Childnet Digital Leaders Programme launching in September 2015

11 May 2015 UK SIC

We’re delighted to announce that registration is now open for Childnet’s exciting new peer-to-peer education programme for secondary schools! 

Launching in September 2015, the Childnet Digital Leaders Programme aims to empower young people to champion digital citizenship and digital creativity within their schools and to educate their peers, parents and teachers about staying safe online.

The programme, which is part of Childnet’s work as the UK Safer Internet Centre, will offer pupils structured training and ongoing support from Childnet’s expert team, helping make e-safety learning fun and effective and ensuring that schools deliver an outstanding whole school community approach to e-safety.

Supported by Facebook and the European Union the programme will connect young people with other Childnet Digital Leader schools across the UK, and will give young people opportunities to chat with top tech companies and have a say in creating a better internet for the future.

CEO of Childnet and Director of the UK Safer Internet Centre, Will Gardner, said:

“This year Childnet turns twenty and we’re excited to be launching a new youth programme, which will help transform your school’s approach to e-safety, putting young people at the heart of the solution. We have been piloting this programme over the last year, with support from Facebook, and the impact of the programme is clear – from safer online behaviours of pupils to improved e-safety policies and wider.”

We have been so inspired by the achievements of the young people and schools involved in the pilot programme, and we are incredibly excited to work with more young people across the UK over the coming years.

As we heard during our Safer Internet Day project working with 150 schoolchildren to create the #Up2Us film, young people really do have the power to create a kinder and better online community – and we want to help unlock this huge potential through this new programme.

If you are a teacher looking to transform your school’s approach to e-safety then our Childnet Digital Leaders Programme could be the perfect programme for you. More information about the programme can be found at www.childnet.com/digital-leaders.  You can also email Childnet’s Education Managers Caroline and Gareth ateducation@childnet.com to receive a school information pack.