Peer-led digital resilience module from The Diana Award named one of the world’s most inspiring innovations in education
The Diana Award is delighted to have been recognised by the internationally renowned education non-profit HundrED in its fourth annual collection of the 100 most impactful innovations in K12 education.
Be Strong Online from The Diana Award has been chosen due to its unique peer-led approach to fostering digital resilience and its potential to create a sustainable impact on education.
With more than a third of young people reporting being a victim of online bullying (Unicef) and the pressure young people feel on social media (Ofcom) leading them to change the way they look before posting images, there is a pressing need for online safety education programmes in schools.
HundrED’s annual Global Collection highlights 100 of the most impactful innovations in K12 education from around the world the goal of inspiring a movement to progress change so that every child succeeds, and teachers feel empowered, energised and motivated.
The Diana Award recognises that young people are the best agents for change in their schools and communities and are best placed to relate to one another and help their peers learn about the online world.
Be Strong Online provides free resources on digital issues that young people all around the world face, like cyberbullying, social media, online privacy, selfies, gaming and much more. The modules are designed to be delivered by young people for young people (aged 11-18). The peer-to-peer model of the Be Strong Online modules empowers them to be positive online role models and to help their peers to safely navigate the online world.
To date, 18,000 users across 11 countries have accessed the digital modules. One of the 10 modules, Selfies and Self-Esteem, has been translated into five additional languages.
“We’re so pleased to have been selected as one of HundrED’s 100 global innovations. Be Strong Online was created to empower young people to talk about the digital issues that matter most to them. As school closures and social distancing have shifted more of our lives online, and with COVID-19 predicted to have a unique and long-term impact on young people, centring youth voice in digital resilience building programmes has never been more important. At a time when it’s easy to feel disconnected, it is incredibly refreshing to be offered the opportunity to join HundrED’s network of global educators and innovators. We are excited to extend the reach of Be Strong Online globally and see how it can be scaled and adapted by young people all over the world.”
Emily Kell, Head of Anti-Bullying at The Diana Award
“Spreading innovations across borders can be a gamechanger for education, worldwide. We will continue to encourage as many stakeholders as possible including schools, educators, administrators, students, and organizations to get involved so that we can work towards a positive future.”
Saku Tuominen, Chairman & Creative Director of HundrED
Explore the selected HundrEd Innovation Collections.
Be Strong Online was supported by Vodafone from 2015-2018. The Diana Award continues to provide these resources free to schools all around the world. With a renewed funding partnership, we would be able to grow the programme by translating even more modules into other languages and updating content to meet specific priority areas and accessibility requirements across a variety of educational settings.
Contact partnerships@diana-award.org.uk if you’re interested in supporting this innovation, or any other project.
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