
Allen, NCMEC president and CEO. “Thanks to the Qwest Foundation,
for the first time, they will have direct access to NCMEC experts through
NetSmartz411 who can respond to their specific questions and concerns
to open up the lines of communication to help bridge the technology gap.”
“The funding of NetSmartz411 is a natural fit for the Qwest Foundation
and continues our relationship with NCMEC to ensure a safer, more enjoyable
Internet experience for all users,” said Paula Kruger, executive
vice president and leader of Qwest and the Qwest Foundation’s online
safety efforts. “Qwest and the Qwest Foundation believe it’s
crucial for families to learn how to help keep their children safer online,
and the Foundation is pleased to bring this resource to families with
the support of Members of Congress.”
NetSmartz411.org takes questions about a variety of issues, including
how to report Internet crime. For example, parents can ask, “How
do I know when my child is putting herself at risk of being lured by
a sexual predator?” or, “What is a chat room and how does
it work?” Experts will respond directly to specific questions,
and timely information generated from these queries will be incorporated
into the site’s knowledge base. Individuals can also search the
NetSmartz411 library for computer, Internet and Internet safety-related
material. The most frequently asked questions will be featured on the
home page.
The funding of NetSmartz411 by the Qwest Foundation complements the
company’s commitment to online safety and leadership in online
safety education. Qwest Communications and NCMEC have been working together
to combat the online victimization of youth since 2005. Qwest and NCMEC
also co-created the Online Safety Classroom resource located at www.IncredibleInternet.com/onlinesafety to
provide parents and guardians with necessary resources to learn how to
help keep their families safer on the Internet. Qwest works with key
community leaders in education and government across its Western 14-state
region to raise online safety awareness. In 2006, Qwest reached more
that 200 million people with online safety information.
NetSmartz411 is powered by CA's Unicenter® Service Desk, an award-winning
solution that helps organizations address complex service and support
requirements. In addition to providing the service management solution,
CA (NYSE: CA) provided on-site technical support to assist NCMEC in the
installation and configuration of NetSmartz411.
About the Qwest Foundation:
The Qwest Foundation's core principle is
that investing in education provideslasting value for the future. The
Qwest Foundation awards grants to communitybased programs that generate
high-impact and measurable results, focusing onpre-K through 12 education.
About NCMEC
NCMEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works in cooperation
with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention. NCMEC's congressionally mandated CyberTipline,
a reporting mechanism for child sexual exploitation, has handled more
than 441,900 leads. Since its establishment in 1984, NCMEC has assisted
law enforcement with more than 127,700 missing child cases, resulting
in the recovery of more than 110,200 children. For more information
about NCMEC, call its toll-free hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit www.missingkids.com.
# # #
Contacts:
Kathleen Lessman
Qwest Corporate Communications
720-971-0662
kathleen.lessman@qwest.com
Katie Wilson
JohnstonWells
Public Relations
kwilson@johnstonwells.com
303-623-3366
NCMEC’s
Communications Department
703-837-6111
media@ncmec.org
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