New scheme launched to help young people educate others on online safety

A new scheme has been launched to provide young people with training that will help them educate their peers on online safety.

Social media giant Facebook has agreed to partner with the charitable organisations Childnet International and the Diana Award to expand the scope of the Childnet Digital Leaders Programme, which empowers young people to become Digital Leaders who can provide other young people, parents and teachers with information on staying safe online.

Participants are offered interactive training and an online community, with primary and secondary schools across the UK having benefited from resources to help them develop trained peer educators within educational settings.

After completing the various online modules, Childnet Digital Leaders are awarded with official badges, while schools are presented with a certificate. They can then track their ongoing progress and share their achievements on the online platform.

The Childnet Digital Leaders Programme was launched two years ago as part of Childnet's work in the UK Safer Internet Centre, a partnership with the Internet Watch Foundation and the South West Grid for Learning.

The European Commission has also offered support for the project, allowing thousands of peer educators to be trained in schools across the UK, with these young people going on to coordinate activities that have made a positive difference in their school communities.

Will Gardner, chief executive officer of Childnet and director of the UK Safer Internet Centre, said: "This new partnership will enable us to grow the reach and impact of the programme, offering exciting new opportunities for schools involved in the programme and empowering many more young people to become Digital Leaders and inspire their peers to use technology safely and positively."