Better Internet for Kids

With the campaign motto "Together for a better Internet!", this year's awareness-raising sessions used Minecraft, a game-based learning platform that promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills in an immersive and fun digital experience. This year's SID campaign used game-based learning methodologies to address internet safety in a playful and fun way. 

Eduardo Antunes, Executive Director of the Public Sector at Microsoft Portugal, said "This initiative is extremely important, even more so in a context where there has been an increase in security breaches, cyber-attacks or identity theft in an increasingly digital world. Alerting, raising awareness and training our school community is fundamental because it is through training, the proper use of technology and the application of good practices that many of the identified dangers are minimised, or even avoided." 

In the awareness-raising sessions students explored, through a game, online safety topics such as fake news, cyberbullying, data protection and sharing of information on the internet. With its experience in the implementation of activities related to science and technology, Visionarium developed the content of these sessions and adapted it to the different grades of primary and secondary education. 

Major Mafalda Almeida of the National Republican Guard (GNR), commented "Given the persistent pandemic situation, the use of technology in the school environment was crucial to allow the continuity of distance and remote education, and it is in this special framework that the GNR has invested much of its prevention and awareness actions. Through the Criminal Prevention and Community Policing Sections (SPC), the Guard reinforces its commitment to children, young people, guardians and educational agents." 

The awareness sessions were provided free of charge and were administered by volunteers from Microsoft and the GNR. Since their inception, the awareness-raising initiatives started on SID 2022 have already impacted more than 223,000 students and teachers in 1,250 schools, with the support of 1,400 volunteers. 

More information on the initiatives are available at Internet Segura 2022 – Centro de Educadores da Microsoft. 

Find out more about Safer Internet Day in Portugal. Alternatively, find more information about the work of the Portuguese Safer Internet Centre, including their awareness raising, helpline, hotline and youth participation services – or find similar information for other Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.