Safer Internet Day 2017 Youth Events

04 Apr 2017 Becca Cawthorne

Youth events took place right across the UK for Safer Internet Day enabling young people to have their say and play their part in creating a better internet. 

Young people played a central role in Safer Internet Day 2017, from creating photos exploring online safety issues, to getting involved with events with football clubs, to speaking at our youth events and photo exhibitions across the UK.

In England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, young people met together with Ministers, the UK Safer Internet Centre and other key policymakers to explore how we can all ‘Be the change’ and help to create a better internet. 

Across the UK young people created images which explored the power and influence of images in their lives and these were showcased at these events across the UK. From the pressure to take the perfect selfie, to the ways that images can be misleading or ambiguous, our six photography briefs challenged young people to consider the impact of images on their lives, while also celebrating the positive power of image to help inspire a better internet. 

London Youth Event

Browse videos:

Youth Photo Exhibition

Guests at the London event, including Ministers Tracey Crouch MP and Baroness Joanna Shields, got the chance to tour the gallery of photos created by the young people.

Listen to the podcast

Hear what the young people had to say about their time at the Safer Internet Day event in London in our podcast!

Hear the young people’s top tips

What young people thought of the day

Find out what the young people enjoyed the most about their time at the Safer Internet Day 2017 Youth Event in London:

‘The best part of the day for me was getting to talk in front of a lot of people in the panel discussion.’

‘I enjoyed meeting new people and explaining my photos to people. I also enjoyed talking in the panel!’

‘I liked talking about my pictures to the members of the public and industries.’  

‘Talking to the special guest Tracey Crouch.’

Wales Youth Event

On Safer Internet Day the Welsh Government and UK Safer Internet Centre hosted a youth event at the Senedd, attended by Kirsty Williams, Cabinet Secretary for Education and other assembly members. 

The event showcased the finalists of the national online safety logo competition. At the event, the Welsh Government announced the winner; a student from Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School in Beddau. 

A new online safety logo was revealed at #SaferInternetDay event in #Wales https://t.co/bVrqtQ5AbY #SID2017 @HwbNews @OnlineSafeCymru pic.twitter.com/CsHzknv0rM — UK Safer Internet (@UK_SIC) February 9, 2017

Also at the Senedd there was an exhibition of images created by local schools as part of the Safer Internet Day youth photo campaign.

Scotland Youth Event

In Scotland, Derek Mackay MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution visited Dunbar Grammar School to hear from their pupils who had been involved in the Safer Internet Day youth photo campaign. The Minister discussed with the young people what they saw as their priorities for creating a better internet for all. 

A post shared by UK Safer Internet Centre (@uk_sic) on Feb 7, 2017 at 1:50am PST

Northern Ireland Youth Event

The UK Safer Internet Centre joined the Northern Ireland Government to celebrate Safer Internet Day.

To celebrate Safer Internet Day C2k, the Educational Authority and Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland broadcast live videostreams which were available to all schools across Northern Ireland. The streams involved young people who had taken part in a film competition and also announced the winners, Fairview Primary School and Holy Trinity College Cookstown.

See what people around the UK did to celebrate SID2017!

https://storify.com/UK_SIC/giveasmile/embed?border=false&template=grid