Safer Internet Day 2020 is on the 11th February and there are many ways to get involved! As partners in the UK Safer Internet Centre we have created a load of resources to help you get involved and start planning how you will celebrate now.
We want to make sure that Safer Internet Day 2020 is the biggest yet and reaches more people than ever before with messages of awareness and importance of online safety. There are many ways for Digital Leaders to take the lead in getting involved in the lead up to Safer Internet Day 2020 and on the day.
What is Safer Internet Day?
Safer Internet Day aims to inspire a national conversation about using technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively. Coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre the celebration sees hundreds of organisations get involved to help promote the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people.
In the UK, we choose an annual theme that we think best suits the current landscape of online safety and the issues that young people may face online. This year, we are encouraging young people to explore how they manage their online identity and think about how the internet shapes their view of themselves and others.
We will look at whether the internet allows young people to experiment and express themselves, or if they feel limited in who they can be online, and how offline stereotypes and discrimination are challenged or reinforced online. By opening up conversations around online identity, we aim to inspire young people to support each other in being who they want to be, to celebrate difference, and help work towards creating a truly inclusive internet.
Have you started planning what you will do to celebrate Safer Internet Day 2020?
There are less than three months to go until Safer Internet Day 2020 and it’s the perfect time to start planning what you will do to celebrate and spread awareness of the day in your education setting!
How you can get involved
Brand new educational resources
The UK Safer Internet Centre – official coordinators of the day in the UK – have created a range of new educational resources focusing on the 2020 theme: Free to be me – exploring online identity.
These educational resources include lesson plans, assemblies and more and all focus on the theme of online identity, asking young people to consider whether they and their peers are truly free to be themselves online. These resources are split into age groups and there are many opportunities for Digital Leaders to support in running sessions using these resources.
Make sure your school registers as a supporter for Safer Internet Day 2020 and says what you will be doing to celebrate! Together we can make sure that Safer Internet Day 2020 is the biggest yet and reaches more people than ever before!
You can help Safer Internet Day to reach even more people by sharing your support for the day on Twitter now! The official hashtag to use to show your support is #SaferInternetDay. Follow @UK_SIC for updates and social media templates to share closer to the day.
Safer Internet Day 2020 modules on the Digital Leaders platforms
We will soon be releasing Safer Internet Day modules on both the Primary and Secondary Digital Leader platforms. These modules will support Digital Leaders in thinking about how they can take part on the day and engage the pupils in their schools with the topic of online identity. Keep an eye out for these modules appearing on the platforms in the next few weeks. After Safer Internet Day 2020 we will also be asking Digital Leaders to let us know what they did in school for Safer Internet Day and they will earn points and badges for letting us know!
How some Digital Leaders are already involved in the Safer Internet Day campaign
Some of our Digital Leaders feature in films for Safer Internet Day produced by our partner organisation in the UK Safer Internet Centre, SWGfL. The films are tailor made for use with 5-11s, 11-18s, parents and carers, as well as a film exploring the theme. Thank you to the Digital Leaders involved for your valuable contributions and for sharing your thoughts, thank you for your cooperation in the filming also. You can watch these videos on the UK Safer Internet Centre Website and look out for them being shared on social media.
Examples of how Digital Leaders were involved last Safer Internet Day
We were so impressed with the creative ways that Digital Leaders were involved in Safer Internet Day 2019 and can’t wait to see what Digital Leaders do to go even bigger this time around! Take a look at our round up of how Digital Leaders schools spread awareness about internet safety for Safer Internet Day 2019 to be inspired and start thinking about the ways your Digital Leader team could take part in Safer Internet Day 2020.
Let us know what your Digital Leader team have planned for Safer Internet Day and tweet us @Childnet DL #ChildnetDL as well as using #SaferInternetDay on the day.
Welcome to the November post of our monthly achievements and updates blog. Here we congratulate schools who have completed their training over the past month and share good news stories from Digital Leader schools.
