Flow Foundation joined Central High for its informative and exciting Tech Day to champion safer internet use. Under the theme ‘Being Safe While Using the Internet,’ the foundation engaged more than 300 students as part of its year-long Connected & Protected campaign.

Central High students benefitted from a rap session and an Internet Safety Poster competition, which provided a creative avenue for them to express their ideas on online safety and its advantages. Shenelle Clarke, a grade 12 student who won the competition and earned a smartphone from the Flow Foundation, pointed out that the competition reinforced valuable lessons.

“I’m absolutely thrilled that I won the poster competition, and I learned the valuable meaning of being safe while using the internet,” Clarke exclaimed. “This means taking precautions to protect personal information and privacy, while also being vigilant against online threats and scams. It’s an incredible honour, and I couldn’t be happier.”

Central High is one of several beneficiaries of a Universal Service Fund ICT club which promotes technology skills among students. Sasha Burke, an IT teacher, and club advisor at the school, pointed out that, “The poster competition serves as an engaging and visually impactful way to convey the message of internet safety. It would have allowed students to learn about the different ways to be safe on the internet and to get them in the framework for Tech Day.”

Complementing the poster competition was the Flow Foundation’s safety talk with students, which explored the dangers of cyberbullying, psychological coping mechanisms for cyberbullying and highlighted the concept of digital footprint. Courtney Bell, Community Programmes Coordinator for the Flow Foundation, emphasised during his presentation that while the internet is one of the greatest tools to society, it requires a vigilant mindset to have the best online experience.

“Your daily lives are becoming more digitised, and this requires access to the internet. With this, comes a tremendous opportunity to grow and learn but it also brings an increased risk of online harm in a variety of ways. In order to have the best experience, you must learn how to protect yourselves and be aware of the behaviours to avoid,” stated Bell.

The risk and reward element of the internet was reiterated by Central High’s Principal, Stallavit Ingram, who pointed out that, “Based on what is happening in our schools, and in our society at large, most of our students are unaware of the far-reaching implications of the improper use of technology and the crimes that can be associated with it. What we wanted for our students is for them to be able to see both sides of the matter – the effective use of technology and the ineffective use, and their implications.”

The Flow Foundation’s Connected & Protected Programme is an inclusive awareness campaign that prepares pre-teens, teens, seniors, parents, and teachers to be better stewards of their online activities and by extension, create a safer and more sustainable digital society.