Child Focus (part of the Belgian Safer Internet Centre), the private sector, and primary schools across Belgium joined forces in October and March to deliver 410 Internet Safe & Fun workshops. Employees from twelve companies cleared their schedules to teach grade 5-6 primary students some basic notions regarding online safety, particularly around privacy, cyberbullying, sexting, and online friendships. In recent years, Child Focus has seen a sharp increase in reports on online issues. Thanks to the Internet Safe & Fun workshops, hundreds of schools receive free support to strengthen their students’ media literacy.
In the interactive Internet Safe; Fun workshops, children aged 10 to 12 learn the right skills for a fun, safe, conscious, and critical internet use. Volunteer facilitators receive prior training from Child Focus.
During the workshops, they review the children’s online activities from a positive perspective while raising awareness of the risks they sometimes (dare to) take on platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and Roblox. This action day takes place twice a year (October and March).
"We receive daily calls from children facing online problems. Prevention is truly essential to equip children against these online risks. We can barely keep up with schools’ demand for these workshops. Therefore, we warmly call on companies to join this highly impactful program."
Nel Broothaerts, CEO at Child Focus.
Responding to needs through an ever-evolving workshop
Facilitators discuss four concrete online situations drawn directly from children’s everyday lives. These scenarios are linked to platforms the children know or use, making them as relatable as possible. For example, they address privacy on TikTok, sexting on Snapchat, cyberbullying on Instagram, and contact with strangers on Roblox.
"We continuously adapt the workshop and methodology to align with children’s internet use and daily reality. The themes remain, but platforms and how young people use them evolve constantly. In this workshop, difficult topics are tackled in a playful way, and we engage in dialogue through videos and interactive games."
Nadège Bastiaenen, Chief Prevention & Development Officer at Child Focus.
Child Focus relies on the support of its partners
Child Focus can count on the growing commitment of various private sector partners for these workshops. Employees from Proximus, Microsoft, A&O Shearman, ARAG, Deloitte, EY, NTT DATA, Inchcape, Sopra Steria, BNP Paribas Fortis, Astra Zeneca and Total Energies are participating to these workshops.
Increasingly, companies integrate this initiative into their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) programs. Child Focus provides the educational materials and trains employees so they can deliver the Internet Safe & Fun workshops themselves.
"The sixth-grade pupils loved it. The topics were discussed (even if some seemed ‘a bit taboo’), they reflected on them, and their critical awareness was truly activated... Even though it’s an intensive workshop that can be quite tiring, the children’s active participation immediately gives you energy!"
Volunteer from the Internet Safe & Fun program.
Teachers are encouraged to build on this workshop
Internet Safe & Fun is a first step. Teachers and educators can continue working with their students afterwards. Child Focus offers a wide range of educational materials to make online safety a topic of discussion.
After the Internet Safe & Fun workshop, teachers receive an overview of the free learning resources available to explore certain aspects of this theme further, including:
"I think it’s important that not only teachers provide support, but also Child Focus. Our students don’t tell us everything, and when someone from outside comes into the classroom to give a workshop, they dare to open up a bit more."
Teacher after an Internet Safe & Fun workshop.
Find more information about the Internet Safe & Fun workshops.
Find more information about the work of the Belgian Safer Internet Centre, including its awareness raising, helpline, hotline, and youth participation services, or find similar information for other Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.
Child Focus (part of the Belgian Safer Internet Centre), the private sector, and primary schools across Belgium joined forces in October and March to deliver 410 Internet Safe & Fun workshops. Employees from twelve companies cleared their schedules to teach grade 5-6 primary students some basic notions regarding online safety, particularly around privacy, cyberbullying, sexting, and online friendships. In recent years, Child Focus has seen a sharp increase in reports on online issues. Thanks to the Internet Safe & Fun workshops, hundreds of schools receive free support to strengthen their students’ media literacy.
In the interactive Internet Safe; Fun workshops, children aged 10 to 12 learn the right skills for a fun, safe, conscious, and critical internet use. Volunteer facilitators receive prior training from Child Focus.
During the workshops, they review the children’s online activities from a positive perspective while raising awareness of the risks they sometimes (dare to) take on platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and Roblox. This action day takes place twice a year (October and March).
"We receive daily calls from children facing online problems. Prevention is truly essential to equip children against these online risks. We can barely keep up with schools’ demand for these workshops. Therefore, we warmly call on companies to join this highly impactful program."
Nel Broothaerts, CEO at Child Focus.
Responding to needs through an ever-evolving workshop
Facilitators discuss four concrete online situations drawn directly from children’s everyday lives. These scenarios are linked to platforms the children know or use, making them as relatable as possible. For example, they address privacy on TikTok, sexting on Snapchat, cyberbullying on Instagram, and contact with strangers on Roblox.
"We continuously adapt the workshop and methodology to align with children’s internet use and daily reality. The themes remain, but platforms and how young people use them evolve constantly. In this workshop, difficult topics are tackled in a playful way, and we engage in dialogue through videos and interactive games."
Nadège Bastiaenen, Chief Prevention & Development Officer at Child Focus.
Child Focus relies on the support of its partners
Child Focus can count on the growing commitment of various private sector partners for these workshops. Employees from Proximus, Microsoft, A&O Shearman, ARAG, Deloitte, EY, NTT DATA, Inchcape, Sopra Steria, BNP Paribas Fortis, Astra Zeneca and Total Energies are participating to these workshops.
Increasingly, companies integrate this initiative into their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) programs. Child Focus provides the educational materials and trains employees so they can deliver the Internet Safe & Fun workshops themselves.
"The sixth-grade pupils loved it. The topics were discussed (even if some seemed ‘a bit taboo’), they reflected on them, and their critical awareness was truly activated... Even though it’s an intensive workshop that can be quite tiring, the children’s active participation immediately gives you energy!"
Volunteer from the Internet Safe & Fun program.
Teachers are encouraged to build on this workshop
Internet Safe & Fun is a first step. Teachers and educators can continue working with their students afterwards. Child Focus offers a wide range of educational materials to make online safety a topic of discussion.
After the Internet Safe & Fun workshop, teachers receive an overview of the free learning resources available to explore certain aspects of this theme further, including:
"I think it’s important that not only teachers provide support, but also Child Focus. Our students don’t tell us everything, and when someone from outside comes into the classroom to give a workshop, they dare to open up a bit more."
Teacher after an Internet Safe & Fun workshop.
Find more information about the Internet Safe & Fun workshops.
Find more information about the work of the Belgian Safer Internet Centre, including its awareness raising, helpline, hotline, and youth participation services, or find similar information for other Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.
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