It is rolled out in cooperation with the Insafe network of Safer Internet Centres and the Media & Learning Association (MLA), and coordinated under the Better Internet for Kids project.

Empowering children with the skills and knowledge they need when they go online is a key priority of the BIK+ strategy, Pillar 2. In the strategy, the European Commission seeks actions to improve the educational opportunities and the media literacy of children and young people to support Pillar 2, allowing them to become more critical users of online content and services. Dedicated campaigns should be specifically designed to raise awareness of key issues such as disinformation and misinformation, and generally to enhance media literacy skills among children and young people, while also better upskilling those that support them (such as parents, caregivers and teachers).

With this BIK+ media literacy campaign in collaboration with the Insafe network, we aim to spotlight the existing media literacy initiatives and activities in and beyond Europe to build synergies and opportunities for collaboration whenever possible.

Read on to find out more about the partners for this first piloting phase of the campaign.

Czech Republic

Here are some of their current media literacy activities:

Media Literacy Weeks in the Czech Republic

Media Literacy Weeks is an annual event organised by the One World in Schools department (JSNS) of People in Need; JSNS is part of the Safer Internet Centre in the Czech Republic. The aim of this event is to develop media literacy and strengthen the critical thinking skills of primary and secondary school pupils and students across the Czech Republic.

Last year, during May and June, Media Literacy Weeks took place for the seventh time and involved over 150 Czech schools in 84 cities, together counting more than 4,000 pupils and students. Activities included 67 debates at schools, 18 excursions to media houses, 17 demonstration lessons, project days at secondary vocational schools, and apprenticeships.

Within the Media Literacy Weeks, several educational resources were introduced on the One World in School’s video-on-demand (VOD) portal. Specifically, the new five key questions educational posters, the What we think the experts think (and how we're wrong) lesson and the Why and how TikTok ticks video. Secondary vocational schools and apprenticeships received a special offer to host a demonstration lesson or a full project day with a journalist visiting the school directly. 

Charles University in partnership with Google

Charles University, as the main coordinator of CEDMO (Central European Digital Media Observatory, covering Czechia, Poland, and Slovakia) announced a long-term partnership with Google to expand research on information disruption and the impact of AI applications in the digital media ecosystem, as well as to strengthen media and digital skills in the region. Google also promised to support Ukraine media literacy’s effort including fact-checking efforts in the region. Read more here.

O2 Chytrá škola "O2 Smart School"

The grant program offers a support mainly for schools, focusing on teaching digital, computer and media literacy and internet safety, with a portal offering a wide range of resources for teaching media literacy. Visit the website at o2chytraskola.cz.

Fakescape

A group of students from Masaryk University developed several escape room games that aims to help its players identify fake news and develop media literacy and critical thinking in a fun environment. Each game is targeted at different groups, including adults. Visit the website at www.fakescape.cz/en.

Where can you get in touch?

Czech Safer Internet Centre - www.bezpecnyinternet.cz
JSNS - www.jsns.cz
People in Need - www.peopleinneed.net
Linka bezpeci - www.linkabezpeci.cz
Dětské krizové centrum - https://www.ditekrize.cz/

Poland

Here are some of their current media literacy activities:

Make it clear – educating young people against disinformation online

The project "Make it clear - educating young people against disinformation online" is run by the consortium that consists of NASK - National Research Institute (Poland), Latvian Internet Association and Save the Children Romania.

The project is addressed primarily to young people aged 11-17, but also to parents, teachers and specialists working with children. The aim of the project is to develop information competences in youth, a conscious and critical approach to the content available in the media, particularly in social media. As a result, youth will improve the skills to verify the truthfulness of online information, to recognize and adequately respond to disinformation. The project also aims to broaden the knowledge and raise awareness of teachers about such phenomena as fake news, manipulation techniques and propaganda, which in turn will allow them to develop information skills among their students and to raise the interest of parents in the problem.

This project, which NASK is implementing in partnership with Latvian Internet Association and Save the Children Romania, includes 16 online lesson modules to be created in five languages ​​(Polish, Latvian, Romanian, Ukrainian, and English) for students of different age ranges.

Discover it at www.makeitclear.edu.pl.

Resources for Safer Internet Day 2024

For Safer Internet Day 2024, they produced a series of online lessons focusing on topics such as digital footprint, misinformation, privacy, and many others. Additionally, schools, libraries, and other educational institutions were invited to prepare awareness-raising campaigns, online classes and other activities throughout February and March. As of the beginning of March 2024, more than 3,850 local Safer Internet Day initiatives were registered. In addition, a special series of 20 webinars for professionals was prepared throughout February. The webinars attracted high levels of interest, with more than 4,500 participants overall. Correspondingly, more than 30 online lessons were prepared for school students, and more than 140,500 children and young people participated during February alone (the online lessons also continued into March).

(In)visible online traces 

This is a publication for young people which discusses several aspects of responsible information publishing and online image. Read and download it here.

Where can you get in touch?

NASK - www.nask.pl 
Safer Internet Poland - www.saferinternet.pl 

Ireland

Here are some of their current media literacy activities:

Media Literacy Ireland

Media Literacy Ireland (MLI) is an informal alliance of individuals and organisations who work together on a mainly voluntary basis to promote media literacy in Ireland. Facilitated by Coimisiún na Meán, MLI has over 250 members drawn from a broad range of sectors.

The vision is for all Irish people to be empowered with the skills and confidence to be able to access and critically evaluate content and services across all platforms, understand and question how media and digital technology operate, identify and manage risks, and participate in the public sphere in a responsible, ethical and effective manner.

Be Media Smart campaign

The Be Media Smart campaign is designed to encourage people to Stop, Think and Check that the information that they are getting, from whatever source, is accurate and reliable.

Across October and November 2023, the Stop, Think, Check message was delivered across all media in Ireland, and there will be opportunities to learn more about how to recognise accurate and reliable information via our community training programme.

Connected – An Introduction to Digital Media Literacy

Connected has been specifically designed for teachers of the Junior Cycle Digital Media Literacy Short Course who wish to explore online wellbeing, news, information and problems of false information, big data and the data economy, and online rights. Connected aims to empower young people to be effective, autonomous and safe users of technology and online media.

HTML Heroes 

HTML Heroes aims to teach pupils the importance of digital citizenship and online safety with the help of the HTML Heroes. A range of lessons explore themes such as being safe online, finding reliable information, privacy, chatting, playing and learning online.

Stop Think Check

PressPass Programme

Press Pass is a news literacy and student journalism programme run by NewsBrands Ireland, the representative body for Ireland’s national newspapers, print and online. The initiative was launched in 2012 and developed in consultation with the Department of Education (Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Policy Unit) and was launched by the then Minister for Education, Mr Ruairi Quinn TD.

This is a Transition Year Programme which aims to improve news literacy and critical thinking skills and to help students to develop a deeper understanding of news media. To date, over 120,000 Transition Year students around the country have taken part in the initiative.

Where can you get in touch?

Webwise - www.webwise.ie

Nala - www.nala.ie

Youth IE - www.youth.ie

Visit the MediaSmartOnline campaign page often to discover how the MediaSmartOnline campaign will develop!

Background

The MediaSmartOnline campaign is running in cooperation with the Insafe network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs) and the Media & Learning Association within the framework of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) project.