Last week Toowoomba students were armed with online safety skills after participating in Optus Digital Thumbprint Program, a free in-school program that supports young people to be safe, responsible and positive online.
Over 1000 students from St Saviours Primary School, Gowrie Primary School, Gatton State School, Toowoomba East State School, Mary MacKillop Catholic College, Pittsworth State High School and Crows Nest State School took part in Optus Digital Thumbprint program which aims to equip them with simple and effective tools for being safe online.
Nick Channell, Optus Territory General Manager for Southern Queensland said he was thrilled to bring the program to students at each school, as safe digital practice starts with a simple conversation around some of the challenging topics related to the online world.
As a leading provider of internet technology, its important for us to highlight to students that they dont have to be an expert at navigating the internet to practice safe habits. The Digital Thumbprint program ensures students are able to take home some valuable skills when it comes to cybersecurity, verifying credible information and what to keep in mind to create a positive digital footprint.
In the digital age students are always online, whether its to complete school work or stay in touch with their friends and family. The program has been designed to incorporate an interactive and original approach to educating students on key issues such as how to protect your identity and information online and building positive and respectful relationships online.
Students from each school learn how easily things can spread when shared on the internet so they are aware of how valuable taking precautions such as creating strong passwords and enabling privacy settings on social media can be to shape their future for the better.
Since 2013, the government accredited Optus Digital Thumbprint program has educated over 300,000 primary and secondary students across Australia on how to be safer and smarter online.
Optus Digital Thumbprint is completely free for schools and does not promote any Optus products or services.
Images: Mary MacKillop Catholic College students participating in Optus’ Digital Thumbprint Program [from left to right: Digital Thumbprint Program facilitator Lauren Sherree, Mary MacKillop Catholic College students and Optus Territory General Manager for Southern Queensland Nick Channell]
