Buddy with Bollman finds success at Thornton Elementary

Buddy with Bollman was such a success at Thornton Elementary that we actually had several submissions about this annual event:

- The Bollman cybersecurity students along with the Teacher Cadets teamed together to teach all of Thornton Elementary's 2-5 grade students about cybersecurity in the 21st century. The high school students taught the younger students all about how to keep their devices safe by reading stories, playing a cybersecurity card game and having conversations about how to stay protected. The high schoolers did an amazing job of keeping the students engaged and teaching them new academic vocabulary. The Teacher Cadets who are currently working with students at Thornton used their knowledge of the students to strengthen the connections and engagement. The experience provided the students with valuable skills that will serve them their entire lives.

- Crazy as it sounds, elementary aged kids need to start learning about how to stay safe online. That’s where Buddies with Bollman came into play. On October 26th, the Networking & Cybersecurity classes at Future Forward Bollman teamed up with the Teacher Cadet class to give hands-on learning experiences for Thornton Elementary students. For one class period, each grade was paired with these high school students to learn about how to stay safe with online information. The 5th grade class even got to work with encryption! The experience was special for all of those involved. Every Thornton Elementary student left armed with more information for protecting their information while each high school student came away with a sense of accomplishment and gratitude for being able to give back to the future generation.

This story exemplifies our ELEVATE Focus Area: 21st Century Learners. Sharing stories of students who collaborate, think critically, problem-solve and are digitally literate to thrive in today’s ever-changing world.