This National Public Health Week, healthy digital connectivity is on the minds of many parents and guardians as they look to set the rules of the road for their families’ online presences. States across America are implementing initiatives of various kinds to educate children and parents on how to use digital tools and the best practices for increasing safety and security while using them.
NetChoice applauds this effort in our Digital Safety Shield for America and encourages lawmakers to bolster and amplify this constitutional path to protect kids online. Schools should have a digital curriculum so American students can learn to navigate tech tools responsibly into adulthood and lead the next generation of innovators.
From North Carolina to Montana and Alaska, most states have some type of framework for tech education, whether that be on artificial intelligence or teaching kids how to be responsible “digital citizens.” Some noteworthy examples include:
Alabama’s Digital Literacy and Computer Science Course of Study
In 2025, Alabama implemented its visionary “Digital Literacy and Computer Science Course of Study,” a framework that recognizes that digital education is a fundamental requirement for success in the 21st century. By establishing computer science as a graduation requirement for the Class of 2032 and integrating computational thinking from kindergarten onward, Alabama is positioning itself as a leader in workforce development and technological empowerment. This initiative wisely moves beyond mere “tech usage” to focus on “tech creation,” fostering a generation of critical thinkers and ethical digital citizens who understand the underlying mechanics of AI, data science and computing systems. By prioritizing these competencies, Alabama is narrowing the digital divide and ensuring its students are equipped to drive the next wave of American innovation in a global, technology-driven marketplace.
Delaware’s Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship Resources
Delaware’s Education Department implemented a proactive and education-first approach to media schooling, as showcased through the state’s comprehensive instructional resources. With access to a vast amount of information on digital services, Delaware is correctly identifying that the most effective way to protect and empower citizens is through critical thinking over restrictive mandates and barriers that stifle online expression. By equipping students with the tools to analyze, evaluate and verify the content they encounter across digital platforms, Delaware is fostering a resilient and informed digital citizenry. This commitment to “mental firewalls” ensures that the next generation can navigate the internet with confidence and discernment, upholding the principles of free speech while simultaneously raising the bar for digital responsibility and civil discourse.
Idaho’s Digital Literacy Credit Requirement
Idaho’s 2025 Digital Literacy Guidance, which requires one digital education credit for students graduating in 2028, applying to Grades 9–12, is a model for how states can champion technological proficiency in the classroom. By moving beyond theoretical concepts and focusing on the practical application of digital tools, Idaho is ensuring its students are prepared for the realities of the modern workforce. The guidance’s focus on fostering independent problem-solvers who can adapt to rapidly evolving technologies is a core necessity in our ever-changing digital economy. This initiative correctly identifies that a great way to bridge the digital divide is to empower educators with high-quality resources and clear standards that prioritize student agency and critical thinking. Idaho’s approach demonstrates that when states provide the right framework, they enable the next generation of innovators to compete and succeed on a global stage.
Kentucky’s Academic Standards for Technology
The Kentucky Academic Standards for Technology are comprehensive and integrated educational initiatives for digital excellence. By embedding technology standards across all grade levels and disciplines, Kentucky is moving beyond the computer lab and recognizing that digital proficiency is foundational and essential to modern learning. The framework’s emphasis on “Digital Citizenship” and “Innovative Design,” which encourages students to become active creators and responsible participants in the global digital economy, is particularly laudable. This initiative correctly prioritizes the development of transferable skills like data analysis, computational thinking and collaborative problem-solving, which are in high demand by the world’s leading technology companies. Kentucky is setting a high bar for how states can prepare students to not only navigate the digital world but to lead and innovate within it.
North Carolina’s Digital Teaching and Learning Standards
North Carolina’s Digital Teaching and Learning Standards are a gold-star framework that marries robust infrastructure with sophisticated pedagogical standards. By adopting digital learning standards for students, which are intentionally aligned with the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) framework, the state wants to cultivate “Empowered Learners” and “Global Collaborators.” North Carolina’s holistic approach, which pairs these rigorous learning goals with Digital Learning Initiative (DLI) grants and statewide connectivity projects, ensures that high-speed access is leveraged to its full potential. By fostering an environment where data privacy, digital citizenship and creative problem-solving are integrated into the core curriculum, North Carolina is building the human capital necessary to sustain a thriving modern economy.
Wisconsin’s Keeping Kids Safe Online Month
In 2022, Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction adopted a unique approach to digital safety during October in its “Keeping Kids Safe Online Month.” By focusing on media education specifically, this initiative correctly expands access to reliable information and a clear roadmap for students to become “Informed Citizens” and “Creative Communicators.” By integrating concepts such as evaluating online sources, understanding digital footprints and recognizing the mechanics of online influence, this PSA campaign seeks to equip Wisconsin’s youth with the “mental firewalls” necessary to navigate the modern web safely and effectively. This campaign shows that one of the best ways to protect children in the digital age is to provide them with the analytical tools to discern truth from fiction, ensuring they can reap the benefits of the open internet while mitigating its risks.
Education—Not Bans and ID Mandates—Is the Way
By prioritizing education over bans and blockings, young Americans can be empowered with the skills to navigate the digital world safely and skillfully. Various initiatives across the country, like these, serve as blueprints for a constitutional approach to online safety that fosters innovation while upholding the core tenets of a free society.
NetChoice’s Digital Safety Shield for America provides more comprehensive, constitutional policy solutions to strengthen American families through education and robust law enforcement against predators over restrictive government mandates that would stifle online innovation and free expression. As more states adopt this approach, we can achieve a future where every American student is equipped to not only navigate the digital age but to lead it.