Hills College students last week took on the role of cyber safety experts after participating in Optus’ Digital Thumbprint Program, a free in-school program that supports young people to be safe, responsible and positive online.
The program was in time for Safer Internet Day 2021, which is today (February 9).
Over the course of the week, students were armed with simple and effective tools for staying safe online.
eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant said Safer Internet Day brought the world together with a shared vision of making online experiences better for everyone.
“This initiative is a great example of encouraging educators and students to ‘Start the chat’ about online safety, and by doing so creating Australia’s next generation of active and engaged digital citizens,” she said.
Optus regional manager Nick Channell said he was thrilled to help start simple conversations around some of the challenging topics related to the online world.
“As a leading provider of internet technology and with the current situation driving more online activity, we are passionate about Safer Internet Day’s movement towards creating a better internet for everyone and look forward to continuing raising awareness throughout the entire week,” he said.
“… Students are able to learn that they don’t have to be an expert at navigating the internet to practice safe habits.
“How students spend their time online has certainly evolved over the last year, especially when it comes to a greater focus for schooling and educational purposes.
“We want to make sure young people are equipped to best navigate the digital world, with our program ensuring students are able to take home some valuable skills when it comes to cybersecurity, verifying credible information and what to keep in mind to create a positive digital footprint.”
The program has been designed to incorporate an interactive and original approach to educating students on key issues such as how to protect your identity and information online and building positive and respectful relationships online.
Since the program’s launch in 2013, the Optus Digital Thumbprint Program has educated over 330,000 primary and secondary students across Australia on how to be safer and smarter online. In 2019, almost 50,000 students were reached during that year alone.
Optus Digital Thumbprint Program is completely free for schools and does not promote any Optus products or services.
