Online Reputation – training of low media literate youth and school teachers from rural area

Youth in rural Serbia are generally familiar with using information technologies but lack competence for safe online behaviour, making them vulnerable. Many people use search engines and social networks to find information about others (e.g. prospective employees or dates), so misinformation or information that should have stayed private can harm one's online reputation.

20 secondary education students were trained on how to build their digital identity and online reputation, then became promoters of safe online behaviour in their local communities — each conducting field research on peers' online behaviour and holding a workshop at their school. A Guidance for safe online behaviour was produced and distributed to schools and some internet providers. The project also trained 20 selected school teachers (out of 800 applicants) on digital literacy, followed by an 'ICTeachers' conference (2011, then ICTeachers2 in 2012 with the Serbian Government's Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Unit) to present good ICT-in-education practice and support rural teachers.

The project resulted in increased awareness of online behaviour among youth, and greater interest of school teachers in ICT in education.

The programme focuses on social inclusion and digital skills for safe online behaviour among rural youth, using a peer-to-peer training model (school leaders training students) alongside teacher training.