Google and Life Ed Launch New Online Safety Resources for Australian Families and Schools
At Google and YouTube, we're committed to creating a safer online experience for all our users.
The internet offers incredible opportunities for learning, education and growth but we also know it can present risks, especially for young people. We know that parents and teachers also play a crucial role in guiding children towards a positive online experience, and they're increasingly looking for support.
That's why we're thrilled to announce our partnership with Life Ed and the iconic Healthy Harold to take online safety education beyond the classroom to reach parents, teachers, and students across Australia.
Introducing Be Internet Awesome
Be Internet Awesome is a new program built to teach kids, parents and teachers five fundamental topics of online safety and digital citizenship. This includes:
- Share with Care: Digital Footprint and Responsible Communication
- Don’t Fall for Fake: Avoiding Phishing, Scams, and Highlighting Credible Sources
- Secure Your Info Online Security and Passwords
- It’s Cool to Be Kind: Combating Negative Online Behavior
- When in Doubt, Talk It Out: How to seek help from trusted adults if things aren’t right
The Be Internet Awesome program provides a wealth of resources for parents to support conversations about online safety in Australian homes, from family guides to activities. These resources are designed to help families learn about online safety and citizenship together, empowering parents to guide their children toward healthy online habits.
As part of Be Internet Awesome, Google has also launched a new game designed to make learning about digital safety and citizenship interactive and fun. The free, web-based Interland game allows students to practice crucial skills, such as creating strong passwords and sharing information responsibly. It operates in a closed environment, making it a secure platform for children to learn about online safety.
Teaching Resources for Digital Safety Fundamentals
We know that teachers too are looking to build their skills and stay across the latest trends.
The Be Internet Awesome curriculum has been designed with online safety experts and provides teaching resources to equip educators with the tools and skills to support students' online experiences. Included in the Be Internet Awesome curriculum are lesson plans around the five key online safety skills, including activities, worksheets and discussion questions. It also provides vocabulary lists for each unit and suggests activities and discussion questions.
We understand that every classroom is unique, and that's why the Be Internet Awesome curriculum is designed with flexibility in mind. We encourage teachers to adapt the lessons to best suit their students' needs and schedules. Whether it's adjusting activities for whole-class participation or small group work, we want you to feel empowered to tweak and tailor the curriculum.
Life Ed Research Shows Urgent Need for Online Safety Resources
The Be Internet Awesome initiative meets a vital need, with Life Ed’s 2024 Parent and Teacher Digital Safety Survey revealing significant demands for these resources. It found:
- Only one in three parents feel well equipped to educate their child on cyber safety.
- 26 per cent of teachers feel equipped to provide education on cyber safety and digital citizenship without external support.
- 88 per cent of teachers would appreciate opportunities to learn more about how to support the online experience of five to eight-year-olds.
- The same number of teachers and parents believe that online safety education should not occur in isolation – schools and parents should work together to provide education on online safety.
“Research tells us that parents and teachers play an important role in the development of a child’s health literacy. That’s why we take a whole-of-community approach to educate, empower and achieve the greatest impact. We’re proud to be working with Google to reach more families and communities through the Be Internet Awesome initiative,” said Karen Roberston, Head of Education and Impact, Life Ed Australia.
Parents and teachers can access the learning and teaching resources through the dedicated Be Internet Awesome page and via Life Ed’s website.
