We are SO excited to be launching our competition for primary schools to celebrate Safer Internet Day (February 9)
We’re asking pupils aged 4-11 to design us a new online safety superhero, to patrol the internet and swoop in to save the day when children are in trouble. We’ve created a range of resources for teachers (something we know that they will be grateful for in these uncertain and challenging times!). You can access all the resources on our website here.
There are detailed lesson plans for KS1 and KS2. There is a poster to advertise the event to children and a PowerPoint presentation to help spark creative ideas.
Introducing the idea of the dangers that lurk on the internet is always tricky with primary students – we want to inform and engage but not scare. We hope that this competition will do just that. And of course, on top of that, we’ll get to see all the brilliant creations that young people around the UK can come up with. One lucky winner will find their design being turned into our new mascot!
Safer Internet Day is one of the most important days in the internet safety calendar. It was founded in 2004 and has grown into a huge international affair. From cyberbullying to social networking to digital identity, each year Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns. All the key players in internet safety collaborate and share strategies and promote each others’ work – you can find out more here, at the Childnet Safer Internet Day page.
This year’s theme is #aninternetwecantrust. It’s a timely one too – with the war on fake news, disinformation, deepfakes and propaganda only just starting, how can we make sure that our children can navigate the waters of the internet safely? How we can help them learn what is truth and what is lies, when viewing content online? It’s a big question with no easy answer, but better education is certainly a huge part of it. It ties in with our aim to bring our message to every school in the UK, to help children learn the signs of grooming, be able to speak up when they need to, and become better digital citizens. Breck was unable to detect Lewis’s lies and it led to his tragic death. With better education and more support, we can stop other children following in his footsteps.
Stay safe, and happy Safer Internet Day.
Sarah Smith
Foundation Speaker
