Safer Internet Armenia hosts Digital Citizenship workshop at EuroDIG 2017 June 07, 2017. Safer Internet Armenia has been actively involved in the recent EuroDIG (European Dialogue on Internet Governance) on June 05, 06, 07 in Tallinn, Estonia. Safer Internet Armenia Coordinator Narine Khachatryan moderated the Session 'From internet Users to Digital Citizens', which gathered experts from business, government, academia and civil society to discuss what digital literacy means in today's internet environment, and how the existing skill sets can be upgraded. The participants came to an understanding that digital literacy means much more than mastering ICT skills: digital citizens are empowered to improve their education and subsequently their economic and social wellbeing, and can participate actively in the political and cultural lives of their countries. Read more about the outcomes of the workshop on the BIK portal, in eSafetyLabel Newsletter  or have a look at the video recording of the session. Safer Internet Armenia has also participated in the work of other workshops and plenaries discussing the issues of digital citizenship, fake news, human rights, media literacy and democracy.

 

 

 

 

Armenian Teacher Takes Part in SEEDIG Youth School

May 26, 2017. The 3nd South Eastern European Dialogue on Internet Governance forum SEEDIG has held its workshops and plenaries on May 24 - 25 2016 in Orhid (Macedonia). Safer Internet Armenia's volunteer, National Polytechnic University of Armenia teacher Avet Sedrakyan took part on the Inagural Youth School on Internet Governance. Fake news and misinformation, media literacy, Internet of Things, IDNs, as well as Issues related to regional and national IG mechanisms, human rights and cybersecurity have been discussed by participants of the third South Eastern European Dialogue on Internet Governance. Safer Internet Armenia's messages to SEEDIG's session on fake news and media literacy can be accessed here...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raising a New Generation of Digital Citizens in Armenia

May 11, 2017.  The launch of the Armenian version of the Web We Want resource, published by European Schoonet (EUN), marked the ninth edition of Safer Internet Armenia. The programme, launched annually on Safer Internet Day (SID), currently unites public organisations, private organisations and educational institutions with the aim of raising awareness and educating about internet risks, privacy and security issues. In the framework of the Safer Internet Armenia programme (http://safe.am), each year schools in the capital city and regions of Armenia host open lessons and meetings with parents, during which issues related to safer use of the internet and digital technologies are discussed, and educational materials are disseminated. Participants receive relevant information on how best to use the internet for educational purposes, safely and effectively, while Armenian language resources are published and disseminated among different age groups. Read more on the Better Internet for Kids portal:

 

 

 

STOP. THINK. CONNECT. Chatting with kids about Being Online in Armenian

May 03, 2017. STOP. THINK. CONNECT.™ is the Global Online Safety Awareness Campaign aimed to help all digital citizens stay safer and more secure online. STOP. THINK. CONNECT. Chatting with Kids about Being Online Booklet is published in Armenian language in frames of Safer Internet Armenia program. The Booklet is part of STOP. THINK. CONNECT. global online safety public awareness campaign aimed at increasing the understanding of cyber threats and empowering the public to be safer and more secure online. The booklet provides practical tips from the US government and the technology community to help people guard against Internet fraud, secure computers, and protect privacy. STOP. THINK. CONNECT.™ Campaign messages in Armenian language can be found   here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Armenian Edition of Web We Want Handbook for Young is Out

March 09, 2017. Media Education Center in frames of Safer Internet Armenia Program launched the Armenian Edition of the  The Web We Want Handbook for Young People of the European SchoolNet and INSAFE. For many young people in the early 21st century, their online personality, social interactions and activities are as important as their life in the physical world. Teachers, therefore, need to recognize this and help young people make the most of the opportunities online technologies and social media offer to develop key competences – and, crucially, become reflective and responsible citizens. Created by young people for young people, The Web We Want Handbook aims to explore rights and responsibilities and encourage reflection on their and peers' behaviour. You can download the book here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STOP. THINK. CONNECT. Global Online Safety Awareness Messages in Armenian

