While simultaneously facing the war in Ukraine, schools, libraries and non-governmental organisations recently took part in the traditional annual Safer Internet Day (SID) celebrations, along with approximately 180 countries across the world. The Ukrainian Safer Internet Day Committee has been working all year long in order to reinforce the efforts of all stakeholders to bring the celebration of Safer Internet Day to each region of Ukraine.
Despite of war in Ukraine, rocket attacks, and lack of internet connection and electricity, 512 Ukrainian organisations officially registered their activities for Safer Internet Day and received an Open Badge of SID supporter 2023. Over 45,000 children, young people and teachers took part in these local activities in offline, online and hybrid formats.
They discovered the internet as a tool and a space for development, becoming familiar with the ways to protect themselves from online threats. Trainings, extra curriculum activities, games, web quests, lessons online and offline, board games, and the creation of newspapers where all part of the celebrations across the country. At national level, in addition to the hashtags #SID2023 and #SaferInternetDay, the Ukrainian version of #ДеньБезпечногоІнтернету was also used to make visible the celebration across the country.
Within the framework of the Safer Internet Day activities, the Ukrainian Safer Internet Centre organises preparatory work for the Safer Internet Day celebrations throughout the year. Ukrainian citizens could see their work through the SID in Ukraine Facebook page, the official site of the Better Internet Centre and an online bulletin on online safety education including news, informational and educational resources and activities related to online safety for children, young people, parents and caregivers.
Since April 2022, Better Internet Centre shares its educational resources and games for free. These games assist children and young people in overcoming traumatic events, and in creating a safe space to talk and to play.
The training manual “Onlike”
The manual contains detailed 12 exercises for teenagers and young people (up to 45 minutes each), five exercises for professionals working with children and youth (including self-assessment tool), information materials to cover the topic of safe online behaviour:
- Respect for human rights online
- Participation online
- Preserving health when working with digital devices
- Appeal for help and protection
Teachers, youth workers, librarians can use the exercises separately or adapt them according to the needs of the target audience - children, youth, parents and/or caregivers, educational and library communities, workers in the youth, social, and law enforcement spheres.
Universe of opportunities
The game Universe of opportunities consists of 30 cards which illustrate everyday life situations related to the internet and digital technologies. There is no explanation to the illustrations. The cards are designed to be played in 15+ exercises reaching out to any number of participants of any age.
The game was published in 2019 and created in close co-operation with children and young people in Ukraine. Universe of opportunities was appreciated by educators, librarians and youth workers as a relevant tool for the development of online safety competencies of children and young people. Some people used the game to celebrate Safer Internet Day in classrooms, youth centres, libraries in different regions of Ukraine.
Non-formal education methodology and youth participation were widely implemented on Safer Internet Day, by a variety of supporters.
On 7 February 2023, Google Ukraine, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, organised an online marathon for teachers, students from all regions of Ukraine. The partners of the marathon are NGO "La Strada" and NGO "Barrier-free". The marathon reached more than 20000 views.
All the activities mentioned above are a small part of the various trainings, seminars, discussions, meetings, press conferences and other events that were organised at various levels by numerous supporters in Ukraine working towards a safer and better internet.
During the evaluation of SID 2023 activities and feedback from organisers of SID activities in schools and libraries, the Better Internet Centre identified the need to develop and design tools, games, manuals on online safety for activities for children of a primary school (6-9 y.o.).
SIC+ programme
Better Internet Centre is one of the participants of the SIC+ programme. The programme made its official debut in 2020, with the objective of broadening the European network of Safer Internet Centres with countries from across the globe. The first piloting phase includes organisations from Armenia, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Serbia and Ukraine.
Find out more about Safer Internet Day celebrations in Ukraine by visiting the Ukrainian Safer Internet Day Committee profile page, or find out more about Safer Internet Day more generally at www.saferinternetday.org.
