With ongoing lockdowns seeing a rise in reports of serious cyber bullying and other online safety issues for our children, the need for schools to build safe, supportive and connected communities has never been greater.
Now in its seventh year, National eSmart Week – an initiative of national children's charity, the Alannah & Madeline Foundation– creates awareness and highlights solutions and ideas for schools and libraries around issues of online safety, bullying prevention and wellbeing.
Held this year from 6-12 September, alongside National Child Protection Week, National eSmart Week is a week when schools and public libraries around Australia come together to help raise awareness of cyber safety and encourage positive online experiences for our kids. More than 800 took part last year.
A calendar of free and online live events run throughout the week, aimed at school and library staff, students and parents. It includes story time readings, interactive activities and specialist topics to promote positive connections.
The Alannah & Madeline Foundation's CEO, Sarah Davies, said this year's theme is 'Responsible Action'.
"It's critical we do everything we can to ensure our kids are safe online and our schools are strongholds of safety. Respectful behaviour, both online and offline, is key," Ms Davies said.
"For schools and libraries, this can mean looking at reporting processes and implementing policies. For individuals, this is about being thoughtful and being responsible for positive action, both online and offline,"
The Foundation's eSmart range of programs and tools use a cultural change approach to improve online safety and increase digital literacy. They include two gamified tools, Media Literacy Lab for students aged 12-16 and a new eSmart Digital Licence+ for 10-14-year-olds.
"Student wellbeing has always been a top priority for schools. Unfortunately, managing anti-social behaviours online is an ongoing occurrence for young people and schools are constantly needing to react to student incidents," Ms Davies said.
"The most effective way to connect and embed respectful behaviours both online and offline is by using a whole-school approach through education on relevant topics and emerging trends.
"Our eSmart range of prevention programs are designed to build confidence and resilience in behaviour and practice and to give young people the skills to navigate challenging situation and thrive in this complex world."
