Safer Internet Day Trainers 2019
Preparations for Safer Internet Day are in full swing here at Webwise Ireland. We headed to the Department of Education to meet with our SID Ambassador Trainers. Safer Internet Day Ambassadors trainers are teenagers who want to do something about cyberbullying and other internet safety issues. Many of our SID trainers took part in the SID Ambassador Programme 2018 and subsequently joined the Webwise Youth Panel. We were fortunate to have trainers come from all around Ireland, from Cork to Donegal, and everywhere in between.
As a SID trainer, our trainers have been given a series of activities that can be used to run successful internet safety campaigns in schools. They will be representing Webwise and adhere to our trainer value system.
Safer Internet Day Ambassador Trainer Values:
- Respect. Show respect to the opinion and contribution of all members of your group. Respect the training material provided, as a representative of Webwise you are required to lead the training activities, as they are, outlined in this booklet during the SID Ambassador training day.
- Leadership. Lead by example, it is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the activities contained in the training booklet so that you are able to lead your group.
- Commitment. Commitment to the SID Ambassador programme, this means: attending webinars, training days and keeping open communication with the Webwise team i.e. checking the Facebook group and emails for the latest information and responding to them asap.
- Inclusion. It is your responsibility as a leader to promote an inclusive environment in your group, where everyone’s contribution is heard and no one is left isolated.
- Teamwork. You are expected to coordinate with your partner in co-leading of your group. Prepare the activities before the day and plan with your partner how you will team-teach these activities.
The training day was a massive success with lots of fun ice-breakers being trialed, activities practiced, and ideas shared. They have since run their own internet safety campaigns in their schools and engaged in internet safety campaigns both nationally and internationally. Our trainers have represented the youth voice at Government level at the Open Policy Debate on Internet Safety, given their opinion on the rights of the child at the EMEA Child Safety Summit held in Facebook and Google HQ, spoken at Zeminar Youth Conference, been interviewed for radio and television, and have also been extras in the internet safety video ‘Be In Ctrl’, which has been viewed over 1 million times since its launch in late September. They have also taken part in research into technology use, attended the launch of the ‘Be in Ctrl’ resource, giving their views on webcam blackmail and staying safe online. They also contributed greatly to our selection of youth videos and articles available on our Watch Your Space Youth Page.
The trainers from Ardscoil Mhuire in Corbally, Limerick won the best Safer Internet Day campaign for 2018 and won an exclusive gig with Sean and Conor Price in their school. They also won a YSI Award for their anti-sexting campaign called ‘Keeping it PG’, see more here. Another Youth Panelist is a finalist in the SaferInternet4EU Awards for his video called ‘My Digital Pledge’, he will be travelling with Webwise to Brussels next month for the awards ceremony and to take part in the European Better Internet Day for Kids youth discussion. There is a host of opportunities that come with joining the Safer Internet Day Ambassador Programme.
The trainers are all looking forward to leading their groups at the Safer Internet Day Ambassador Programme Training Day, which will take place in Google Headquarters in January 2019. If you would like to have your voice heard when it comes to smartphones, digital citizenship and your life online, become a Safer Internet Day Ambassador. Simply fill out an application form before the deadline and help make the internet a safer place for all.
