- Alexandra Whitwam - Community Engagement Manager, Telstra Foundation
In May, regional schools in Wonthaggi, Powlett River and Illawarra had the exclusive opportunity to participate in the Digital Futures program.
This initiative supported by Telstra Foundation and delivered by PROJECT ROCKIT is designed to address the aimed at empower young regional students with the digital citizenship skills and knowledge needed to navigate the increasingly complex online world. Here’s what we heard from the participants:
Layla, Sway, Willow from Wonthaggi North PS Vic:
What did you enjoy most about the workshop today?
“The chain of humans challenge was fun, we also enjoyed learning how to be safe online, and how to reach out to a trusted adult for advice.”
What’s one thing you learned that really stuck with you?
“It’s super important to check that your account is private, we learned how to avoid miscommunications in chats and learned how to break the chain and stop spreading harmful stories.”
How did the workshop make you feel?
“I felt really comfortable, and it was super fun. We came away knowing we were informed, and it made us happy to share our experiences.”
Harmony and Georgia from Powlett River PS Vic:
What did you enjoy most about the workshop today?
“We loved getting up and moving by playing fireball, being able to ask questions about social media, and talking about our ideal online world.”
What’s one thing you learned that really stuck with you?
“One thing that stuck with me was how to stand up for people online and for me it was making a list of our amazing ideal online world.”
How did the workshop make you feel?
“Good, it was great to start making a better online world for myself. And it felt fun to talk about online safety.”
Telstra visits Illawarra Sports High School
At Illawarra Sports High, Oliver Camplin Warner, Group Executive, Telstra Enterprise joined students and school leaders for a chat after their PROJECT ROCKIT session. When asked what they thought of it, the students were quick to say how much they enjoyed the presenters and how valuable the session was.
One student made a great point: programs like this should be available to younger kids too. She was happy to hear that we’re already delivering the Digital Futures program in primary schools as well as high schools across regional Australia.
This visit was a great demonstration of the importance of listening to young people and understanding their needs to create a better, safer online world for everyone.
It is such a privilege to work with young students as they start to navigate increasing complexities online, and we were delighted at how engaged the students in Wonthaggi and Powlett River were in our workshops. They were excited to share what they already know about online digital citizenship and were also open to learning new skills and discussion on how they can support friends and others online.”
-Larise, PROJECT ROCKIT Presenter and payphone enthusiast
