Family Friendly, Safe for Children
Safety is an important aspect to our club and members. We endeavour to provide a family friendly and safe environment for members of all ages from children to adults.
What should parents of children know?
The club is structured to ensure there is separation between adults and children. Any attempt to contact a minor by an adult is restricted. In fact, adults can't even search for child profiles. We realise this will result in some lost communications between minors and adults - but we would insist that such relationships should be facilitated by local community groups.
Benefits for children from having a penpal
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1) Penpalling helps your language development
Global Penfriends is not a form of social media. We have created a platform that promotes long-format discussion. We have taken away real-time chat, image, and video sharing and replaced it with real conversations.
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2) Opportunity to form lifelong friendships outside your immediate social circles
We have structured the site so that Global Penfriends is a safe place for all our members. We ask that members be positive and say something nice. With all the negativity in social media, it is important that kids have a place they can visit which is always safe and focuses on what is great in the world.
We show cultural keepsakes alongside profile data so that children can see just how fantastic our world really is. One of the benefits of being a member on Global Penfriends is that you learn about a country just by browsing the site.
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3) Helps when learning a new language
Anyone that has ever tried online language learning will tell you that it’s hard to keep improving if you cannot practice with a native speaker. Global Penfriends has penpals all over the world. If you wish to find a native language speaker, you just have to search. Having a native speaker to ask questions and give feedback on your letters is invaluable.
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4) Great learning resource
We have placed thousands of interesting facts about different countries inside the site. Penpals will see the facts when viewing profiles. The facts are interesting, educational, and a fun way to learn about our world.
Do I have to pay for my child?
Global Penfriends can be used as a free educational resource for all children. We wanted to ensure all children have access to a safe, family friendly platform where they can find penpals from all over the world. By upgrading your child's profile, they will be able to meet more penpals faster and have better access to premium features that can enhance the penpalling experience. For the price of a few coffees, your child can be upgraded for a year.What safety features are in place?
Safety features for children are further enhanced. No ads are displayed to children under 13. Children under the age of 13 are not allowed to upload pictures of themselves. Children under 13 are asked to upload a picture of their pet or an animal to represent their profile. Child profiles (aged 17 and under) are restricted to contacting others within a limited age bracket around their own age.
As a teacher - How do I get my students penpals?
Based on our experience, we recommend that teachers have each student create their own profile on GPF. Penpalling is a very personal activity. Each student should be able to search for their own penpals to find a penpal that is compatible with them.
