On February 6, people around the world will celebrate Safer Internet Day 2024. Originating in the European Union in 2004, today Safer Internet Day is honored in over 180 countries. With a collection of resources for educators, families, leaders, and young people, Safer Internet Day helps everyone gain important cyber safety skills that keep them and their community safer.
Join Microsoft in celebrating Safer Internet Day 2024 by refreshing your understanding of cybersecurity issues facing schools and exploring cybersecurity solutions, tips, resources, events, and training from Microsoft Education. Start with a course built specifically for educators or check out the collection of immersive cybersecurity lessons from Minecraft Education.
There are multiple ways to participate and celebrate in your classroom:
- Incorporate safe internet lessons into your classroom.
- Hone your cybersecurity awareness in Microsoft Learn.
- Develop and practice cyber safety skills with students.
- Register for Level Up Learning: Digital Citizenship & Cyber Fluency.
- Explore the guidance in the Microsoft Family Safety Toolkit.
Understanding the cyber safety challenge
In recent years, schools have increasingly depended on online and digital resources, experiences, and communication. At the same time, schools have become more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Because of this, it is crucial for both you and your students to acquire, discuss, practice, and implement safe internet skills, both in the classroom and at home. Explore the guides, training, and activities below designed to help you lead discussions with your students about online safety and build strong cybersecurity practices in your school community.
Microsoft cybersecurity resources for educators and school leaders
Start your internet safety discussion with students using the K-12 Cybersecurity Infographic and Cybersecurity Conversation Guide from Microsoft Education:
- The K-12 Cybersecurity Infographic provides simple examples of phishing links and scam ads and how to identify them.
- The K-12 Cybersecurity Conversation Guide helps educators and caregivers discuss key topics with students on how to improve their cyber hygiene.
Take the next steps in boosting your cybersecurity skills with the free cybersecurity training for educators and school leaders on Microsoft Learn. In less than an hour, you can increase your cybersecurity background knowledge and learn helpful strategies to keep data, accounts, and devices secure. Explore these courses to get started:
- Build cybersecurity resilience in K-12 classrooms with Microsoft tools
- Boost K-12 school cybersecurity leadership with Microsoft tools
Explore safe online gaming with students in Minecraft’s latest adventure
Young people, aged 8-17, spend an average of two hours a day in online game environments, making it a significant part of their screen time. The ubiquity of online gaming among young people highlights the importance of safely navigating these digital spaces. Minecraft Education can help students practice and learn essential digital citizenship skills and gives educators engaging content to bring lessons in cybersecurity and online safety into their classrooms.
In CyberSafe: Good Game, the latest addition to Minecraft’s CyberSafe collection of immersive worlds and lesson plans, players help a group of gaming teammates create a code of conduct, practice digital citizenship, and ensure everyone feels welcome on the team. This game-based learning experience is designed to teach students the tools and skills that put players and families in control. Players tackle exciting challenges, foster kindness and teamwork, and turn the online world into an inclusive playground for all.
Empower cyber heroes with Minecraft Education’s cybersecurity curriculum
Continue to explore online safety with lessons from Minecraft Education, aligned to Cyber.org and Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) standards. Empower learners with the skills and knowledge they’ll need to protect their digital footprint and make safe choices in an increasingly online world.
With immersive student content, educator guides, and professional learning, the Minecraft Education Cyber Collection makes it easy to integrate cybersecurity into any classroom and empower all students to make safe choices online. Explore the Microsoft Learn Pathway for resources on teaching cyber with Minecraft.
Level up with events from Minecraft Education and ISTE
Continue your professional learning with Level Up Learning, a digital event series from Minecraft Education and ISTE. Through a series of webinars spotlighting school systems around the world, educators and leaders can join a transformational journey into the integration of game-based learning and its impact on student outcomes.
The series kicks off on February 6, 2024, with the first webinar featuring Miami Dade County Public Schools. Discover how one of the United States’ largest school systems successfully instills crucial digital citizenship and cyber skills, leading to job and career opportunities. Register for free for all of the Level Up Learning events:
- Digital Citizenship and Cyber Fluency on February 6, 2024
- Computer Science and AI on February 29, 2024
- Student Voice, Agency, and Authentic Learning Experiences on April 2, 2024
- Connection, Leadership & Team-based Experiences through Esports on April 30, 2024
- STEM Literacy for all students on May 28, 2024
New online safety research and Family Safety Toolkit from Microsoft
Each year, Safer Internet Day provides an opportunity for people of all ages to engage and discuss online activities and safety. As part of our ongoing participation in Safer Internet Day, and our longstanding commitment to child online safety, Microsoft is releasing the latest findings from our annual Global Online Safety Survey. Importantly, our survey results show that young people trust their parents and go to them for support and guidance around online risk.
Enabling students and their families to support informed choices about their online activity is even more important with the advent of generative AI. To help young people, educators, and families navigate the digital world, Microsoft has also released a new online safety resource, the Microsoft Family Safety Toolkit. This new toolkit provides guidance on how to leverage Microsoft’s safety features and family safety settings to support and enhance digital parenting, plus guidance for families looking to navigate the world of generative AI together.
Partner with Microsoft to celebrate Safer Internet Day on February 6. Explore classroom resources, participate in impactful discussions, boost your knowledge with training from Microsoft Learn, enrich your students’ learning through immersive lessons from Minecraft Education, and explore the Microsoft Family Safety Toolkit. Elevate your commitment to a continuous culture of online safety for a more secure digital future!
