|
Internet Safety Tips
for Parents
|
|
________________________
|
Yoursphere Featured Sphere
Saving Water! |
| by Yoursphere member,
ThornsOnRoses
How do you save water? That's the question that ThornsOnRoses asked Yoursphere members.
Tell your kids to check out this sphere for easy tips and advice on how they can save water! |
|
________________________
|
New Contests
|
|
What would you name this beauty? That's what we're asking members.
The best answer wins a $25 Old Navy Gift Card!
_______________________ Think you got a funny kid? Tell him/her to send us their best joke!
The member who makes us laugh the hardest will win a case for their iPod Touch or iPhone.
________________________
|
| Keeping it Positive in Yoursphere |
One of our goals here at Yoursphere is to build smart and respectful digital citizens.
One way we do that is by incorporating messages throughout the site that remind members to be Internet safety smart.
|
|
________________________
|
| Yoursphere Review |
|
Amanda Bynes
by Yoursphere Contributing Writer, Sabi
"If you haven't seen this movie, I recommend you watch it for the interesting ending."
________________________
|
New Gifts in the
Gift Gallery
Remind your kids to redeem their credits for great gifts in the Gift Gallery! |
Unicef
$50 Donation
1,750 Credits |
625 Credits 
________________________
|
| Yoursphere Bracelets Are Here! |
If your child wants one, all they have to do is send us a message in the site with their address and the color they want.
If they are under 13, we require that they include their parent's email address.
|
| |
|
|
Parent Newsletter - April 2011
|
Hey Parents!
Spring is here and there's a ton of really great news to share with you! Read on to find out what's been happening in Yoursphere, and what we have planned for the coming months.
|
Yoursphere Partners with Animal Planet Stars!
|
We are proud, and excited, to announce our recent collaboration with Animal Planet's Victoria Stilwell, host of It's Me Or the Dog, and Wild Recon TV star Donald Schultz.
Both TV celebrities have hopped on-board as supporters of Yoursphere and what we're doing to create a positive online experience for kids and teens.
As a result of our partnership, Victoria and Donald have launched their own spheres in the site where they can connect with members about their shows and provide them with exclusive contests, games, videos, and more!
About Donald and Victoria -
Just returning from leading an eco-tour in Costa Rica, Donald Schultz is a renowned venom expert, writer, and photographer who works with scientists all over the world to collect DNA from wild animals.
Schultz said: "Yoursphere is the online destination for kids I can feel good about. My fans know I'm hooked on adrenaline, but I also make sure they know I'm about being safe and smart in my explorations, whether I'm collecting deadly venom or being the first person in North America to fly the new Vampire 4 Wingsuit! On Yoursphere, I can connect with my fans, knowing the kids are on a site that values and teaches cybersmarts. Yoursphere is the ultimate online destination to let me share personally with kids the fun of learning about the wonderfully wild creatures on our planet."
Victoria Stilwell is one of the world's most recognized and respected dog trainers, reaching audiences in more than 40 countries.
Stilwell said: "As the mother of a seven year old daughter, I am keenly aware of both the strong pull of the Internet (and social media in particular) and the potential dangers it poses for an unsuspecting child who is just beginning to become familiar with all of the amazing benefits that being online can provide. That's why I was so excited when I heard about Yoursphere: it's the perfect way to introduce kids to the power and fun of joining an online community and giving them the freedom to discover on their own. Parents have the comfort of knowing they're protected. It's also a great way for me to be able to connect to my younger animal-loving fans in a unique and dynamic way."
You and your kids can check out Donald's sphere, here. And Victoria's, here. Also, be sure to watch Victoria do what she does best on It's Me Or the Dog ( schedule). And keep up with Donald's latest adventures by visiting his website!
|
|
A Special Deal for Yoursphere Members
|
 For a limited time only, we're offering our members the option to upgrade to a Yoursphere Gold Membership at 50% off the regular price!
That means, your child can reap all the exclusive benefits of a Gold Membership for only $19.95 (1 year membership) or as little as $2.50 (monthly fee)!
What kind of "exclusive benefits"?
Well, for starters, Gold Members get access to exclusive content like the contests listed on the left. But there's a ton more, like:
- Triple Credits to spend in the Gift Gallery.
- A Birthday Club Membership
- 2x the Flow in our virtual world
- Scholarship opportunities
- Exclusive items and content in our virtual world
- And the opportunity to become a Yoursphere Writer, Reviewer, or Site Ambassador!
We're also running a contest where the 43rd person to upgrade to Gold will win RockBand 3. So hurry, this deal won't last!
The upgrading process is simpler than ever! Click here to learn more and upgrade TODAY!
|
|
Featured Artist and Photographer
|
|
One of our main missions here at Yoursphere is to support the positive aspirations and talents of our members. We believe that providing kids and teens with a platform where they can showcase these talents is an integral part of that support.
So we've designed three contests: Featured Artist, Featured Photographer, and Featured Videographer. Each contest runs on the site for two weeks, so members have plenty of time to submit their work.
The best part? Each winner gets their work featured on the site, along with a short interview about why they did what they did and how they did it, and 250 credits to spend in the Gift Gallery!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 We ran our first Featured Artist contest a few weeks ago, and Rae, our first winner, has been featured on the site ever since.
Her work was in the form of a digital art piece about her favorite video game growing up.
------------------------------------
Featured Photographer Contest -
NOTE: There are specific rules and requirements for each contest, so remind your kids to read the instructions carefully.
|
|
How to Watermark Your Digital Photos
|
|
Watermarking your photos before you put them online is a great way to prevent scam artists, identity thieves and cyberbullies from manipulating and distributing
them.
We're here to let you know that the process is a lot easier than you think. In fact, there are several free and paid watermarking software products on the market.
One that you can check out today is an online service called WaterMark.ws. This tool allows you upload individual photos or bulk photos and easily place a watermark on them.
A couple rules of thumb:
- It's important that you create copies of your photos first so you don't ruin your original.
- You also want to be strategic in the way you place the watermarks as some can be cropped out if not placed right.
An example of a well-placed watermark -
To learn more about watermarking and best practices, check out the full article, here.
|
|
Stay Connected!
|
You can find Mary Kay on:
  
Following her on one of these networks is the best way to get in touch with her and keep up with what's going on in and out of Yoursphere.
Also, be sure to visit YoursphereForParents, where you can find useful tools and information when it comes to leveraging the best Internet experience for you and your children.
As always, thank you for entrusting Yoursphere with your child's online experience and helping us raise the bar for our kids' and teens' online safety.
Best Regards,
The Yoursphere Team.
|
|
| |
|
Comments