You have probably heard about Digital Pen Pal (DPP), but you might not be sure what actually DPP is or how it can help your kids connect with other homeschooling or roadschooling kids. To help you figure out if DPP is right for you and your family, I talked to a few of the folks that are responsible for the platform and keeping it going. Let’s find out why Digital Pen Pal was created, how kids are kept safe, and then hear from our DPP team.
Why was Digital Pen Pal created?
Digital Pen Pal was created because of a need for traveling kids to connect with one another and form friendships over a common lifestyle. Also, it gives parents peace of mind while their child explores DPP, a safe monitored online platform.
All of our online events are done live through a communications site called zoom.us. Events are led and supervised by a volunteer. All events are recorded and then store in the DPP library under the events tab. Typically live events are started by parents and usually the kids take over after that. Parents are always welcome to join in on the fun!
Besides the live events, DPP also has our Digital Forum where kids can chat back and forth with others on topics like Gaming (Pokemon, Minecraft, etc.), Art ( they can display recent pieces of art they’ve made), & Nature (their favorite National Parks, etc.).
How are kids kept safe on the platform?
Safety is always our number one priority. Any child or parent who signs up for the DPP, is manually accepted into the DPP page through an employee. That way we can screen every person who signs up for Digital Pen Pal. Every volunteer and employee involved in Digital Pen Pal is certified background and criminal checked. All volunteers uphold our code of conduct designed with safety and security in mind.
Now let’s hear from DDP Team Members
Co-Director of Digital Pen Pal, Mel Flammia.
I along with Tony are the Directors of Digital Pen Pal. We couldn’t do our job without the amazing team of affiliates and volunteers that help run DPP and make it what it is.
Digital Pen pal is available for Road Life Platinum members. Anyone can be a Platinum member so we needed to make sure there was another level of security in place for our kids. Enter digitalpenpal.club. The new DPP site requires another registration using your platinum membership number. Your platinum number also allows you to register your kids and create kids’ accounts for them.
Ready to Sign up? Here’s How!
Digital Pen Pal is a great place for parents and kids whether you’re a homeschooler, traveler, or both. Sign up is simple, once you’ve selected the Platinum plan and filled out the information needed. You will receive your member number via email. After receiving your member number, you can go to the Digital Pen Pal tab on the Road life Project site. From there we recommend watching the video explaining step by step exactly how to sign up to DPP.
Step by Step Instructions!
Step one: Sign up as a Platinum member here.
Step two: Register on digitalpenpal.club using your platinum member number (And register your kids if they have email accounts)
Step three: Allow 24hours for our team to verify your account to ensure a safe platform.
Step four: Have your kids register for events and hang out in the kids only forums! (Keep reading to find out how)
Administrator for Digital Pen Pal, Kaylah Brushett
As an admin, I help plan the events each month and set up/email out the zoom links for our events. I work very closely with Kelly Morelock (Administrator for DDP) and Melissa Flammia (Co-director of DDP) to make digital pen pal as safe and as fun as possible for our friends.
Let’s talk about events!
Here at DDP we host many different events. Coming up this week is Open Chat, where children can have a safe and moderated environment to chat with their friends, our very first book club meets this week to discuss the book they read for September, and we have a storytime set up where children sit and listen to a few stories read by our volunteers. I am hosting our Open Chat event on Tuesday, September 23rd at 7 pm est. This event is open to the public, so anyone that would like to try it out can email me via digitalpenpal@roadlifeproject.com for a free trial link!! Oh, and if you miss this Open Chat night, don’t worry, we have others throughout the month!
Each week is a little different, but all events are intended to engage the kids and be fun and safe for them. Once you are signed up for DPP, you can view the calendar of events and get your kids registered.
How to Attend Events:
Please note - You must be a Platinum Road Life Project Member to sign up for Digital Pen Pal. Click here to sign up!
All DPP events are held via zoom video calls. The children's parents would register on our events tab on digitalpenpal.club and receive an email the day of the event with a zoom link. Upon signing into zoom, we ask that parents give us a quick wave hello to say they allow their child to be on with us. Parents are more than welcome to join in with us, the more the merrier! All our events are also recorded so if there is an event someone wasn't able to make they can go into our events library and watch any event they missed.
Final Thoughts
I hope this post helped clarify what Digital Pen Pal is all about and how you can sign your kids up. If you have any questions, please reach out to the DPP team at digitalpenpal@roadlifeproject.com
https://youtu.be/-lz5mI6_yWY