Schools across Louth get ready to take part in Safer Internet Day

Safer Internet Day 2020 will take place on Tuesday February 11, when hundreds of students from across Louth will take part in school-based events. 

Safer Internet Day is an EU initiative to promote a safer internet for all users, especially young people. It was first marked in 2004, has grown beyond its traditional geographic zone, and now takes place in approximately 150 countries worldwide.

In Ireland, Safer Internet Day is co-ordinated by Webwise, part of the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST).  It is co-funded by the Department of Education and Skills, and the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility.

While many schools across Louth will organise events to promote Safer Internet Day, Webwise trained and mobilised 100 youth ambassadors and 40 teachers from second-level schools to lead activities in their own schools and communities. In Louth, youth ambassadors will be active in Coláiste Chú Chulainn, Dundalk. 

Nationwide, almost 700 schools and organisations have registered Safer Internet Day events on the Webwise website.  Webwise estimates that more than 170,000 students will take part in activities that will help raise their awareness of online safety.

Registered activities include school assemblies, student mentoring, positivity weeks, online safety talks and workshops addressing topics such as online consent, digital wellbeing, social media use and respectful communication.  

According to National Director of PDST, Ciara O’Donnell:

“Digital media is rapidly changing and continues to provide new opportunities for young people to engage, connect, create and learn. 

"It is vital for young people to develop digital skills and an understanding of how these new technologies work. I commend the schools – and particularly – the Safer Internet Day Student Ambassadors, who will play a leading role supporting awareness-raising campaigns in their clubs, schools and communities.”

On Safer Internet Day, Webwise will launch a new, curriculum-based programme – called Connected – to support schools to introduce basic digital media literacy into the Junior Cycle. 

The programme addresses online well-being, false information, big data and rights; and will be free for schools to download on www.webwise.ie