Ireland gets ready to participate in Safer Internet Day 2020

This EU initiative promotes a safer internet for all users, especially young people. It was first marked in 2004, has grown beyond its traditional geographic zone, and takes place in approximately 150 countries worldwide.

In Ireland, Safer Internet Day is coordinated by Webwise. Webwise is the Irish Internet Safety Awareness Centre which is co-funded by the Department of Education and Skills, and the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility.

To date, 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. Activities include school assemblies, student mentoring, positivity weeks, online safety talks and workshops addressing topics such as consent online, digital well-being, social media use and respectful communication.

In addition to school-based activities to mark Safer Internet Day, Webwise will:

· Launch a new, curriculum-based educational resource, designed for Junior Cycle teachers. The resource – called Connected – explores all aspects of digital literacy, including young people’s rights on the internet, online wellbeing, big data and false information.

· Host a sectoral-focused seminar for education leaders and architects of online safety. The event will take place at Twitter Headquarters, Dublin at 10.15 am on Tuesday, 11th February. Media are welcome to attend. Panellists taking part include Gavin Sheridan (Journalist and Access to Information Expert); Claire Treanor (Teacher – Loretto Kilkenny); Brian O’Neill (TU Dublin and EU Kids Online); Ronan Costello (Public Policy Manager for Europe, Twitter); and Roe McDermott (Journalist and Film Critic).

Webwise has trained and mobilised 100 student ambassadors and 40 teachers from second-level schools to lead online safety events in their own schools and communities. Some of these students will take part in a youth panel discussion at the Webwise seminar, while others will lead to Safer Internet Day activities in their schools and communities.