Back to school 2021: new online educational material from the Greek Safer Internet Centre

A new school year has begun and the education of students in matters of online safety is once again a compelling priority.

Date 2021-10-18 Author Greek Safer Internet Centre Section awareness Topic media literacy/education Audience children and young people, parents and carers, teachers, educators and professionals
Visual representing 'Back to school' on a black background

Again this year, the Greek Safer Internet Centre has created and published new digital material for each level of education which can be used as a tool both in the classroom or at home. The “Back to school package” is available on the website of the Greek Safer Internet Centre and is addressed to young children, to older primary school children, and to high school students, and additionally to parents, carers, and educators.

Through textbook materials, an attempt is made to inform and educate secondary school students on the subject of online hate speech; a phenomenon that has constantly gained ground in recent years. Through various activities, students are taught how to recognise hate speech and equally how to respond to it according to the circumstances. The knowledge and framework of the topic derive from the students themselves during the proposed activities, while clear instructions are given through an additional textbook explaining how the educator or parent can develop the topic step by step.

Graphic design representing the Back to School campaign

This year, special emphasis has been placed on informing students about cyber fraud: how they can be protected, and how they should react in case it happens to them. Through interactive presentations and quizzes, students learn about viruses and the available protection methods, how to adopt strong passwords, how to distinguish whether an email or message is dangerous, and how to protect themselves against phishing.

Graphic design for the Back to School campaign - avoiding cyberfrauds

Lastly, this year’s Back to school package also focuses on respect and kindness on the internet.

For younger children (kindergarten and first grade pupils), two new stories starring the @Digiduck character help to strengthen their knowledge of the proper use of the internet. Through new stories, children learn about online games and the pitfalls they hide, and also how to search the internet for reliable information.

Graphic design representing Digiduck and its stories about netiquette and online safety

The topics covered by the Back to school package were selected based on the needs of Greek and European youth and on the conclusions of the two major surveys conducted by the Greek Safer Internet Centre under the auspices of FORTH (Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas) during the school years 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. The surveys aimed to investigate children's online habits and identify the most common risks they face due to lack of information and digital education.

Find out more about the work of the Greek Safer Internet Centre, including its awareness raising, helpline, hotline and youth participation services, or find similar information for Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.

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