Well done to the Digital Leaders teams from the following schools who have recently completed their online training!
Cathays High – 3rd cohort!
Norwich High Prep School Junior – 2nd cohort!
St John Bosco RC Primary School – 3rd cohort!
Swavesey Village College
Welland Park Academy – 3rd cohort!
Digital Leader school visits
Many thanks to the following Digital Leader schools who hosted us for visits throughout October. We want to thank all the Digital Leaders and Digital Leader teachers at these schools for their hospitality and enthusiasm. We were hugely impressed by the insights we received from the Digital Leaders, and the impact they are making in their schools.
Parc Eglos School
Thank you for welcoming Danielle and showing her what you have been working on as Digital Leaders. Danielle was really impressed by your enthusiasm and excellent ideas and we are excited to see the impact you continue to make!
JFS School
Thank you for hosting Siobhan and Fabian and helping us to develop our upcoming secondary module. Your questions and thoughts on the topic were invaluable. Keep an eye out for some of the JFS Digital Leaders appearing in the new secondary module which will be released very soon!
Forest School
Thank you for welcoming Amy and Becca to your school and helping us to develop our upcoming primary module. We really enjoyed talking to you about the module topic. Look out for some of the Forest school Digital Leaders in the upcoming primary module!
If your Digital Leaders would like a visit from the Childnet Digital Leaders team then please get in touch at [email protected]
Please share with us what your Digital Leaders team have been up to. Email [email protected] or tweet us @ChildnetDL#ChildnetDL to be included in the next update!
Welcome to the September post of our monthly achievements and updates blog. Here we congratulate schools who have completed their training and share good news stories from Digital Leaders schools.
Well done to the Digital Leaders teams from the following schools who have recently completed their online training!
East borough Primary School – 2nd cohort!
English Martyrs Catholic Primary School
Hart Memorial Primary School – 2nd cohort!
Royal High School, Senior
Many thanks to the following Digital Leader schools who worked with our partner organisation within the UK Safer Internet Centre, SWGfL this month on some video content that will be used in the Safer Internet Day 2020 campaign. Many thanks for your hospitality and involvement and we hope you enjoyed taking part. We can’t wait to see the film content!
Coryton Primary School
Cathays High School
St John Bosco R.C. Primary School
Christ the Redeemer Primary School
Please share with us what your Digital Leaders team have been up to. Email [email protected] or tweet us @ChildnetDL#ChildnetDL to be included in the next update!
We have an exciting opportunity for qualified Digital Leaders to join our team of Digital Champions! Digital Champions are a group of Secondary Digital Leaders from across the UK who act as ambassadors for the programme.
The Digital Champions support the Childnet team with programme development, ensuring that the programme is youth led, they also represent Digital Leaders at events and in consultations. Our current Digital Champions have been involved in many aspects of the programme, from presenting at Regional Events to advising on platform developments and new modules!
If you are a Secondary Digital Leader and would like more responsibility in your role and to contribute towards the development of the programme, then don’t hesitate to apply to be a Digital Champion for 2019-20!
The information and application form to apply can be found here. If you have any questions about applying to be a Digital Champion then please email leaders@childnet.com.
How have our current Digital Champions found the experience?
We asked our current Digital Champions how they have found the experience and whether they have any advice for Digital Leaders interested in applying to be a Digital Champion. See their answers below:
What has been the best part of being a Digital Champion?
Jess: The best part of being a Digital Champion for me has to be being able to reach a wider audience and feeling like you’re actually making an impact. There are so many opportunities and so many thing to be a part of that you may never have thought you would do. Plus, the fact that you can reach so many more people with your message empowers me and my Digital Leaders team to try even harder to spread the word of positive Internet use.
Bella: Definitely the sense of responsibility, and the ability to impact the community in a meaningful way. Your responsibility for your Digital Leaders in your school, on top of the general oversight of others across schools internationally, produces better leadership qualities and consideration for others’ opinions, and an appreciation for the value of perspectives unavailable to you on issues we all face.