STOP. THINK. CONNECT.™ is the Global Online Safety Awareness Campaign aimed to help all digital citizens stay safer and more secure online. STOP: make sure security measures are in place. THINK: about the consequences of your online actions. CONNECT: and enjoy the Internet. is the global online safety awareness campaign to help all digital citizens stay safer and more secure online. The STOP. THINK. CONNECT.™ message was created by an unprecedented coalition of private companies, non-profits and government organizations with leadership provided by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and the APWG. The campaign was launched in October of 2010 by the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. Messaging Convention in partnership with the U.S. government, including the White House. Campaign messages in Armenian language can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

Media Literacy Class held at Yerevan School N 20 after John Kirakosyan

October 17, 2016.  Who create media messages and what techniques are used to attract my attention? How might different audiences understand the same message differently? What values are embedded in media messages? These and other questions have been discussed during the Media Literacy Class by Dr Rosemarie Conforti organised on October 17, 2016 at the Yerevan School after John Kirakosian by Media Education Center. Dr. Conforti is an Associate professor at the Media Studies Department of the Southern Connecticut State University, whose teaching is focused on media literacy education and media criticism. She has produced resources helping young women and girls to understand how the media portrais feminization, objectification, and sexualization of women. Photos can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

Media Education Center participated in EuroDIG 'Embracing the Digital (r)Evolution' in Brussels

June 08, 09, 10 2016 Media Education Center participated in the work of the European Dialog on Internet Governance 'Embracing the Digital (r)Evolution' on June 08, 09, 10 in Brussels. Narine Khachatryan, Safer Internet Armenia Coordinator, spoke about possible barriers, challenges and limits associated with parental empowerment during the EuroDIG workshop on Empowerment through Education on June 10. How best to support parents and teachers in helping children to develop healthy habits of ICT use and critical reflection of media?  What are the limits of empowerment strategies? Should we more concentrate on tools or competencies? What competencies should we prioritize: technical skills, critical thinking skills, or social skills (communication and participation skills, content creation capacity)? The workshop discussed various ways of empowering youth as well as empowering adults accompanying young people on their way to responsible digital grown-ups. Curricula for Media Literacy education as the basis for empowerment; gender differences and roles in media literacy education; technical age barriers for children and the regulation of digital content for children have been discussed. Key Messages of Safer Internet Armenia can be accessed here. Ms Khachatryan also took part in the organisational work of the following sessions: 'Uncovering the DNA of European IG(F) initiatives', 'Your IG ecosystem may be out of date. Please check for updates' and moderated remotely 'Internet fragmentation and digital sovereignty: implications for Europe'. EuroDIG gathered over 800 participants who discussed the future of cybersecurity in Europe and best practices, transnational data flows and users' trust, issues related to refugees, accessibility and digital divide, technical basics of on-line content regulations, as well as blocking, filtering and take-down of digital content in Europe and other issues. Pictires can be found here

 

Safer Internet Armenia Program presented at SEEDIG 2016 forum in Belgrade

April 22, 2016. Safer Internet Armenia Program has been presented during the 2nd South Eastern European Dialogue on Internet Governance forum in Belgrade: “How to empower and protect young people to use ICTs in a positive way – multistakeholder approach”, Anahit Khosrovyan, Safer Internet Armenia - Safe.am Council member made a presentation at the Speaker's Corner of the SEEDIG forum on April 22, 2016 in Belgrade, Serbia. Ms. Khosrovyan spoke about Internet safety and media literacy activities in Armenia, provided a brief overview of projects' goals, partners and major challenges. She highlighted how we work to prevent unethical and negative use of new technologies, on one hand, and cultivate creativity, critical thinking and active citizenship, on the other. Presentation can be accessed here. Issues related to regional and national IG mechanisms, digital literacy and digital divide, human rights and cybersecurity have been discussed by participants of the second South Eastern European Dialogue on Internet Governance (SEEDIG) entitled 'Can We SEE Internet Governance'.  

