2019 SID Winners

Over 15 schools are being awarded for their online safety initiatives, with 200 students being recognised today at the first SID Awards ceremony at an exclusive awards ceremony in Microsoft DreamSpace.

Inspired by the work being done in schools around Ireland on internet safety, Webwise – internet safety initiative of the PDST are hosting the first ever Safer Internet Day Awards to recognise the range of different events and positive actions taking place to promote internet safety. These awards, designed to celebrate the work done by students, teachers and schools to raise awareness about online safety issues while also promoting healthy and creative uses of technology. Open to all schools in Ireland; categories in the competition included best use of technology, best campaign, best use of social media and more.

The winning schools and students will receive their awards and an exclusive gig with popular Irish band; Chasing Abbey hosted in Microsoft’s DreamSpace venue in Dublin this Thursday 28th March.

This year’s entries dealt with a wide range of topics. These efforts were peer-led with young people tackling issues that are important to them. There were emerging themes such as device-free campaigns, misinformation, media literacy, respectful communication, image-sharing and how to manage online well-being. Joining Webwise today will be the winners of this years ten categories. 

SID Awards Winners

BEST PICTURE

St. Joseph’s College, Borris, Co. Tipperary

BEST PICTURE

Eureka College, Kells Co. Meath

BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

McEgan College

BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY

Ard Scoil Mhuire, Corbally, (The Safety Net Podcast)

Highly Commended – Loreto Kilkenny, My Digital Pledge 

Best Poem 

Aoife Gul – Gaelcholoaiste Mhuire, Co. Cork  – Internet Safety 

BEST MUSIC

Ennis Community College, Co. Clare Satellite

BEST WRITING

St. Wolstan’s, Celbridge, Co. Kildare – Emma Louise O’kelly 

BEST ANTI-BULLYING CAMPAIGN

Abbey Vocational School, Co. Donegal

BEST VIDEO 

Kishoge Community College, Lucan, Co. Dublin 

Highly Commended – Banagher College, Co. Offaly 

BEST OVERALL CAMPAIGN

Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh 

HIGHLY COMMENDED 

Kingswood Community College, Dublin 24 

Ennis Community College, Co. Clare

SID Ambassador Leadership Award

Emily O’Brien, Sacred Heart Tullamore

Highly Commended

Jenny Sparrow, Muckross College

Jess O’Sullivan – Kanturk College, Co. Cork

See the winning entries here. 

 

Record numbers of students participate in Safer Internet Day 2019

Safer Internet Day 2019 saw 145,000 students across more than 550 schools in Ireland participate. This a record number of young people joining in Safer Internet Day in Ireland and marks more than a 30% increase and almost 45,000 more students involved this year. The winners today represent the best in class for online safety initiatives and campaigns. Almost two hundred students from fifteen second-level schools across Ireland will be awarded for their Safer Internet Day campaigns and initiatives.

 

Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh T.D. said “ I would like to applaud the great work done by schools and students throughout Ireland to promote internet safety and to raise awareness of this issue on Safer Internet Day.  This competition demonstrates that students are really understanding the challenges of being online, and how to ensure that technology is harnessed for good, while staying safe.

 

While there many benefits to the effective use of digital technologies in teaching and learning, it is important also to be aware of the associated risks and to ensure that there are appropriate resources in place to safeguard our children online. The Department of Education takes this work extremely seriously and is hugely supportive of the Webwise team’s innovative and award-winning work in this area.”

 

Ciara O’Donnell, National Director, Professional Development Service for Teachers, said:

“On behalf of PDST’s Webwise Initiative, I would like congratulate all the winning schools. These awards recognise the innovative work being done by students and teachers to raise awareness within school communities about online safety. It is a pleasure to welcome students here to Microsoft Ireland and celebrate these great online safety initiatives.”

 

Kevin Marshall, Head of Education at Microsoft Ireland added:

“We’re delighted to welcome the winners of the Safer Internet Day Awards to our educational hub, DreamSpace, a dedicated space where students are inspired to unbox their ambition, spark their creativity and supercharge their ideas. By educating young people about internet safety, we empower them to unlock new skills and create the workforce of the future. In DreamSpace, we encourage students to think differently, be creative and work together and we want to congratulate this year’s winners for showcasing these values.”