"Together for a better Internet"

Ten teams of 3-5 pupils, coordinated by a teacher, from different regions of the country, gathered in Chisinau to participate in the 6th edition of the national competition "Together for a better Internet", organized in the context of the Safer Internet Day. The aim of the activity was to involve the students of grades VII - IX in finding practical and feasible solutions at the level of the educational institution to have a safe school online.

The event was organized by the International Centre "La Strada" in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova and UNICEF.

For the second consecutive year, the competition was held in the Ideathon format. The competition included several stages, where students worked in teams for one day to come up with new ideas and solutions to a specific problem identified in their educational institution on the topic of online safety.

Ten ingenious ideas that had different presentation models - either drama, presentation or speech offered solutions for a better Internet in educational institutions. Through the concepts presented, students promoted student internet safety developed their knowledge and skills on online safety, raised awareness of online dangers, as well as promoted active pupils engagement.

At the opening of the event, the Executive Director of the International Centre "La Strada", Elena Botezatu said that adults cannot create solutions for the online safety of children and young people without involving and consulting their opinion. This is why, for the second year in a row, this competition to generate ideas and solutions for a safe online environment is taking place.

"No one knows better than you what emotions are on the Internet, so the solutions identified can help many other children and young people to navigate safely in the digital environment," said Elena Botezatu.

The Head of the Directorate for Policies in the fields of general education and lifelong learning of the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova, Marcelina Baleca, stressed the importance of marking the Safer Internet Day every year and mentioned that the Internet is an active part of our lives and it is imperative to raise awareness of online safety and be more responsible in the digital environment. Marcelina Baleca urged pupils to think critically and protect themselves online.

Meanwhile, UNICEF Moldova child protection specialist Flore Rossi said that the Internet is a tool to interact, but not everyone knows how to use it. Along with its many benefits, the online environment is also full of risks.

"UNICEF Moldova supports activities to promote online safety so that girls and boys in the Republic of Moldova use the Internet in a safe way," said UNICEF Moldova child protection specialist.

At the end of the day, after the presentation of all the projects, the winning team was the Theoretical Lyceum "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" of Chisinau municipality, which offered the most ingenious solution to the problem of creating fake accounts to communicate online, which was identified in the institution where they study following a survey. The team proposed an awareness-raising campaign for children on social media through the creation and placement of short spots "Așa DA, așa NU", the elaboration of informative materials with advice for children and the organization of a Social Theatre. All teams received gifts, diplomas or certificates of participation.

Every year in February, Safer Internet Day is marked with the theme "Together for a better Internet". Safer Internet Day (SID) is an annual online safety awareness campaign that aims to engage a range of key public and private sector actors to promote the safe and responsible use of online and mobile technologies. "Safer Internet Day" has become a landmark event in the calendar of global online safety activities.

Since 2019, to mark Safer Internet Day in February, teachers across the country have been involved in various activities as part of the annual "Together for a Better Internet" competition launched in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Research. The aim of this year's edition is to mobilize the school community in promoting messages about child online safety through various information and awareness-raising activities.

This event was held in the framework of the UNICEF project "Strengthening the mechanism for the prevention and protection of girls and boys against sexual violence online, including gender-based violence", implemented by the International Centre "La Strada" with the financial support of KFW.