What is eSmart Schools?
eSmart Schools, an initiative of the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, helps teachers, librarians and the greater community to best manage cyber risks, bullying and cyber bullying issues so students feel safer and supported.
It is a Framework that sits across the entire community – teachers, students, parents and the library community.
eSmart Schools is a long-term change program designed to educate, track, monitor and prevent bullying and cyber bullying. eSmart Schools and Libraries are tailor-made and designed to effect change in that specific environment.
eSmart Schools also supports schools and libraries to embrace the benefits of technology while reducing childrens’ exposure to cyber risks, such as cyber bullying, online sexual predation, sexting, identity theft and fraud.
It is not a band-aid or a quick fix, and, based on documented evidence, it was created to address cyber risks and help schools meet their duty of care.
Our goal is to keep children safe from bullying, cyber bullying and violence. eSmart is a way to achieve this.
Why do we need eSmart Schools?
Children are the greatest beneficiaries of the digital era and are learning to navigate the online world at a younger and younger age. We need to ensure our communities are equipped to teach children, and the whole community, how to benefit from online technology whilst being savvy and prepared for the pitfalls - cyber bullying, scams, fraud, exposure to predators and inappropriate content.
Our aim is to create an eSmart Australia, where everyone knows how to be smart, safe and responsible online and passes this information onto our children.
Why every school should be eSmart
eSmart is a long-term change program designed to educate, track, monitor and prevent bullying and cyber bullying. eSmart Schools is tailor-made for schools and designed to effect change in that specific environment.
It is not a band-aid or a quick fix, and based on documented evidence, it was created to address cyber risks, bullying and cyber bullying – and to help schools meet their duty of care.
eSmart provides schools with management tools to deal with bullying and cyber issues and incidents so that students feel safer and more supported at school. It also helps schools to embrace the benefits of technology while reducing students’ exposure to cyber risks, such as cyber bullying, online sexual predation, sexting, identity theft and fraud.
“I know they have no time. But in the course of the conversation with the teachers attending I was told about students meeting strangers in the park to purchase phones, self-harm due to bullying and large cases of cyber bullying. My question to them was, can you afford NOT to take the time?”
- Amy Williams, Education Officer, Alannah & Madeline Foundation
Once your school is formally registered with eSmart, your school will receive the following for four years:
A dedicated website providing a central point for all the resources, tools, best-practice information and case studies you need.
An online system to record, track and report to your school community on your progress.
A starter kit explaining the eSmart system and outlining the steps to your school achieving eSmart status.
Face-to-face and online training.
One-on-one support from the eSmart team.
Regular newsletters keeping you up to date with current cyber safety and bullying issues, as well as resources, webinars, journey helpers, PD events and helpful tips.
Signage and materials promoting your status as an eSmart school.
The eSmart Process
eSmart firstly works to review your school’s current practices to find technology, procedural and cyber safety gaps.
You’re then guided through a series of activities - both on and offline - and once complete, achieve eSmart Status. It’s seamless. It’s easy. It’s aligned with the Australian curriculum. And it’s endorsed by the Office of the eSafety Commissioner.
The eSmart Framework covers six areas: effective school organisation; school plans; policies and procedures; a respectful and caring school community; effective teacher practices; an eSmart curriculum; and partnerships with parents and local communities.
Almost one third of Australian schools are currently applying eSmart, with great success. Participating schools cover Government, Independent and Catholic sectors and include primary and secondary, as well as combined schools.
Implementing eSmart in your school is easy. Teachers are supported with:
- a website providing easy resources, tools, best-practice information and case studies
- an online system to record, track and report on the school’s progress
- a kit clearly outlining the steps to achieving eSmart Status
- training sessions (including regional) and online training
- regular support webinars
- one-on-one support in person (including regional areas)
- regular newsletters containing current cyber safety and bullying issues, journey helpers, PD events and helpful tips.
When the history of cyber safety in Australian schools is written, there will be a chapter devoted to eSmart. Not only does it meet the needs of educators it provides students the skills and knowledge to use the internet in a safe, smart and responsible way.
Is your school eSmart?
Take our two-minute survey to find out where you could be in your eSmart journey.
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