The Council of Europe’s action with regard to the digital life of children over the last decade has been aimed mainly at their safety and protection in the digital environment rather than their empowerment through education or the acquisition of competences for actively participating in digital society.
However, supporting children and young people to participate safely, effectively, critically and responsibly in a world filled with social media and digital technologies has emerged as priority for educators the world over. The notion of digital citizenship has evolved to encompass a range of competences, attributes and behaviours that harness the benefits and opportunities the online world affords while building resilience to potential harms.
To address the issue the Steering Committee for Educational Policy and Practice (CDPPE) of the Council of Europe launched a new intergovernmental project entitled “Digital Citizenship Education” in 2016. The aim of this project of the Education Department (DG Democracy) is to contribute to reshaping the role that education plays in enabling all children to acquire the competences they need as digital citizens to participate actively and responsibly in democratic society, whether offline or online.
This website is intended not only to provide information and knowledge about Digital Citizenship Education but also to encourage discussion and experience sharing.
The Project 'Digital Citizenship Education' is related to the work of the Education Department which is part of the Directorate of Democratic Participation within the Directorate General of Democracy ("DGII") of the Council of Europe.
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