Safety While Accessing Technology (SWAT)
In 2024, the West Virginia Legislature passed Senate Bill (SB) 466 which requires each county school board to adopt policies requiring all elementary and secondary schools to provide the Safety While Accessing Technology (SWAT) education program to students in grades three through 12 at least once each school year.
Such policies shall include an option to permit the parent of any child enrolled in any elementary or secondary school in such school division to opt his/her child(ren) out of participating in the SWAT education program.
In accordance with W. Va. Code §18-2-44, the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) partnered with Skyll and the Safe Surfin’ Foundation to develop the SWAT education program for elementary and secondary school students in West Virginia. The SWAT education program shall include instruction on the following topics:
- Safe and responsible use of social networking websites, including Internet chat rooms, email, instant messaging, and other modes of electronic communication.
- The risks of transmitting personal information on the Internet and the importance of privacy protection.
- Copyright laws on written materials, photographs, music, and videos posted or shared online.
- The importance of establishing open communication with responsible adults about any online communications or activities.
- How to recognize, avoid, and report suspicious, potentially dangerous, or illegal online communications or activities, including (A) potential solicitation by sexual predators, (B) unsolicited or deceptive communications, and (C) harassment and cyberbullying.
- Resources and assistance programs available for any child or parent who may have encountered online solicitation by sexual predators or other illegal online communications or activities, including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Cyber Tipline.
The SWAT Education Toolkit, sample parent letter, passive parental consent form, and related resources are intended for use by West Virginia schools.
Rationale
Students today face widespread and rapidly escalating online risks. A 2025 national study showed 58% of teens have experienced cyberbullying in their lifetime and 33% in just the past 30 days. At the same time, online exploitation is accelerating dramatically, as seen in the surge in online enticement cases and the jump in AI‑related child exploitation reports, with 20.5 million CyberTipline reports filed in 2024, including nearly 63 million files of child sexual exploitation material.
Prevention Education
Prevention education is essential for supporting students’ online safety because it equips them with the knowledge and skills to recognize, avoid, and respond to potential digital risks before harm occurs. As students increasingly navigate social media, gaming platforms, and online communication, they face threats such as cyberbullying, scams, privacy breaches, and inappropriate contact. By teaching them how to identify red flags, protect personal information, and practice responsible digital behavior, prevention education empowers students to make safer choices and fosters their growth as confident digital citizens. It also encourages help‑seeking and reporting, strengthens school–family partnerships, and proactively reduces the emotional, academic, and social consequences of unsafe online interactions. This proactive approach builds a safer, more supportive digital environment for all learners.
SWAT Education Programs
The SWAT education programs are designed to address required prevention education on all topics outlined in W. Va. Code §18-2-44. The Realm Quest program is developmentally appropriate for students in third through fifth grade. The Miss Informed: Ember Valley Program is developmentally appropriate for students in sixth through 12th grade.
Elementary Program (3rd – 5th grade): Realm Quest
RealmQuest is an interactive digital safety game designed for elementary students in grades 3-5. The game places students in the role of a middle school student who plays an online multiplayer game called "RealmQuest" with their friends. Through three episodes, students encounter realistic online safety scenarios and must make choices that teach them to recognize danger, protect their information, and speak up when something feels wrong.
The game is designed to be played individually or as a class, with each episode taking approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. The interactive choice-based format allows students to explore consequences of different decisions in a safe environment.
Secondary Program (6th – 12th grade): Miss Informed: Ember Valley Program
Miss Informed: Ember Valley is an interactive, choice-driven game that teaches students about internet safety, digital literacy, and the real consequences of online behavior. Students play as a high school student who is navigating a school rocked by an anonymous social media account called Miss Informed, which exposes secrets, fuels cyberbullying, and ultimately reveals a network of predators targeting young people.
The game covers serious and sometimes difficult subject matters. Students will encounter scenarios involving cyberbullying, catfishing, sextortion, child sexual abuse material (CSAM), predatory adults, AI voice-cloning scams, copyright violation, suicidal ideation, and the emotional fallout that comes with all of it. These are not hypothetical situations. They are based on patterns that law enforcement and child safety organizations see every day. Because these topics can be activating or triggering for some students, a teacher’s guide is available and includes specific advice on how to prepare your classroom, how to check in with students during and after play, and what to do if a student discloses that something in the game has happened to them personally.
FAQs
Each county should determine which professional school staff members are best suited to implement the SWAT education program. Because the program may include sensitive topics, counties should ensure that the selected staff are well prepared to address student questions and concerns with accuracy, confidence, and sensitivity.
W. Va. Code §18-2-44 requires that counties provide an option to permit the parent, guardian, or custodian of any child enrolled in any elementary or secondary school in the district to opt his or her child out of participating in the SWAT education program. To address this requirement, a sample opt-out form can be found in this toolkit.
If parents or guardians opt their child out of the SWAT education program, the school is still required to provide the internet‑safety education that is tied to federal E‑Rate funding. This means the student will still receive the basic lessons needed to meet those federal requirements.
Completion of the SWAT education program will be tracked in WVEIS. When students complete the lessons individually, WVEIS will automatically record their completion. If the lessons are completed by a group of students (e.g., in a classroom setting), each student’s completion will need to be entered manually into WVEIS.