More on access, inequalities and vulnerabilities
While simultaneously facing the war in Ukraine, schools, libraries and non-governmental organisations recently took part in the traditional annual Safer Internet Day (SID) celebrations, along with approximately 180 countries across the world. The Ukrainian Safer Internet Day Committee has been working all year long in order to reinforce the efforts of all stakeholders to bring the celebration of Safer Internet Day to each region of Ukraine.
Despite of war in Ukraine, rocket attacks, and lack of internet connection and electricity, 512 Ukrainian organisations officially registered their activities for Safer Internet Day and received an Open Badge of SID supporter 2023. Over 45,000 children, young people and teachers took part in these local activities in offline, online and hybrid formats.
They discovered the internet as a tool and a space for development, becoming familiar with the ways to protect themselves from online threats. Trainings, extra curriculum activities, games, web quests, lessons online and offline, board games, and the creation of newspapers where all part of the celebrations across the country. At national level, in addition to the hashtags #SID2023 and #SaferInternetDay, the Ukrainian version of #ДеньБезпечногоІнтернету was also used to make visible the celebration across the country.
Within the framework of the Safer Internet Day activities, the Ukrainian Safer Internet Centre organises preparatory work for the Safer Internet Day celebrations throughout the year. Ukrainian citizens could see their work through the SID in Ukraine Facebook page, the official site of the Better Internet Centre and an online bulletin on online safety education including news, informational and educational resources and activities related to online safety for children, young people, parents and caregivers.
Since April 2022, Better Internet Centre shares its educational resources and games for free. These games assist children and young people in overcoming traumatic events, and in creating a safe space to talk and to play.
The training manual “Onlike”
The manual contains detailed 12 exercises for teenagers and young people (up to 45 minutes each), five exercises for professionals working with children and youth (including self-assessment tool), information materials to cover the topic of safe online behaviour:
- Respect for human rights online
- Participation online
- Preserving health when working with digital devices
- Appeal for help and protection
Teachers, youth workers, librarians can use the exercises separately or adapt them according to the needs of the target audience - children, youth, parents and/or caregivers, educational and library communities, workers in the youth, social, and law enforcement spheres.
Universe of opportunities
The game Universe of opportunities consists of 30 cards which illustrate everyday life situations related to the internet and digital technologies. There is no explanation to the illustrations. The cards are designed to be played in 15+ exercises reaching out to any number of participants of any age.
The game was published in 2019 and created in close co-operation with children and young people in Ukraine. Universe of opportunities was appreciated by educators, librarians and youth workers as a relevant tool for the development of online safety competencies of children and young people. Some people used the game to celebrate Safer Internet Day in classrooms, youth centres, libraries in different regions of Ukraine.
Non-formal education methodology and youth participation were widely implemented on Safer Internet Day, by a variety of supporters.
On 7 February 2023, Google Ukraine, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, organised an online marathon for teachers, students from all regions of Ukraine. The partners of the marathon are NGO "La Strada" and NGO "Barrier-free". The marathon reached more than 20000 views.
All the activities mentioned above are a small part of the various trainings, seminars, discussions, meetings, press conferences and other events that were organised at various levels by numerous supporters in Ukraine working towards a safer and better internet.
During the evaluation of SID 2023 activities and feedback from organisers of SID activities in schools and libraries, the Better Internet Centre identified the need to develop and design tools, games, manuals on online safety for activities for children of a primary school (6-9 y.o.).
SIC+ programme
Better Internet Centre is one of the participants of the SIC+ programme. The programme made its official debut in 2020, with the objective of broadening the European network of Safer Internet Centres with countries from across the globe. The first piloting phase includes organisations from Armenia, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Serbia and Ukraine.
Find out more about Safer Internet Day celebrations in Ukraine by visiting the Ukrainian Safer Internet Day Committee profile page, or find out more about Safer Internet Day more generally at www.saferinternetday.org.
- < Previous article
- Next article >
More on access, inequalities and vulnerabilities
- < Previous
- Next >
More on access, inequalities and vulnerabilities
Related articles