Erin: Getting to know new people and to be able to see the structure more clearly in the internet.
Maryam: Reaping the smiles that come from it! I’m a sentimental person and love more than anything, when other’s find happiness in something that I’ve helped them in. Such as growing in my role as a Digital Leader and even helping others with their own queries.
What is the biggest skill you have gained from being a Digital Champion?
Bella: The ability to listen to others’ perspectives, and really hear them. The exposure to different groups of young people’s opinions on issues you’re already comfortable with are so diverse depending on their personal circumstances, and being able to construct resolutions to issues by visiting schools and by speaking to various DLs online really means you’re able to produce an effect greater than the sum of everyone’s parts.
Maryam: I’ve been able to grow in my confidence and public speaking. It even helped me to perform a speech to people a lot older than me! I can speak to audiences without feeling scared and do it with a smile!
Erin: I understand social media more and what I should keep in my head rather than on screen.
Jess: I think the biggest skill I have gained from being a Digital Champion is Communication Skills. Having to communicate from my Digital Leaders team to Childnet and back again really challenged my Communication Skills and I believe that I have become a more organised, persistent and skilled person because of it.
What would you say to someone thinking about applying to be a Digital Champion?
Jess: If you’re thinking of applying to be a Digital Champion, my advice is to just go for it. But be prepared to work hard and commit to the position because it is a lot of work, but trust me. It. Pays. Off. It has been one of the best experiences of my life and you feel like you really can change something. You never know where this programme may take you, and what you can achieve while doing it so I say that there is no time like the present to get started. Princess Diana quoted “Young people can change the world” and, being part of the Digital Champions team, I have started to believe that’s true.
Bella: Do it! If you’re thinking of applying, you are already comfortable with the idea of being in a position of responsibility – but I would say the role does require a lot of communication interpersonally with DLs and the Childnet team. If you’re like me, someone who started out quite uncertain, it is difficult to go forward with a risk like that, but I have developed immensely from the experience in a way unparalleled by other methods of overcoming fears of public speaking, communication etc., and I would encourage those people who would love to do it and are passionate about digital safety, but who are maybe intimidated, to go and apply the most. If you think you have an opinion or a perspective that you don’t see much elsewhere on digital safety, that makes you especially valuable.
Erin: Make sure its something you want to do! (…) It is a great experience and it makes you a better person online. It also teaches you a new structure to the format.
Maryam: I’d say go for it! Even if you have any doubts, what’s the harm in applying? The worst that could happen is nothing compared to what you’ve been through. Who knows? You might become one of us and be able to help others just like you!
Childnet is excited to be offering a limited-time offer for schools who are both enrolling on the Childnet Digital Leaders Programme and booking an Education Visit.
This is a fantastic opportunity for your school to combine the benefits of our unique programme with the expert knowledge and advice shared during our Education Visits, helping you to create a whole school approach to online safety.
With online safety playing a key role in many young people’s online lives, it’s important that teachers and young people alike are equipped with the skills they need to stay safe online. 85% of teachers we asked said that the Childnet Digital Leaders Programme has helped their school’s staff fulfil their safeguarding duties.
What is the Childnet Digital Leaders Programme?
The Childnet Digital Leaders Programme is a peer-led online safety programme in which pupils complete core training modules on our online training platform to qualify as Digital Leaders. They are then equipped with the skills and confidence to spread their online safety knowledge in their school communities and complete ‘Team Achievements’ in doing so.
The platforms have been updated for September 2019, and new bonus modules will be added every term on both the primary and secondary platforms!
Our annual survey of the platform found that 92% of Digital Leaders said the training made them feel more confident about educating pupils in their school.
What is a Childnet Education Visit?
At Childnet our team of online safety experts offer online safety training sessions for young people, parents, carers, and members of the children’s workforce.
A typical activity day for pupils consists of a maximum of four sessions throughout the day, ranging from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the package booked and age of your pupils.
