The Department of Homeland Security utilizes outreach programs to educate the public about the growing threats children and teens face online. We need your help in combating this crime. Please consider hosting an in-person or virtual presentation to help spread awareness and educate your community. DHS offers multiple options for these trainings to best meet your needs. To schedule them, please use the contact information below.
Project iGuardian
Project iGuardian offers presentations designed to inform children, teens, parents and trusted adults on the threat of online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA), how to implement preventive strategies and how to report suspected abuse to law enforcement. Project iGuardian was developed by the department using the expertise and authorities of Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Homeland Security’s principal investigative arm. Project iGuardian features HSI case studies and investigative knowledge coupled with perspectives from victim assistance and forensic interview specialists.
HSI special agents who investigate online child sexual exploitation and abuse and other subject matter experts offer Project iGuardian presentations with targeted content for audiences in schools and to parent and community groups, corporations, and nonprofit organizations that want to learn more and join the fight against online CSEA.
Meet the iGuardians®
A savvy duo of HSI special agents and their trusty canine sidekick have joined forces with a student and teacher to form our team of iGuardians. They spread Know2Protect’s call to action: Educate the public on the dangers of online CSEA, help prevent future crimes and empower the public to report suspected abuse.
Visit the K2P Kids page to learn more about the iGuardians.
Request an iGuardian Presentation
HSI delivers iGuardian presentations for ages 10 and up. To request a presentation, email the Project iGuardian team at iGuardian.hq@hsi.dhs.gov.
iGuardian offers three different presentations. You can request one or more presentations depending on your audience:
Intended Audience: Parents and trusted adults
Length: 1 hour 15 minutes
This presentation takes an honest and thorough approach to the difficult topic of online CSEA. It includes an in-depth overview where HSI special agents describe the threats and trends they see in their investigations. They discuss real world case examples using national and local investigations. At the end of an iGuardian presentation, attendees will understand how children and teens can be victimized online, how to make a report and have an informed discussion with children or teens.
Topics Covered
- Scale and scope of the threat.
- Local and national HSI cases.
- What kids are doing online.
- Top apps overview.
- Grooming tactics of predators.
- Sextortion.
- Data permanency.
- Parental controls.
- How to have conversations with your child.
- How to take action if your child is a victim.
Intended Audience: Children and teens in grades 7-12 (ages 12 and up)
Length: 40-45 minutes
This engaging, age-appropriate presentation covers the threats teens face online. HSI special agents present the information in ways that resonate with this age group. They use current trends and real case examples to show how teens fall victim to these crimes. They also deliver empowering messages, explain actions teens can take to safeguard themselves and cover solutions they can implement to have a safer online experience.
Topics Covered
- Scale and scope of the threat.
- Personal information your phone shares.
- Data permanency.
- Know who’s on your friend list.
- The importance of setting apps, games and devices to private.
- Social media addiction.
- Grooming tactics of predators.
- Sextortion.
- What’s your exit strategy?
- If something happens, tell a trusted adult.
Intended Audience: Children in grades 5-6 (ages 10 and 11)
Length: 40-45 minutes
This interactive presentation is conversational in nature. It is meant to elicit responses and spark conversations. It gives an entry-level introduction to some of the threats tweens face online in an age-appropriate manner.
Topics Covered
- Who’s in your follower or friend list?
- Defining the threat.
- The importance of internet safety.
- Privacy and data permanency.
- Social media addiction.
- What not to share online.
- How to be an iGuardian.
Childhood Smart Program
The U.S. Secret Service's Childhood Smart Program educates parents, trusted adults, children and the community about real-world safety issues to increase awareness of internet safety. This educational program works in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to provide educational and interactive sessions on topics such as child sexual abuse material, online enticement, child sexual exploitation, child abduction and child sex trafficking. U.S. Secret Service employees volunteer nationwide and are trained annually by NCMEC to bring this program to schools in the community.
Request a Childhood Smart Presentation
Childhood Smart offers presentations for adults and children in grades K-12. You can request one or more presentations depending on your audience. To request a presentation in your community, please visit the U.S. Secret Service or email fsdncmec@usss.dhs.gov.
Presentation Length: 30 minutes for grades K-5 and 45 minutes for grades 6 - 12
These are assembly-style internet safety presentations offered to the various grade levels using age-appropriate content. Younger kids will learn about the four NetSmartz rules with a live presenter who engages them through discussion, quizzes and animated videos. Older kids will learn how to make safe and responsible choices while navigating the digital world through interactive activities and discussions.
Topics discussed for grades K-5:
- How to recognize online risks.
- What to do if you come across inappropriate content.
- Protecting personal information.
- Internet etiquette.
- How to report online abuse or victimization.
Topics discussed for grades 6-12:
- Inappropriate content.
- Online privacy.
- Online enticement.
- Sexting.
- Sextortion.
- Cyberbullying.
Presentation Length: 45 minutes
This assembly-style program teaches personal safety using tips, printable activities, quizzes, articles, music, videos and more.
Topics discussed:
- Why children have a right to be safe.
- Checking first before going anywhere.
- The 8 common abduction tricks.
- Why it’s safer to go places with a friend.
- How to say “NO” when you’re sad, scared, or confused.
- What makes someone a trusted adult.
- How to get help in emergencies.
Presentation Length: 60 minutes
The Conversations About Child Sex Trafficking education series equips middle and high school students, parents and community members with an understanding of child sex trafficking, how it occurs, indicators of exploitation and what to do if you suspect a child is being trafficked. The Secret Service delivers an interactive curriculum that is designed to teach youth how to protect themselves from exploitation through information, critical thinking and skill development.
Topics Discussed:
- What is child sex trafficking?
- Who is at risk?
- Indicators of exploitation.
- Healthy relationships.
- Keeping kids safe.
Presentation Length: 60 minutes
This is an assembly-style internet safety presentation focuses of equipping parents, guardians and community members with the knowledge and tools to help children navigate the digital world safely. This presentation provides practical advice for monitoring and guiding children’s online activities, fostering open communication about online experiences and setting boundaries for internet use. This presentation also highlights resources available to parents for addressing online safety concerns and encourages them to stay involved in their children’s online lives.
Topics Discussed:
- Inappropriate content.
- Online privacy.
- Online enticement.
- Sexting.
- Sextortion.
- Cyberbullying.
The Secret Service Operation Safe Kids program offers inkless mobile fingerprinting that consolidate the child’s biographical and biometric data into a single document that parents can provide to law enforcement if the child is ever reported missing. No information about the child or their family is recorded or maintained by the Secret Service, its employees, nor shared with any other entity.