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Limerick schools scoop top prizes at Webwise Safer Internet Day Awards 2019 

Webwise Safer Internet Day Awards 2019

Limerick schools scoop top prizes at Webwise Safer Internet Day Awards 2019 

Students from Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh and Ard Scoil Mhuire were amongst the winners announced by Webwise at the Safer Internet Day Awards 2019. This was the competition’s first awards ceremony, held at Microsoft’s dedicated innovation and education hub, DreamSpace.

Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh won the Best Overall Campaign Award for their project for Safer Internet Day including an Oscars event with videos created by the students and premiered at a special event in Odeon Limerick. 


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The award for Best Use of Technology went to Ard Scoil Mhuire for their project: The Safety Net Podcast.

Inspired by the work being done in schools around Ireland on internet safety, Webwise, the internet safety initiative of the Professional Development Services for Teachers, created the unique to celebrate achievements made by students, teachers and schools in raising awareness of online safety whilst also promoting healthy and creative uses of technology in their communities.

The competition continues to grow, with schools across Ireland submitting projects. Categories in this year’s competition included the best use of technology, best campaign, best use of social media and more. The winning schools and students received their awards at an exclusive award ceremony with surprise gig with popular Irish band; Chasing Abbey in Microsoft’s dedication innovation and education hub, DreamSpace at the company’s headquarters in Leopardstown.

Competition entries were peer-led, with young people tackling issues that are important to them. From this year’s projects emerged themes such as device-free campaigns, misinformation, media literacy, respectful communication, image-sharing and managing online well-being, among others.

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

Ciara O’Donnell, National Director, Professional Development Service for Teachers, said: “On behalf of PDST’s Webwise Initiative I would like to 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.

Safer Internet Day is an EU initiative. It is promoted in Ireland by the Webwise internet safety initiative of the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) and aims to educate and raise awareness about protecting children online, so that they can responsibly enjoy the benefits of the internet, without compromising their safety and privacy. 

SID Awards Winners

BEST OVERALL CAMPAIGN

Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh

Highly Commended –

Kingswood Community College, Dublin 24 

Ennis Community College, Co. Clare

BEST PICTURE

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

BEST POSTER

Eureka College, Kells Co. Meath

BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

McEgan College, Co.Cork

BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY

Ard Scoil Mhuire, Corbally, Limerick -The Safety Net Podcast

Highly Commended – Loreto Kilkenny,  Kilkenny – My Digital Pledge

Best Poem 

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

BEST MUSIC

Ennis Community College, Co. Clare, Gaelcholáiste a Chláir and Ennis College of Further Education -Satellite

BEST WRITING

St. Wolstan’s, Celbridge, Co. Kildare – The Virus

BEST ANTI-BULLYING CAMPAIGN

Abbey Vocational School, Co. Donegal

BEST VIDEO 

Kishoge Community College, Lucan, Co. Dublin – Disconnected

Highly Commended – Banagher College, Co. Offaly 

SID Ambassador Leadership Award

Emily O’Brien, Sacred Heart Tullamore, Co. Offaly

Highly Commended –

Jenny Sparrow, Muckross Park College, Dublin

Jess O’Sullivan – Kanturk College, Co. Cork

 

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Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.