You may have already seen that Good Things Foundation is getting fully behind Safer Internet Day 2019 - and there are lots of ways that the Online Centres Network can do so as well - helping your learners to stay safe online.
Taking place on Tuesday 5 February 2019, the campaign is run by the Safer Internet Centre and aims to spread the message that the online world isn't so scary and to encourage safe and sensible use of the internet.
Being able to stay safe, legal and confident is a key part of the Government's Essential Digital Skills Framework, and according to Ofcom Adults' Media Use and Attitudes Report 2016, 19% of the 6.5m people in the UK who never use the internet say that safety concerns are the reason. That's over 1.2m people!
We know internet safety is an important issue for many people who visit Online Centres, so why not use Safer Internet Day to share messages around online safety and to hold sessions which help learners to feel and stay safe online using the Online Safety subject on Learn My Way?
Those who are keeping up with the latest Learn My Way news will know that these courses are being updated with some fresh new content just in time for Safer Internet Day, so keep an eye out for those changes coming soon. The campaign could even be a great opportunity to introduce these updated resources to your existing learners.
A little competition*
As part of the campaign, we're hosting a competition for all members of the Online Centres Network who take part.
All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is encourage your learners to complete the courses in the Online Safety section of Learn My Way, on Safer Internet Day itself, and the Centre with the most safety course completions will win a £50 Amazon gift card.
Please do bear in mind, that these need to be 'good quality' completions ie. not just clicked through quickly in order to get the numbers up.
Taking part
So how can you get involved in Safer Internet Day?
Here are a couple of ways:
- Use the free resources on the Safer Internet Day website to help you promote and run a safety-themed learning session encourage your learners to complete the online safety courses on Learn My Way.
- Use social media to spread messages around online safety and to promote the work you do helping people to stay safe online. You can tag us @Online_Centres or @GoodThingsFdn and use the official hashtag #SaferInternetDay2019.
Make sure to get this date in your diary as soon as possible and start promoting your sessions to get people in and learning about online safety.