 

 

 

 

 

Safer Internet Armenia Program Launched

On February 09, 2016 Safer Internet Day, the Safer Internet Armenia program is launched aimed at promoting safe and effective usage of the Internet and other ICTs. The program has been carried out in Armenia since 2009 and widely supported since 2012, when Orange Armenia joined the initiative in an effort to raise awareness about Internet risks, privacy and security issues through training programs for schools and information campaigns. Read reports about Safer Internet Armenia 2016 from Panorama, Noyan Tapan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Safer Internet Day 2016 – ‘Play your part for a better internet’

January 28, 2016. Safer Internet Day 2016 will be celebrated all over the world on Tuesday, 9th February with the slogan ‘Play your part for a better internet. February 9th marks the start of the Safer Internet Armenia 2016 Program in the capital city of Yerevan and regions. Safer Internet Armenia is aimed at equipping young people and parents, schoolchildren and teachers with up-to-date information and educational resources required for effective and creative use of the Internet and online technologies in everyday life and education. This year open lessons in Internet safety, parent-teacher meetings and teacher training workshops will be organised in Yerevan and Armenian regions. During workshops practical solutions related to safer usage of ICTs will be discussed, educational materials will be provided, and a new educational portal for teachers and school children will be launched.

 

 

 

 

Data Privacy Day: Respecting Privacy, Safeguarding Data, Enabling Trust

January 28 , 2016. January 28 is a Data Privacy Day, an international holiday aimed to raise awareness and promote privacy and data protection best practices. Data Privacy Day's educational focus has expanded over the past four years to include families, consumers and businesses. In addition to its educational initiative, Data Privacy Day promotes events and activities that stimulate the development of technology tools that promote individual control over personally identifiable information; encourage compliance with privacy laws and regulations; create dialogues among stakeholders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Children Online Safety Issues Discussed at ARMSec 2015

December 5, 2015. ICT usage by minors, associated risks, protection and empowerment strategies have been presented to participants of ARMSec 2015, a primary security conference of the OWASP Armenia Chapter held on December 05 at the American University of Armenia. ARMSec http://armsec.org/ has gathered cyber security professionals from academia, civil society, government and educational intitutions of Armenia. A wide range of topics from realtime systems Information protection, strategies against social engeneering to encryption for dummies and cybersecurity awareness have been discussed at the conference. Safer Internet Armenia's presentation can be accessed here.  ‪

 

 

 

 

 

Media Education Center Participates in 1st ArmIGF

September 7-8, 2015. Media Education Center participated in ArmIGF- the First Armenian Internet Governance Forum: Issues related to children safety on the Internet, cybersecurity education, international cooperation and strategies, as well as best practices were presented during the panel (recording) by Safer Internet Armenia coordinator Narine Khachatryan. Issues related to online education were discuused at the relevant session on Didital Content with input from Media Education Center director Haykaz Baghyan. Media educators of Safer Internet Armenia actively participated in various sessions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Media Education Center Participates in EuroDIG 2015 in Sofia

June 4-5, 2015. Media Education Center participated in the European Dialog of Internet Governance (EuroDIG) on 4-5 June 2015 in Sofia. The workshop 'Should I Click for Internet Governance? Where?' disscussed the connection between Internet access, empowerment and active and meaningful participation in a digital society and in Internet governance processes and a number of other issues, including, 'Why is active participation important for the sustainable development of the (digital) society and for efficient Internet governance processes? How is the Internet empowering stakeholders to participate in the economic, social, cultural and political development of the (digital) society?  What is the connection between Internet access, empowerment and active and meaningful participation in the digital society and in Internet governance processes? Media Education Center's Messages, summarising the outcomes of discussions in Armenia, can be accessed here.

