Community Vaping Awareness and Parenting In A Digital Age Presentation at Divine Child High School
This week, I had the opportunity to speak with students, parents, and educators at Divine Child High School and Elementary School in Dearborn, Michigan for a powerful series of four edutaining (educational and entertaining) presentations focused on vaping awareness and digital safety. We began with a Parent & Community Vaping Awareness and Digital Safety Night, followed by three student sessions the next day:
- Two high school presentations focused on vaping awareness and positive decision-making
- One middle school presentation (grades 6–8) on digital and social media safety
Each talk was customized to be age-appropriate, highly engaging, and packed with research-based insights students and parents can use right away.
🌀 For the vaping awareness presentations, students explored:
- Who’s really behind the vaping industry—and why teens are the target
- The physical and mental health risks of vaping nicotine and THC
- Real-life stories and facts about addiction, brain development, and long-term consequences
- The triggers and social pressures that can lead teens to vape—and proven strategies to resist them
🌐 For the digital and social media safety presentation, middle schoolers learned about:
- Screen time’s effect on mental health, sleep, and attention
- Healthy communication and conflict resolution in the digital world
- The risks of cyberbullying, online predators, and digital advertising influence
- The power of their digital footprint and how to protect their online reputation
🎥 For parents, the combined presentation brought it all together—offering both vaping prevention and digital parenting tips tailored for today’s challenges.
If you missed the parent night, no worries—a recorded version is available for on-demand viewing until November 15, 2025. Use the passcode provided by the school to access the video, plus explore additional resource links to help you support your child’s well-being.
Let’s continue working together to raise informed, resilient, and digitally safe young people.
Watch Parent / Community Vaping Awareness & Digital Safety Presentation for Divine Child School Parents
Additional Resources for Vaping
- American Lung Association: Helping Teens Quit Smoking & Vaping: Practical roadmap, including prevention, intervention, and quitting support.
- CDC: E-Cigarette Use Among Youth: A foundational source. Covers prevalence, health risks, and factors driving youth vaping.
- American Lung Association: Vaping Conversation Guide: Specific guidance (developed with psychologists) on how to talk with teens about vaping.
- A Parent’s Guide to Teens and Vaping: A practical article with warning signs, slang/brand tips, and how to respond if you catch them vaping.
- Truth Initiative: Vaping Prevention & Quitting Resources for Parents: A deep resource hub including curricula, quit programs, and fact sheets.
- Respiratory Health Parents’ Guide to Vaping (PDF): A parent-friendly guide that includes signs, risks, and quitting tips.
- SAMHSA: Talk. They Hear You. – Parent Brochure (on vaping): A concise, printable guide to support conversations about vaping.
- NIDA – Parents & Educators (on drugs and addiction): Science-based information, conversation starters, brain development as it relates to substance use.
- CDC: Resources to Help Youth Reject or Quit Vaping: A clearinghouse for quitting tools (text, online, hotlines) plus guides for parents and youth.
- SAMHSA / U.S. Department of Health: Reducing Vaping Among Youth & Young Adults: Policy, prevention strategies, and evidence-based approaches for communities (helpful background).
Partnering with Stratford Families for Digital Wellness: Recapping Our Digital Safety Presentations
This week, I had the pleasure of traveling to Wisconsin and speaking at Stratford Schools. There I delivered a series of edutaining (educational + entertaining) presentations on digital and social media safety for students. In addition to the student presentations, I delivered a presentation on digital and cyber safety parenting tips for the parents, teachers and community members.
The trip kicked things off with a Parent and Community Education Night, followed by three student presentations the next day—one each for upper elementary (grades 3–5), middle school (grades 6–8), and high school (grades 9–12). Each session was customized to the audience’s developmental stage and digital challenges, ensuring the content was both relatable and age-appropriate.
Topics covered included:
- The impact of screen time on mental health, focus, and sleep
- Building real-world communication and conflict resolution skills
- Understanding and preventing cyberbullying
- Staying safe from online predators
- Recognizing how digital ads and influencers shape choices
- The lasting effects of digital reputations and online behavior
However, these were not your typical boring presentations. Through a mix of magic, humor, storytelling, and interactive illusions, these presentations aimed to empower students to think critically about their online lives—and start healthy conversations at home. In addition to learning at school, it’s important for parents to reinforce the lessons. This is why the Parent & Community Night is so important. When parents and schools work together, we can reinforce strong digital habits and ensure kids feel supported both online and offline.
