Youth panel and child participation
Estonian Safer Internet Centre youth panel includes different groups of children in order to give a platform for children from different regions, age groups, social economical backrounds, ethnicity etc.
Estonian SIC involves different demographic groups, to give them a voice to express their opinions and suggestions and share their experiences in the use of digital technologies. Their opinions and suggestions are being used and they are consulted when Estonian SIC develops awareness raising resources and activities.
The most consistant work has been taken place with EUCW children´s rights ambassadors. The group involves 10 children (girls), aged 14-17, from northern part of Estonia (8) and from southern part of Estonia (2). Child can become a children´s rights ambassadors if he/she fills in online application on EUCW website and shows interest in actively taking part in promoting children´s rights during the interview.
To be more gender balanced and to involve more children from different regions of Estonia, a larger group of the youth panel is organized in the framwork of Smartly on the Web multi-day training seminars for students. In 2023, participants were students aged 12-16 from schools located in different regions of Estonia (Harju County, Lääne-Viru county); rural areas (Jäneda, Kuusalu) as well as from urban areas (capital city of Estonia -Tallinn), Estonian speaking schools (Rocca al Mare Kool, Emili Kool, Kuusalu Keskkool, Jäneda Kool) and Russian speaking schools (Ehte Humanitaargümnaasium, Õismäe Vene Lütseum). From each school four students (2 boys and 2 girls) together with the teacher were invited to participate. In order to get larger reach and to involve younger children we cooperate with kindergartens and schools.
Examples of child participation activities
In May 2024, children´s rights ambassadors created their podcast „Youth, here and now“ (Noored, siin ja praegu) and recorded their first episode together with Estonian SIC „Young people online“ (Noored internetis). Podcast was lead by Alide Kristine (16) and Mia-Ly (16) and they interviewd web-police about how young people can get in contact with web-police, what they do, what are the most important online safety tips for teens etc. Podcast was disseminated to schools via Estonian SIC Smartly on the Web newsletter and via EUCW communication channels.
In February 2024, Liise (15) and Inger Paula (16) together with K.Valner from Estonian SIC participated in the Youth Mentor program TORE podcast, where they discussed about key learnings from Safer Internet Day conference and about digital wellbeing and mental health issues.
On June 5, 2023 in cooperation with the youth portal Teeviit Tulevikku, we held a webinar for young people “Digital Brutality” (Digitaalsed jõhkrused), which focused on the topic of cyberbullying and the importance of reporting. Children´s rights ambassador Inger-Paula (16), K.Valner from EUCW, and M. Küünarpuu, Estonian SIC team member and Child Helpline service advisor of the Social Insurance Board discussed the topic. The discussion was moderated by Karl-Gustav Aadamsoo from Telia.
As children with more voulnerable backrounds including with special educational needs are invloved in Estonian educational system, we reached to them via workshops. For example on March 28, 2023 Awareness Raising Coordinator of Estonian SIC from EUCW K. Valner carried out 3 Smartly on the Web workshops for 1-6 grade students with special educational needs and disabilities in Nurme Kool. At the workshops tips about how to use digital technologies and internet safely was given and their experiences discussed.
In February 2023, Alide Kristine (15) was actively involved in the Safer Internet Day activities. She participated, together with the Awareness Raising Coordinator K.Valner from EUCW, in podcast for young people Teeviit Tulevikku, provided by Education and Youth Board. Podcast was on Safer Internet Day topic „My Data, my Property“ (Minu andmed, minu vara).
From September-December 2023 Estonian SIC cooperated with the Eurochild in the framework of the VOICE research project and carried out three workshops with children in Estonia with children from different areas, backround and ethnicity. During the workshops children had an opportunity to express their views about their experiences in the digital environment and their suggestions how to protect children from the online risks. First focus group was held with children aged 12-14 from Kuusalu Keskkool (rural area, Estonian speaking children, girls and boys), second workshop was organised in Ehte Humanitaargümnaasium with children aged 15-17 (urban area, Russian speaking children, girls and boys), and third focus group was carried out with children´s rights ambassadors.
From November-December 2023, EUCW from Estonian SIC cooperated with Samsung in the framework of school competition „Solve for Tomorrow“. Members of the Estonian SIC from EUCW were mentors for the team of 9th grade students (1 girl and 3 boys) from Väätsa Põhikool. Three online meeting took place to discuss and improve their idea. Students idea of an school online application to promote communication and outdoor activites in their school won the Baltic competition.
