Right from the Start in the Digital Age is a national FHI 360 initiative to lay the groundwork for children in grades PreK–3 to be safe and responsible digital citizens. The goal of the initiative is to help prevent and protect children from cyberbullying and other harmful online behaviors that affect older children. 

As the use of smart phones, tablets and other digital devices becomes part of the daily lives of young children, a new avenue for teaching and learning is emerging. Even though young children may not be actively engaged online, recent research suggests that starting sooner rather than later will help children develop a strong sense of knowing right from wrong while online and off. 

The initiative aims to:

• Develop partnerships and collaborations with key organizations that support digital citizenship
• Create a national awareness campaign to engage teachers, educators, parent organizations and producers of children’s media about the importance of beginning early in life to foster digital citizenship
• Update Quit it!, FHI 360’s award-winning early childhood teasing and bullying prevention program, to include strategies for teachers, parents and other family members to proactively address positive digital citizenship 
• Raise awareness among policymakers of the importance of incorporating responsible digital citizenship into policy development