In case you weren’t able to attend the parent session and learn all of the digital parenting tips, a recorded version is available for you to watch at your convenience. Use the passcode provided by Stratford Schools to access it. The video will be available through November 15, 2025.
Also below you can find a set of valuable digital and cyber safety parenting tips and resources, including conversation guides, tech tools, and expert-backed strategies.
Together, we’re building a community of safe, confident, and digitally literate youth. Thank you for being part of the journey!
Additional Resources
Presentation for Stratford Parents
Digital Parenting Tips for Parents of American Academy Schools
Between September 4th and 5th, I had the honor of presenting to the incredible middle school students at all three campuses of American Academy in Colorado—Lincoln Meadows, Castle Pines, and Motsenbocker. Our presentation tackled the real-world impact of screen use, including screen time’s effect on mental health, communication challenges, conflict resolution, cyberbullying, online predators, digital advertising influence, and the long-term implications of digital reputations.
But while student education is critical, it’s only one piece of the puzzle.
When it comes to raising resilient, informed digital citizens, parents are the most important partners. That’s why we also offered a parent presentation on the evening of September 4th, designed specifically to help caregivers stay informed, connected, and empowered.
If you couldn’t attend the parent session, no worries—a recorded version is now available to watch at your convenience. Use the passcode provided by your school, and please note: the recording will be available until November 15th, 2025.
Covered In The Presentation
In the video, I share practical digital parenting tips to help you:
- Understand the emotional and behavioral effects of screen use
- Recognize red flags related to screen time and mental health
- Initiate meaningful conversations about online safety and behavior
- Use tools and boundaries to protect your child without over-controlling
- Encourage critical thinking around social media and digital influence
Bonus Links to Trusted Parenting Resources
Watch Presentation for American Academy Parents
Why Watch?
By working together—parents, schools, and students—we can create a safer, more balanced digital experience for the next generation.
👉 Watch the recording before November 15th using the access code from your school. Let’s keep the conversation going—your guidance makes all the difference!
Helping Kids Thrive in a Digital World: A Follow-Up for Markham Place Parents
As this school year was winding down, thanks to the Tigger Stavola Foundation, I had the privilege of speaking to the middle school students at Markham Place School in New Jersey about one of the most pressing topics facing today’s youth—growing up in a digital world. We covered a wide range of issues: how screen time affects mental health and sleep, the impact on communication and conflict resolution skills, cyberbullying, online predators, the power of digital advertising and influencers promotion substance use, managing online reputations, and so much more.
But while educating students is essential, lasting change happens when parents are involved too.
If you’re a Markham Place parent, I encourage you to watch the recorded parent version of the presentation if you weren’t able to attend in person to get important digital parenting tips. It offers practical tips and deeper insights into the risks and realities your child is navigating online—often without you even knowing. The recording is available through September 15, 2025 using the passcode provided by the school.
Why is this important? Because consistency matters. When the conversations we start at school are supported at home, kids are more likely to internalize healthy digital habits and feel supported in navigating tough online situations.
Here are just a few topics you’ll learn more about in the parent presentation:
- Signs your child may be struggling with screen-related stress
- What to do if your child is being cyberbullied (or doing the bullying)
- How to start real conversations about digital behavior and privacy
- Tools to set healthy boundaries without constant battles
- Why your child’s “digital footprint” matters more than they realize
In addition to the video, we’ve included some helpful resources and Digital Parenting Tips to give you even more tools to support your child’s digital well-being. These cover parental controls, conversation starters, recommended screen time guidelines, and more.
Let’s work together to build a healthier, more thoughtful digital future for our kids—starting at home.
Watch the presentation below with the code provided by Markham Place School.
Additional Resources
Presentation for Markham Place School Parents
This month, I visited the Mapleton School District in Denver, Colorado, to talk to kids and teens about vaping. Vaping can be harmful, and many young people are trying them. My goal during the vaping awareness presentations was to help students understand who makes these products and why they want kids to use them.
To make it fun and easy to learn, I told stories, joked around, and did magic tricks! We discussed how vaping companies marketing targets youth by using flavors, cool designs, and social media influencers to trick kids into thinking it’s safe or fun. But really, there are dangers hidden behind the bright colors.
Students were surprised that nicotine in vapes is very addictive for growing brains. We also talked about bad things in vapes that can hurt your lungs and teeth over time. Instead of vaping when stressed out or bored, we found better ways like playing sports or doing arts and crafts.
