Course Fee per person
Up to € 480 (Fully Funded)
Digital Wellbeing & Online Safety in Education
Course Description
Digital technologies are an integral part of education, work and everyday life, bringing valuable opportunities alongside challenges for wellbeing, safety and responsible online participation. This course equips educators with practical knowledge and strategies to promote healthy digital habits and create safer, more supportive online environments for learners.
Participants will explore digital wellbeing and their own relationship with technology, digital identity and footprints, privacy, social media and algorithmic feeds, online communication and consent, cyberbullying, scams and emerging risks such as deepfakes, manipulated images and AI-enabled harassment.
Through self-assessment, realistic scenarios, case studies and collaborative activities, participants will learn to recognize online risks, respond appropriately to cyberbullying and support learners. The course also explores age-appropriate online safety education and whole-school approaches, culminating in the development of a practical action plan that participants can adapt to their own educational settings.
Topics Included
- Digital Wellbeing and Healthy Digital Habits
- Digital Identity, Social Media and Responsible Online Behaviour
- Online Safety, Privacy and Emerging Digital Risks
- Cyberbullying Prevention, Identification and Response
- Age-Appropriate and Whole-School Online Safety Education
Learning Outcomes
- Identify factors that influence digital wellbeing and healthy digital habits through self-assessment, reflection and exploration of screen use, attention, digital balance and personal and professional boundaries.
- Evaluate risks related to digital identity, privacy, social media and online behaviour through realistic scenarios exploring digital footprints, algorithmic feeds, online communication, consent and image sharing.
- Assess online safety threats and emerging digital risks through scenario-based activities involving scams, phishing, social engineering, deepfakes, manipulated content, impersonation and AI-enabled harassment.
- Apply appropriate strategies for preventing, identifying and responding to cyberbullying through case studies and practical exercises addressing warning signs, incident response, documentation, reporting and learner support.
- Design age-appropriate online safety education through practical and collaborative activities that adapt safety messages, learning approaches and communication strategies to learners’ ages, needs and educational contexts.
- Create a whole-school action plan for digital wellbeing and online safety through collaborative planning of priorities, actions, responsibilities and implementation steps.
Certification & Validation of Learning Outcomes
Participants receive a Certificate of Attendance upon successful completion of the course. Upon request, EMPHASYS also supports participants and their sending organisations with the documentation required for the recognition and validation of their Erasmus+ mobility, including the Europass Mobility document and relevant mobility documentation.
Additional documentation can be provided upon request to support mobility reporting, recognition and dissemination requirements.
Cultural Activities
Participants can enrich their stay in Cyprus through a range of cultural and social activities, including guided city tours, visits to cultural and heritage sites, traditional villages, nature destinations and other local experiences.
Additional fees may apply for full-day excursions and journeys, depending on transportation, entrance fees and the selected activity.
European Networking & Exchange of Practices
EMPHASYS courses offer opportunities to connect with educators, trainers and professionals from across Europe, exchange experiences, educational practices and ideas, build professional connections and explore opportunities for future cooperation and partnerships.
Course Schedule
* Daily training hours: 09:00–14:00
The course can be modified according to the preferences of the attendees. Coffee, lunch breaks, cultural visits and networking are included in the schedule.
Monday
Understanding Digital Wellbeing
- Introducing digital wellbeing and exploring its importance in education, work and everyday life, including its connection to relevant European priorities and initiatives.
- Exploring key factors that can challenge digital wellbeing, including excessive screen use, digital distractions, information overload, constant connectivity and blurred personal and professional boundaries.
- Examining how digital habits can affect attention, balance, wellbeing and participation in both personal and educational contexts.
- Completing a short digital wellbeing self-assessment to reflect on participants’ technology use, online habits, screen time and level of connectivity.
- Exploring practical tips and strategies for healthier technology use, including managing screen time and distractions, setting digital boundaries and developing more balanced digital habits.
Tuesday
Digital Identity and Responsible Online Behaviour
- Exploring digital identity and digital footprints, including online reputation, privacy, permanence of shared content and responsible sharing of personal information.
- Examining how social media, influencers and algorithmic feeds can shape learners’ online experiences, choices and behaviour.
- Discussing respectful online communication and netiquette in group chats, messaging, comments and online communities.
- Exploring online consent and responsible image sharing, including screenshots, forwarding content and sharing images of others.
- Analysing realistic scenarios involving digital footprints, social media, online communication and image sharing to identify risks and promote responsible online behaviour.
Wednesday
Online Safety and Emerging Digital Risks
- Identifying common online safety risks, including location sharing, unsafe interactions and exposure of private information.
- Recognizing scams, phishing and social engineering through realistic scenarios relevant to learners and educational settings.
- Exploring emerging risks linked to AI-generated content, including deepfakes, manipulated images, impersonation and AI-enabled harassment.
- Discussing practical strategies for recognizing suspicious or manipulated online content and responding safely to potential risks.
- Applying online safety principles through scenario-based activities and collaborative problem-solving exercises.
Thursday
Cyberbullying Prevention, Identification and Response
- Understanding different forms of cyberbullying and exploring the connection between harmful behaviour in online and offline environments.
- Recognising early warning signs and behavioural changes that may indicate a learner is experiencing or participating in cyberbullying.
- Exploring prevention and appropriate first-response strategies, including listening, reassurance and avoiding actions that may escalate harm.
- Practising how to document incidents, preserve relevant information and follow appropriate reporting and referral procedures.
- Applying prevention and response strategies through realistic case studies, with a focus on supporting affected learners and promoting positive online behaviour.
Friday
Age-Appropriate Online Safety Education
- Exploring how online risks, digital habits and safety needs can differ according to learners’ age, developmental stage and online experiences.
- Discussing how to communicate about online safety in age-appropriate ways that build awareness without creating fear or relying only on restrictions and prohibition.
- Exploring practical approaches for teaching learners about privacy, digital footprints, respectful online behaviour, consent and seeking help when something goes wrong.
- Adapting online safety messages and activities for different age groups and educational contexts through practical examples and collaborative activities.
- Developing simple strategies that encourage open communication and help learners make safer and more responsible choices online.
Saturday
Whole-School Approaches and Action Planning
- Exploring whole-school approaches to digital wellbeing and online safety, including school policies, reporting procedures, shared responsibilities and parent-school cooperation.
- Identifying priorities and areas for improvement in participants’ own educational settings related to digital wellbeing and online safety.
- Developing a practical Whole-School Digital Wellbeing and Online Safety Action Plan, including objectives, proposed actions, responsibilities and next steps for implementation.
- Presenting and exchanging action plans with other participants to receive feedback and share practical ideas that can be transferred into educational practice.
- Reflecting on key learning from the course, followed by course evaluation and participant feedback.
Study Visits
*Study visits will be selected according to availability
- Visit to the CYENS Centre of Excellence – Exploration of emerging digital technologies and discussion of their implications for digital literacy, responsible technology use and online safety.
Available Dates
*The above dates can be flexible, whereas new ones can also be provided to accommodate the needs or availability of participants.
Target Group:
- Primary School Teachers
- Secondary School Teachers
- School Leaders/Staff
- VET trainers
- Adult educators
- Youth Workers
Languages: The courses can be offered in English and Greek.
Linguistic Support: Linguistic Support in French and Spanish.
Country: Cyprus
Trainer(s)
Elina Panayides
BA in Criminal Justice & minor in Cybersecurity
