Safer Internet 2015 Launched
Today more than 100 countries are celebrating Safer Internet Day. For the fourth time in a row on the occasion of this day Orange, the Safe Internet Committee of Armenia and Media Education Center NGO are 
mobilizing forces to the “making internet safer for children.” In the frame of the Safe Internet Month more than 3000 pupils of 150 schools will participate in open lessons and receive relevant information and educational materials on how to use Internet safely.
Orange will be promoting educational films to help parents understand how to protect their children from inappropriate content and experiences on internet. Special meetings with parents will be organized as well during which issues and risks related to safe Internet use will be discussed and information on technical solutions, which make Internet better for children, will be provided. This initiative will also mobilize Orange Armenia employees who will volunteer to share their knowledge and experience with Armenian parents during the month. Read more...
“The data usage in Armenia has increased greatly during the recent years; internet services are no longer a luxury but a part of our daily experience and, as the leading mobile internet operator, we believe, it is essential to educate the users and improve protection for children from inappropriate online content”,- said Francis Gelibter, General Director of Orange Armenia.
To remind, since 2012 alongside internet services Orange proposes to its customers to use Kaspersky Internet Security program at a very affordable cost, which includes improved protection for children from inappropriate online content, with one month free of charge trial period.
Armenian Safer Internet Committee traditionally organises various activities dedicated to the Safer Internet Day, involving secondary and high schools in the capital city of Yerevan and regions. As in previous years a special attention will be paid to engaging parents and relevant workshops will be organized for parents. This year 50 schools will be assisted to become the European Schoolnet's eSafety certified schools, which will help them to provide a secure, technology-rich environment for staff and pupils.
“In the frame of Safer Internet Armenia program we raise awareness about privacy and security issues. We teach how to prevent negative and unethical use of new technologies. However, ICTs are double-edged, since along with risks digital technologies can facilitate children’s learning and education. Our observations showed that creative media production in the classroom resulted in a positive change in the quality of Internet resources consumed by children. Children who are actively using multimedia technologies have better skills to withstand on-line harms and cope with the risks,” said Narine Khachatryan, Safer Internet Armenia coordinator.
This year re-training of teachers will be organised and 100 teachers from 8 schools in Yerevan and 12 schools in the Tavush region will participate in workshops on blogging. A new educational blogging portal http://edublogs.am will be launched, and teachers will be trained to produce and publish educational materials.
Media Education Center offers Digital literacy training programs for teachers and students and effective methodologies how to introduce new media and ICTs into teaching and learning process. Over the last years the organisation has assisted schools to develop educational e-content, built the capacity of teachers and students and provided with tools and e-platforms for collaboration and e-participation.
The “Safer Internet” project is dedicated to the International Safer Internet Day, celebrated since 2004 on the 2nd day of the 2nd week of the second 2nd month of each year. The pan-European INSAFE initiative, which is enlarging its borders year by year, is gathering people together to combat unlawful, harmful and irrelevant content.
