Thanh Truc T. Nguyen, College of Education Specialist Faculty in Learning Technologies, was presented with a national FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) in Washington D.C. on April 19, 2024. She was nominated by a special agent in the Honolulu Division for her work in internet safety and digital citizenship.
“Internet safety work is very important to me because I think people tend to pass judgment very quickly in the digital social media age,” Nguyen said. “I hope that my work in digital citizenship helps students to understand that disagreement can be healthy for progress and growth, but we need to do it with humility and an understanding that differences and being different is okay. We also have to honor the work of others as well as our own.”
Nguyen has been developing programs for teachers and students in Hawaiʻi’s schools for years, helping young people protect themselves, their families, and their friends while online and while using social media.
The FBI website states that the bureau can only conduct investigations and protect the American people with the support and understanding of the American people. When they receive immense support from those in their communities, like Nguyen, they honor them for their efforts in combating crime, terrorism, drugs, and violence.
“My work in internet safety and digital citizenship has connected me to many amazing people in the field, not only in educational research and curriculum in schools, but also to law enforcement agencies,” Nguyen said. “I’ve been privileged to be able to work with the FBI Honolulu division on several projects over the years.”
Becoming involved in digital citizenship through her work in marine biology, Nguyen’s path to this field has not been a straight line. She has been judging science and engineering fairs since the late 1990s, observing that students were citing digital sources with more frequency, regardless of accuracy or validity.
“This led me towards digital citizenship, then online behaviors to be the best person you can be online,” Nguyen said. “I think that’s still a great need in modern times and will continue to be important in the future with the advancements of artificial intelligence, data science, the internet of things, and more.”
Check out My Digital Voyage curriculum, created by Thanh Truc T. Nguyen for elementary students.
