Safe Internet Centre organizes more than 600 actions across the country

As part of the European Safer Internet Day 2014, celebrated on February 11, the Safer Internet Center is organizing hundreds of actions in Portugal, taking place between February 11 and 28.

The activities organized by the Safe Internet Centre, a project coordinated by the Foundation for Science and Technology, aim to raise awareness among the population, especially young people and children, about how to benefit safely from the opportunities offered by the Internet. They also extend to other groups of the population, namely senior citizens and people with special needs, including various initiatives aimed at parents and educators.

The Seguranet team, a component of the Safe Internet Centre run by the Ministry of Education and Science for the primary and secondary school community, organizes initiatives in more than 250 schools across the country. Students and parents take part in activities that promote critical, conscious and safe use of the Internet. In 2013, these actions involved around 58,000 students, teachers, parents and educators.

The Safe Internet Center also promotes awareness-raising and training actions with the support of local technicians from Public Libraries, Town Halls, Parish Councils, Social Solidarity Institutions, Internet Spaces, Ciência Viva Centers, Digital Inclusion Centers (CID Net), among others. More than 47,000 people will be involved in actions across the country during this period.

The Portuguese Institute for Sport and Youth (IPDJ) is promoting a national competition for young people up to the age of 30, which ends on February 19. To take part, all you have to do is produce a video of up to 60 seconds, with reference to the theme of European Safer Internet Day 2014 - "Together we will create a better Internet" - and to the "Campaign against Hate Speech Online", promoted by the European Commission and the IPDJ in Portugal. The creators of the selected videos will receive vouchers for Youth Hostels.

More than 100 volunteers will also join the initiative promoting Internet Safety in schools, through the Volunteer Scheme of Microsoft Portugal, a member of the consortium that includes the Safe Internet Center.