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Today, the rapid proliferation of digital technologies necessitates a safe and responsible online presence, especially for young people. However, students who lack sufficient knowledge about digital citizenship and cybersecurity are vulnerable to online threats. Issues such as cyberbullying, misuse of personal data, fake news and lack of digital ethics are among the main risks young people face in the digital world. As emphasized in the Council of Europe's “Digital Citizenship Education Handbook”, digital citizenship is not limited to technological skills. Issues such as ethical behavior, privacy, security and responsibility in the digital environment are critical for young people's healthy existence in the digital world. However, the lack of awareness of these issues is not yet adequately addressed in many education systems.

In this context, our SHIELD (Secure and Healthy Internet Education for Lifelong Development) project aims to teach students the principles of digital citizenship, promote safe online behavior and increase cyber security awareness. In line with the Council of Europe's digital citizenship education framework, our project aims to ensure that students develop correct and safe behaviors in the digital environment, become informed about online threats and adopt an ethical and responsible citizenship in areas such as social media and internet use. As stated in the Council of Europe's document, digital citizenship education should go beyond mere technological skills and include fundamental principles such as democratic values, human rights and the rule of law. Based on these principles, the SHIELD project aims to enable students to take part in the digital world in an active, responsible and ethical way.

With the implementation of our project, students are expected to learn about digital footprint, personal data security and cyber threats, and learn security steps such as creating secure passwords and adjusting privacy settings. They are also expected to avoid cyberbullying and other negative behaviors by demonstrating ethical and respectful behavior in the digital environment, gain media literacy to evaluate the accuracy of online information, and develop sustainable safe habits for their future digital lives. These outcomes will enable students to exist safely and responsibly in the digital world not only today but also in the future.

The SHIELD project aims to enable students to exist safely, responsibly and ethically in the digital world, in line with the Council of Europe's digital citizenship education framework. Digital citizenship education will play a critical role in building the democratic societies of the future and the SHIELD project will make a significant contribution to this process.

Source:
Council of Europe, Digital Citizenship Education Handbook, , accessed on: March 2, 2025.

Image Source:
Council of Europe, European Reference Framework for the Evaluation of Educational Technologies, , accessed on: March 2, 2025.