We also offer stand-alone parent and staff training sessions as well as lunch and learns for companies or parent groups
The Childnet Education team are excited to present refreshed and updated presentations featuring up to date advice for the new academic year.
By booking both an Education Visit and enrolling on the Childnet Digital Leaders Programme, you will receive 25% off the 1 year programme subscription, plus 30% off the Education Visits you book (excluding travel expenses and VAT).
How do I get the discount?
To redeem this joint discount offer, please complete the Education Visit booking form on the Childnet website, and register your interest in the Childnet Digital Leaders Programme.
You will then be able to discuss the type of sessions you would like to book with the Education team and have the opportunity to preview the Childnet Digital Leaders Programme online platform with a free guest login. For more information on the guest login, please visit our guest login blog.
This joint discount offer is only available until 31st October 2019, so don’t miss it out on this opportunity to embed a whole school approach to online safety this year! If you have any questions at all, please get in touch here.
The Digital Leaders team have developed a guest login feature to give interested schools and organisations an opportunity to experience a taster of the Childnet Digital Leaders Programme.
What is on the guest login?
The guest login contains a sample module, a look at the digital leader dashboard and gives you first-hand experience of what a digital leader will see when logging in to the platform.
Those who apply for a guest login will have access to a 14-day sneak peek of our exciting gamified platform. Once you have tried this out we would love to have you as part of the programme so that you can start recruiting your first cohort of Digital Leaders!
Although the guest login is designed to give you a taste of life as part of the programme, the full platform has so much more to offer.
How do I get a guest login?
To apply for a guest login, simply go to digital-leaders.childnet.com/register-interest and register your interest! Once you have provided your full name, school and email address we can provide you with a login.
When you have filled in the form, please send an email with the subject “Guest Login” to [email protected] to allow us to grant you temporary access. Be sure to include your full name, school or organisation’s name and your work email address.
If you have any questions or would like to know more about the programme, please get in touch.
If you could change one thing about the internet what would it be?
By far the most popular answer was to “make it safer” which shows how passionate young people are about online safety. Two other interesting answers were “more consequences for online hate” and “harsher punishment for online crimes” showing that the pupils were dwelling on the repercussions of people’s actions online and also thinking about long-term changes that could be made.
What is one thing you wish your parent/carers knew about life online?
The most common answer here was “make sure they know how to use it” which highlights the fact that many young people today grow up with the internet being an integral part of their lives, while many parents/carers will have only started using it regularly later in life so can have some catching up to do! A particularly constructive answer was “devices can also help you, not just harm you” which touches on some of the fears parents/carers can have over the threats that connected devices can pose, while recognising that there are many positives too.
What is your favourite YouTube channel?
We had a wide range of responses to this one, with the channel categories ranging from history to lifestyle and makeup to international travel. It’s heartening to see how YouTubers can inspire their viewers to aspire to do great things.
How long do you spend online each day?
Most pupils claimed to be spending between 2 and 6 hours online every day, with only one saying that they spend no time online. One pupil claimed to spend 24 hours online every day!
What are your favourite games to play on a device?
The popular answers were all here, including FIFA, Roblox and Minecraft, as well as a few with older age ratings. We also had a couple of surprises including Portal 2 and Go Fish. The variety of answers shows a good mix of co-operation, competition, problem-solving and creativity.
How do you know when you’ve been online for too long?
Many of the common signs were highlighted here, with the most common being “sore eyes” closely followed by “when your battery runs out.” If you experience any signs that you have been online for too long, it can be a good idea to set yourself some time limits and do some of the things you enjoy offline, like reading, spending time outside, doing something creative or playing board games.
What is your most used app or website?
Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok were among the most popular answers. Digital Leaders, please do get involved in the community part of our platform and let us know what your most used apps or websites are.
What advice do you have for getting a healthy balance of online and offline time?
