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Young people get creative on internet
safety
Young people across Wigan Borough are being
urged to get creative in a new competition to raise awareness on
Internet safety.
Launched at Ince CE Primary School as part of Internet Safety Week,
young people across the borough were invited to designed hard hitting
posters to promote the importance of staying safe on the internet.
The launch of the competition also coincided with the launch of the
E-safety Strategy – a strategy developed by Wigan Safeguarding Children
Board to address the risk to children and young people in the borough
from internet and e-safety issues.
Any young person aged 5 – 16 in Wigan Borough can enter – with winning
children receiving a Nintendo DSi and games voucher.
The winning poster designs will then be professionally reproduced and
distributed in schools and public buildings throughout the borough.
Speaking at the launching Vicky Barrow, Wigan Council e-learning
consultant, said: “We are not trying to frighten young people. The
Internet is a great tool and it can be lots of fun, but we all have a
responsibility to keep children safe on the Internet.
“We want young people to protect their privacy online and only speak to
friends on social networking sites. For parents we urge them to have an
open dialogue about internet use with their children rather than trying
to ban them from certain sites.
“The message is be careful and make sure young people are protected.”
The theme for the competition – and for this year’s Internet Safety Week
– is ‘Think B4 U Post’.
The theme is designed to urge young people to think about what
information they may share with people over the internet and how this
can be accessed by strangers through sites such as Facebook.
It is hoped the campaign will become as well known as the ‘Clunk, click,
every trip’ car safety campaign, and the ‘Stop, look and listen’ road
safety campaign of years gone by.
Jillian Hyde, Head of Ince CE Primary, said at the launch: “Computers
and the internet are often used more by young people than adults, and
when I here about things like Facebook I often feel a bit lost.
“That’s why parents, teachers and young people all need to know about
the dangers of the internet and how to keep young people safe.”
The competition will run across three age categories - five to
seven-year-olds, eight to 11-year-olds and children of secondary school
age.
Entries will be judged on their ability to communicate the message of
internet safety, visual impact and accurate grammar and punctuation.
Young people must submit a hard copy of their entry, although computers
can be used to design their entries.
All entries must be submitted by March 27th 2010 to:
Ms Miri Mair, Wigan Council, Children and Young People’s Services,
Progress House, Westwood Park Drive, Wigan, WN3 4HH.
For more information on internet safety go to
www.thinkuknow.co.uk.
Share
ENDS.
Notes to editors.
For more information contact Angela Kirk, Young People’s Press
Officer for the Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust, on 01942 486924.
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