 

 

 

Winners of Best Open Lesson, Best Teacher-Parents Meeting Known

April 12, 2015. Winners of the Best Open Lesson and the Best Teacher-Parents Meeting have been announced:Marieta Davtyan – Yerevan Secondary School after Misak Metsarents,
Lusine Balayan - High School N 198 of Armenia's Ministry of Education and Science (Yerevan),
Naira Avetisyan - Yerevan Secondary School N 20 after John Kirakosian,
Meline Hakobyan - Yerevan Secondary School N 33 after Michael Nalbandyan,
Marine Harutyunyan - Yerevan Secondary School N 154,
Maria Lisitsina - Ohanian Educational Complex of Yerevan,
Ruzan Simonyan – Vagharshapat Secondary School N 3 after H. Hovhannisyan of the Armavir region,
Anush Ghevondyan - Vanadzor School N 18 of the Lori region,
Anush Torosyan - Vanadzor Secondary School N 19 after Raffee of the Lori region,
Hasmik Movsisyan - Artashat Secondary School N 22 after Hovhannes Tumanyan of the Ararat region.

 

 

Safe.Am a Nominee for ArmNet Award 2015

March 30, 2015 Safer Internet Armenia's web site Safe.am has been chosen as a finalist in the ArmNet Awards 2015 Competition in the category of 'Social Impact'. 140 participants have been competing for the title of “The Best” in 5 categories: 'Design and Usability - website', 'Design and Usability - mobile application', 'Innovation', 'Content' and 'Social Impact'. Read more

 

 

 

 

 

 

Safer Internet Armenia 2015: Open Lessons, Parent-Teacher Meetings

Open Lessons and Parent-Teacher Meetings have been held in Armenian schools. Safer Internet Armenia 2015 is implemented by Media Education Center, Internet Society of Armenia and Orange in cooperation with Yerevan Municipality and National Center of Educational technologies of Armenia's Ministry of Education and Science. Over 50 new Internet Literacy Lesson Plans, Parent-Teacher Meeting Plans have been uploaded to our web site. You can see pictures and videos from Open Lessons, as well as Power Point Presentations. Our Video Gallery has been completed with new works of teachers and pupils. Over 120 Armenian schools have joined the European eSafetylabel.eu Community during our workshops.

 

Assessment of Internet Safety and Security of Schools Training in Yerevan

Over 100 teachers of secondary schools of Yerevan's 7 districts participated in the 'Assessment of Internet Safety and Security of Schools' training held in frames of the Safer Internet Armenia 2015 project. Teachers from two more districts in Yerevan, Malatia - Sebastia and Shengavit, to take part in the training within the coming week.  See Pictures here...
'Safer Internet Armenia 2015' project, a joint initiative of Media Education Center, Internet Society of Armenia and Orange, is designed to help schools create safe, secure and efficient learning environments. Armenian Schools are assisted to become the European Schoolnet's eSafety certified schools, which will help them to provide a secure, technology-rich environment for staff and pupils. Safety and security levels of ICT environments in educational institutions will be assessed. Read more... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Safer Internet Month 2015 Launched

February 10, 2015. Today more than 100 countries are celebrating Safer Internet Day. For the fourth time in a row on the occasion of this day Orange, the Safe Internet Committee of Armenia and Media Education Center NGO are mobilizing forces to the “making internet safer for children.”  In the frame of the Safe Internet Month more than 3000 pupils of 150 schools will participate in open lessons and receive relevant information and educational materials on how to use Internet safely. Orange will as well be promoting educational films to help parents understand how to protect their children from inappropriate content and experiences on internet. Special meetings with parents will be organized as well during which issues and risks related to safe Internet use will be discussed and information on technical solutions, which make Internet better for children, will be provided. This initiative will also mobilize Orange Armenia employees who will volunteer to share their knowledge and experience with Armenian parents during the month. Read more...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Safer Internet Day to be Celebrated on February 10

The Safer Internet Day will be celebrated on Tuesday 10 February 2015. The theme for the day is: "Let's create a better internet together". All stakeholders – children and young people, parents and carers, teachers and educators, or industry and politicians – are invited to join us in marking the day and working together to build a better internet for all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read about our activities in 2014