The most common response to this question was “limit your screen time.” A few pupils also mentioned “take a break” and “prioritise real life rather than online life” which are both good tips for managing your online time. One student also suggested “keep a schedule” which is a great idea for those who are more comfortable with a set routine. It’s also a good idea to set reminders and timers, as you can easily lose track of time when you’re online.
Thank you to the pupils, teachers and chaperones who attended our Northern Ireland Regional Event, and thank you for your contribution in this ‘thought wall’ exercise. Your insights will be used to shape our platform for future Digital Leaders.
Welcome to the July edition of our monthly achievements and updates blog. Here we congratulate schools who have completed their training and share good news stories from Digital Leaders schools.
Well done to the Digital Leaders teams from the following schools who have recently completed their online training!
Chellaston Junior School
Finborough School
Notting Hill and Ealing High School Junior
Oaklands Primary Academy
Sir John Leman High School – 2nd cohort!
Wibsey Primary School
Congratulations to Digital Leaders from Sandown Primary School who finished the term at the top of the Primary Leaderboard and Coopers School who finished top of the Secondary Leaderboard this term!
Thank you to Zahra, a Digital Leader from Sarah Bonnell School
Digital Leaders give their thoughts on the Online Harms white Paper
Many thanks to all of the Digital Leaders who contributed their thoughts and opinions on the Online Harms White Paper which was published by government earlier this year. Childnet included the youth perspective of Digital Leaders in our response to the White Paper. Take a look at our blog which includes the full response from the Childnet Digital Leaders.
Many thanks to all of our Digital Leaders and teachers for all of their hard work this year. Have a great summer holiday, we look forward to working with all of our Digital Leaders teams next year and seeing the incredible impact that you make!
Please share with us what your Digital Leaders team have been up to and what they have planned for next year. Email [email protected] or tweet us @ChildnetDL #ChildnetDL to be included in the September update!
Updates from the Childnet Digital Leaders team
We will be releasing new modules on the primary and secondary training platforms this week! These modules are focused on the topics of Digital Health, Wellbeing and Resilience and we can’t wait for Digital Leaders to try them out next term. We will also be rejuvenating the platforms over the summer so keep your eyes peeled for the new layout!
If you have not yet subscribed to the Childnet Digital Leaders Programme and would like a taster version of the online training platform please register your interest and request a 14 day guest login here.
As a Digital Leader at Sarah Bonnell School, I spread the message of online safety within my school community educating my peers about its importance. During my 4 years as a Digital Leader in my school I have been involved in many events and workshops. When we began the Childnet Digital Leaders Programme our workshops were quite small and not many people came. However throughout the years it has grown and we have become so much more influential in our school community.
When I first joined the Childnet Digital Leaders Programme I had to complete the online modules on the Digital Leaders platform. This helped me to expand my knowledge of the online world, allowing me to help advise others on how to use the internet in a positive and safe way. I enjoyed the modules a lot especially the one where we were tasked to do an event in our school. We held our first workshop later that year where we created many activities for students to enjoy at lunch.
In my second year of being a Digital Leader our team created a huge workshop in the assembly hall at lunch where we had many activities around the room. Students were invited to complete these activities and when they did they could personalise their own badge which was then made by the Digital Leaders. We also held many assemblies during the school year with presentations for all age groups which were very interesting and interactive.
Through the rest of the years I have gained more experienced in holding events, creating informative and interactive PowerPoints and spreading the message of online safety has become easier.
Successfully leading events
In my third year of being a Digital Leader our school held a day dedicated to teaching Year 7’s the importance of the online world which of course was led by us, the Digital Leaders! At the start of the day we led the lessons with PowerPoints we created based on the education packs provided by Childnet. At the end of the day the different classes created a drama role play based on the theme of Safer Internet Day 2018. This was a huge success and we were later informed that we had a surprise visit from Ofsted who saw us in action and praised our leadership! On the same day we were also invited to the SID 2018 London event as guests. This was an amazing experience! This was such a great success and we have continued these activities every year.
