This year, more than 140 private sector volunteers visited schools to raise awareness about the benefits and risks of the Internet and platforms such as Tik Tok, Fortnite, Snapchat and Instagram. Sopra Steria participated in this initiative for the first time with 17 volunteers across Belgium.
Child Focus together with private sector companies joined forces for the tenth year to raise awareness among fifth and sixth year children of the importance of safer use of the Internet and social networks through the "Internet Safe & Fun" prevention programme.
"No more like a headless chicken on the Internet!" This is the motto used today by around 140 employees of Proximus, Microsoft, Xylos and Sopra Steria, who voluntarily attended more than 300 primary school classes in Belgium. These employees, trained by Child Focus, encouraged the children to use social networks in an intelligent and creative way.
Prevention is necessary because young people are increasingly present on all kinds of digital platforms and although online surfing offers thousands of possibilities, it is sometimes very difficult to maintain a good balance. Children need to be guided and framed, every player in society has a role to play and at Sopra Steria we are aware of the role we play.\
A unique collaboration!
This unique intersectoral partnership gives us the opportunity not only to raise awareness two days a year, but also to involve hundreds of schools in media education for pupils. The "Internet Safe & Fun" campaign is the ideal opportunity for schools to launch initiatives to promote a safer Internet. Thanks to this collaboration, Child Focus reaches more than 12,000 children a year.
This awareness-raising programme would not have been possible without the involvement of the companies that offer their own employees the opportunity to give these workshops on a voluntary basis and during their working hours. Child Focus provides the teaching materials and trains the volunteers/employees. "As a Cybersecurity specialist, I see it as my duty to contribute to the community and to teach young people how to use the internet safely. I am very proud that we have the opportunity to be part of this program," says Nele Lowet, Security Compliance Consultant at Sopra Steria.
More information: https://internetsafeandfun.be/
For more information, please contact Nel Broothaerts, Chief Prevention & Development Officer at Child Focus on 0479/63.16.90