Internet Safety and You is part of the Infinite Learning Lab, a new standards-based resource currently under development. This interactive Web resource is more than a great cat teaching great lessons—it’s an incredible story about public, private, and nonprofit partners working together to benefit students and families everywhere.
In 2007, the Virginia Department of Education collaborated with Pokémon USA to develop Internet Safety and You as part of the award-winning Web-based Pokémon Learning League. Last year, Pokémon USA discontinued the Pokémon Learning League and donated the entire Web site to the Virginia Department of Education—the entire multimillion-dollar Web site! All that was needed to revive this incredible resource was a new cast of characters.
Jim Davis and the Professor Garfield Foundation graciously offered the Commonwealth the use of Garfield and friends free of charge as replacement characters for Pokémon. Garfield is the most widely syndicated comic strip in the world, appearing in 63 countries and translated into 23 languages. More than 200 million people see Garfield daily. In short, we landed a superstar, and he was prepared to work for free!
The fun part was about to begin. With the generous support of the Attorney General of Virginia and his Computer Crime Section, the project team began adapting the cyberbullying module to the new characters; however, there is much more to this site that makes it outstanding: 
- Narrative-based interactive lessons, in Adobe Flash format, correlate to content standards from all 50 states in mathematics, language arts, science, social studies, and character education.
- A learning management platform monitors and assesses progress at the student, class, school, and division levels.
- Mobile learning apps promote student-directed learning and enrichment beyond the classroom.
- Parent resources enable parents and caregivers to provide additional support to students.
- Supplemental materials for students, such as printable posters and badges, reward students for their progress.
- Professional development resources help teachers with strategies, such as using an interactive whiteboard, grouping techniques, and administrative tools for assigning lessons and monitoring progress.
- Digital tools enable communication and collaboration among administrators, teachers, parents, and students.
In adapting from Pokémon to Garfield, we have reached out to many of the original team members to ensure that the new site is as good, or even better, than the original. Aaron Harder and his team at Entropy Multimedia have an incredible learning-management platform that supports this resource, and Scott Traylor and his colleagues at 360KID are working side-by-side with the Professor Garfield Foundation to ensure that this resource not only entertains students but is an outstanding learning resource. And these extraordinary people donated an enormous amount of their time and talents to this project because they believe in what we are doing for students and families.
The Infinite Learning Lab will take shape over time as resources become available to complete the transformation. The final product will be exceptional; but, just as importantly, it will serve as a great example of what can be accomplished through public, private, and nonprofit partnerships.