The Lexington Herald-Leader
reports that the Jessamine County school district in central Kentucky has received $300,000 in federal funding to develop an interactive computer program that will teach students about the dangers posed by Internet predators. The program will be distributed to more than 80 middle schools and high schools within the district.
The game, entitled
Missing, presents students with a fictional narrative regarding a child's online relationship with a stranger. After the child's disappearance, students must hunt for clues and search for the missing boy.
In addition to being playable at computer workstations in area school libraries, the game will be downloadable for home use from the school district's website.
Missing will supplement Jessamine County's existing online education program, which currently covers topics ranging from Internet safety to cyber bullying.
The $300,000 for
Missing's development was secured by U.S. House of Representatives member Ben Chandler. The funding is part of a $410 billion omnibus spending bill signed into law in March.
