Thriving in a tech world: Valor Academy, Parent ProTech collab on informational sessions

SHERIDAN — As technology continues to evolve, Valor Academy Administrator Amber Van Dyke said it’s a reality Valor can’t ignore.

“It’s imperative that we understand it (technology), that we seek to understand it and are a student of it, so we can help out kids,” Van Dyke said. “It’s important that we are educating our kids and students about it, because they’re going to need to make their own decisions and they’re going to be having conversations amongst themselves about it, so them being able to be informed, informing each other, parents having conversations, schools having conversations, churches having conversations, those are very important now so that we can all try to keep up with how rapidly it’s changing.”

Since Valor opened its doors in 2021, it has had a no-cellphone policy, with the goal to keep students less distracted and more engaged in in-person relationships and in the classroom, Van Dyke said.

Valor collaborated with Parent ProTech to host informative sessions for the community at First Baptist Church, Bethesda Church and Ignite Wesleyan.

Parent ProTech is an organization with the goal to help equip parents and educators with tools and guidance to help keep students safe and thrive in a digital-first world, according to its website.

The organization offers resources on how to navigate family tech use, how to encourage open and honest conversations about technology with their children, safety recommendations, an online K-12 curriculum and lessons that help students understand the risks, rewards and responsibilities of technology.

Parent ProTech’s March 30 session with community leaders focused on modeling healthy technology habits, starting a healthy conversation with students about the use of technology, the importance of teaching technology to be a tool, not a friend, and to create healthy technology boundaries.

In addition to the sessions, Valor parents, students and staff will have access to resources and curriculum by Parent Protech.

Parent ProTech Chief Executive Office and Co-Founder Brock Murphy said its overall goal is to support families and educators and help prevent even just one child from being cyber-bullied, trafficked or becoming addicted to a screen. If it achieves that goal, then it’s won. 

“We’ve been excited to be here and not only talk to and empower students and how they can leverage tech for good and minimize those bad and ugly impacts it can have, but also support educators in navigating such a tech-centered world and supporting with that digital citizenship and then reaching the families that we can bring a little bit more peace of mind to help them as they navigate all the changes and all the constantly shifts in technology,” Murphy said.

Murphy said it’s important for parents to know what platforms they are using, what those platforms can be used for and understand why their children are drawn to those platforms, whether it be a video game or social media.

“If parents are aware of the platforms, aware of the bad impacts it can have and some positives, the conversations that come with it and open communication, both ways, if their kids run into content or are approached by someone such as a predator online, that they know who they can go to to navigate anything else that comes from it,” Murphy said.

Chief Creative Officer Joshua Adams has spent years working on social media platforms, trying to strategize and work with companies, brands and ministries. Married to an educator, Adams said he has seen the impact of technology in the classroom and in his personal life.

“The average teen spends over eight hours a day on a screen for entertainment, so this is the world our kids are growing up in and our heart is, “Hey, we want to help them thrive in this world,’” Adams said.

Adams said what he hoped attendees gained from the sessions was if they have a child who is asking for a device, that they realize that device comes with a lot of access they might not even realize. Adams said he challenges parents to be intentional, to have conversations with their child about what they can encounter and to make sure they are prepared and understand the responsibilities that come with owning an electronic device.

“We all need to think about how we’re using tech, what we’re modeling. What kind of relationship do I have with tech? Am I turning to tech at the beginning of the day or at the end of the day? Am I choosing my phone over the relationships with my family, those that I love?” Adams said. “I hope everyone left with a practical step that they can implement.”

This story was published on March 31, 2026. 

Editors:  The following information may be used as a sidebar.

Tips from Parent ProTech 

• Know what platforms your child is using. 
• Understand why the child is drawn to the certain platform. 
• Be aware of the negative impacts the platform can have. 
• Be proactive and have open conversations with the child about the use of technology and what he or she could encounter.