Sessions for students who are in trouble
We also created a new idea of holding sessions for students who are in trouble for misusing the internet. We created PowerPoints and activities for afterschool sessions where we informed the students of the consequences and encouraged them to reflect on their actions, explaining to them the benefits as well as risks of the internet. This had a great impact as we have seen a dramatic decrease in the number of students who have been in internal exclusion for misusing the internet.
Getting involved in Safer Internet Day
This current year we have been busy, we held a SID event in our school for Year 7’s again based on this year’s theme of consent, where we taught students about the meaning and the importance of it. We have also been holding many more sessions and workshops for students which have had such a brilliant impact. This year we were again invited to the London SID event, not as guests but as students delivering the activities! This was an amazing experience and I was so excited. I also got the opportunity to be part of the youth panel presenting on stage and giving our opinions on different ideas around consent which was amazing.
The future of online safety in my school
Now in year 10 I have enjoyed every moment of being a Digital Leader and due to my strong passion I applied to become the senior leader for online safety in my school which I was then chosen for! This was really exciting and means I can have more of an input in online safety within my school. Next year I plan on holding amazing workshops, recruiting new Digital Leaders and creating an even bigger legacy. The experience of being a Digital Leader has been such a great one and I definitely recommend it to all of you who want to make a positive impact online.
But of course, none of this could have been possible without our amazing online safety teacher, Ms Adel at Sarah Bonnell School and of course the Childnet Digital Leaders team! Thank you for all the hard work and effort you put in.
I hope to carry on creating a positive impact on the online world and remember a safer internet starts with you!
My name is Zahra and I am a Digital Leader at Sarah Bonnell School. I am 15 years old and I have been a Digital Leader for 4 years now, I enjoy it a lot. It is really amazing and I wanted to do more, so I decided to do my work experience at Childnet this week.
I thought doing my work experience at Childnet would be a great experience to get a better understanding of how things are done and help improve my knowledge as a Childnet Digital Leader. At the start of this year I got in touch with Childnet and they were delighted to offer me a place to do work experience.
During the course of the week I have done many activities and tasks which have given me an insight into the work carried out by Childnet. On the first day I was introduced to the amazing team and was then brought into the Digital Leaders team meeting to see how they organise and plan different events and other things.
Throughout the rest of the day I met Maithi, the Policy and Communications Manager, and reviewed the website giving my input for ideas to help improve it. I also did a Twitter takeover on the Digital Leaders Twitter with top tips on online safety – which you should totally check out if you haven’t already. This was a great start to the week and I was excited to do more.
Later on during the week I met the education team and reviewed some of the primary modules. I got to review this year’s Safer Internet Day, giving some suggestions for improvements. I then got a sneak peek at next year’s theme for Safer Internet Day which I am very excited about! The team at Childnet wanted to get my ideas on the theme and I had a lot of ideas to share.
Later on I met with John, the Business Manager, who talked about the history of Childnet and about finance and fundraising. This helped me to understand how Childnet runs and understand how it started. Furthermore, I also got to help create parts of some new modules for both the primary and secondary platforms which was really interesting. I was also able to review a module and give my input on different ideas to help improve it. I was then filmed for the intros and outros for a new module so look out for that! I am really excited.
These are just some of the exciting things I got to experience at Childnet this week. The whole team were very friendly and amazing to work with. I had an amazing time and learnt many new things. Thank you to the Childnet team for allowing me to do my work experience here and for giving me an amazing time here at Childnet. Thank you to the Digital Leaders team, Danielle, Siobhan, Charlotte and Fabian for organising all these fun activities for me to do and thank you to the rest of the Childnet team, I enjoyed working with you and had a great time. It was an incredible experience. I am very sad to be leaving but have learnt a lot from this experience, being able to better understand everything in this field of work.
I hope to be more involved in further projects to do with online safety and will miss doing my work experience here at Childnet. I will continue to spread the message of online safety in my school as a Digital Leader and look forward to more opportunities to come!