I also had a virtual vaping awareness presentation for parents. Parents learned tips on talking openly with their children about vaping’s risks. If any parent missed it but still wants the info, they can watch a recorded version using a special code from their school.
If you want more information on preventing vaping among young people or resources for staying healthy without vapes, check out the link below! Let’s work together so everyone can make good choices!
I had a fantastic time speaking at Fergus High School in Lewistown, Montana about vaping awareness. Both the high school and middle school students were an amazing audience—engaged, respectful, and eager to learn. I also brought something extra to the presentation: a mix of magic and illusions to help bring the message to life in a way students wouldn’t forget.
Using edutainment by infusing the educational lessons with the entertainment continues to make a big impact. It turned a serious topic into an experience that was memorable, meaningful, and even fun. After the school assemblies, many students came up to me to say how much they enjoyed the presentation on vaping awareness. This is the most impactful things that can happen as a school speaker. Sometimes it can be hard to know if you are connecting with the audience. There was no question about it at Fergus High School.
To support families at home, we’re also offering a special video for parents. If you’re a parent of a Fergus High School student, you can now watch a pre-recorded version of the presentation online. This version includes everything your child saw, plus extra tips and guidance just for parents, like:
- How to talk with your teen about vaping
- Signs to watch for
- The latest vaping trends and facts
To watch the video, just enter the passcode provided by the school at the link below. It’s available anytime, so you can watch when it works best for you.
Thank you again to the Fergus High community. Lewistown is filled with amazing students, caring staff, and supportive families. I’m honored to be a part of your efforts to keep kids safe and informed.
Growing Up In A Digital Age Presentation For the Rockville Centre Community
Professional speaker on Robert Hackenson Jr. came and spoke to the youth and parents in the community of Rockville Centre. Robert delivered two entertaining presentations designed to engage and educate. The first was on Growing Up in a Digital Age, where we discussed digital and social media “landmines” and lessons on how to use technology responsibly. As a cyber safety speaker for youth, Robert discusses everything from screens and mental health and conflict resolution to online predators and online reputations. Watch the video to see the lessons and get tips on how to use this technology responsibly. In case you missed it, or want to see it again, here is a virtual version of the presentation.
Vaping Awareness Presentation For the Rockville Centre Community
The second wellness presentation focused on the important issue of Teen Vaping Awareness. Speaker Robert Hackenson Jr., gave an informative talk about the marketing tactics used by the vaping industry to target young people. He explained how these tactics are designed to attract teens by appealing to their interests and lifestyles. He also explained why the vaping industry targets teens. Robert then discussed the serious health risks linked to vaping, emphasizing the potential long-term harm. Additionally, he looked at the social and psychological factors that can lead teens to start vaping, like peer pressure, stress, looking to escape life challenges etc. Then, for parents he offered practical tips on what they can do to help their teen make smart choices. For those that were not able to attend, here is a virtual version of the presentation.
Note: If someone you know wants help quitting nicotine, you can always visit here for more resources on quitting nicotine.
A Special Thanks to Rockville Centre Coalition for Youth
A special thanks goes out to the Rockville Centre Coalition for youth, because without them none of this would have been possible. The coalition for youth was able to bring in these presentations and resources for the community. In addition to these presentations, the schools also gained access to the curriculum via the Dynamic Influence Edutainment Portal. Through this portal students can view the presentation, have class discussions, and class activities to continue the education.
**Limited Time Access – See your school for password to watch**
Note: Closed Captioning Available in Spanish and English
This presentation by internationally recognized digital and social media safety speaker Robert Hackenson Jr is for the parents of Union City area. Technology is great and powerful, but with great power comes great responsibility. There are certain digital and social media dangers teens face as technology continues to advance. Robert recently delivered his presentation to your teen about these dangers, but as a parent you can make even more of an impact on your child. Watch this presentation to learn about the risks and the practical tips and tricks that you can use to help you raise your teen in this digital world.
In the video below, here’s what you will learn about cyber safety:
- How to prevent or help teens with technology addiction
- What screen times actual effect is on teen mental health
- Digital communication and miscommunication
- Coaching your kids through hateful posting and how to be a positive bystander
- Cyber safety issues with online challenges, posting personal information, and online predators
- Teens and sexting
- Your child’s digital reputation
- Parenting tips and resources to help your child use technology responsibly.