On April 16, Common Sense Education, a division of Common Sense, the nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students, parents, and teachers thrive in a world of media and technology, released Digital Compass, an interactive gaming platform aiming to foster digital literacy and citizenship skills among sixth through ninth graders. Digital Compass addresses the issues that kids face in the digital world: cyberbullying, privacy and security, creative credit and copyright, information literacy, Internet safety, digital footprint and reputation, self-image and identity, relationships, and communication. It also strives to provide students with the freedom to explore how their digital interactions may impact real-life relationships and future opportunities. Designed as an animated choose-your-own-adventure game, Digital Compass puts students in the role of one of eight characters (four male, four female), each of whom is faced with a series of digital dilemmas. Students determine their character's actions—and the story’s outcome—by making a series of decisions as the game progresses. Supplemental printable materials are tied to Common Core writing standards. “The real-world scenarios offer students insights on how to handle common challenges with media and technology while learning to be responsible digital citizens," said Lauren Matthews, a seventh grade teacher in Oakland Unified School District, in a prepared statement. Teachers and parents may access Digital Compass at www.digitalcompass.org. Versions of the app for tablets (iOS and Android), as well as one designed to work on the Edmodo platform, will be available in app stores at the end of April.