The students are taking part in the program as part of week-long activities marking Safer Internet Day 2021.
Over the course of the week, students from schools across South Queensland including Hills College, Harristown State High School, Toowoomba State High School and Hills College will take part in the program which aims to equip them with simple and effective tools for staying safe online.
Optus Territory General Manager for Southern Queensland, Nick Channell said he was thrilled to bring the Digital Thumbprint Program to students at these schools and support this year’s Safer Internet Day by starting simple conversations around some of the challenging topics related to the online world.
“As a leading provider of internet technology and with the current situation driving more online activity, we are passionate about Safer Internet Day’s movement towards creating a better internet for everyone and look forward to continuing raising awareness throughout the entire week. By bringing our program to four schools in Jimboomba and Toowoomba, students are able to learn that they don’t have to be an expert at navigating the internet to practice safe habits.”
“How students spend their time online has certainly evolved over the last year, especially when it comes to a greater focus for schooling and educational purposes. We want to make sure young people are equipped to best navigate the digital world, with our program ensuring 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.”
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said, “Safer Internet Day is a day when the world comes together with a shared vision of making online experiences better for everyone. This initiative is a great example of encouraging educators and students to ‘Start the chat’ about online safety, and by doing so creating Australia’s next generation of active and engaged digital citizens.”
Since the program’s launch in 2013, the Optus Digital Thumbprint Program has educated over 330,000 primary and secondary students across Australia on how to be safer and smarter online. In 2019, almost 50,000 students were reached during that year alone.
Optus Digital Thumbprint Program is completely free for schools and does not promote any Optus products or services.
