Salerno Student Presents Course for Teens to Minister for Education
Young Minds Online Goes to Leinster House
6th Year Salerno Secondary School student Sophie Burke has presented a course for teenagers to Minister for Education Minister Ruairí Quinn.
The Leaving Certificate student took a day out of her studies to meet Minister Quinn in his office in Leinster House to share details of Young Minds Online.
Pictured in Leinster House are Senator Hildegarde Naughton, Joanne Sweeney-Burke, Digital Training Institute, Minister for Education, Ruairí Quinn, Sophie Burke, 6th Year Student Salerno Secondary School and Mr. Brian Fogarty, IT Teacher, Salerno Secondary School.
The Minister was impressed with Sophie’s presentation and congratulated her on her work to protect young people’s online reputation. He also wished her well in her forthcoming Leaving Certificate.
18-year old Sophie along with her mum Joanne Sweeney-Burke founder and CEO of Media Box and Digital Training Institute delivered the course to Transition Year students in Salerno during 2013 and 2014 with remarkable results.
IT Teacher at Salerno in Salthill, Mr. Brian Fogarty says, “50 TY students took the 7-month course and the findings were remarkable. The teenagers now have a greater appreciation for, and understanding of, online reputation and privacy as a result of Young Minds Online.
“A school survey of 1st and 6th years found dramatic differences in social media behavior among teens which gave TY’s an insight into the habits of differing age groups online. We feel very lucky to have been the first school in Ireland to implement the course.”
60% of 1st years use Snapchat while 82% of 6th years use Facebook most. According to Joanne Sweeney-Burke, “The figures show the increasing trend of younger teenagers migrating to social networking sites that their parents are not using. It’s vitally important we simultaneously educate teens and parents about social media so everyone can enjoy the new communications technology while respecting it at the same time.”
Download the full survey findings here: http://www.slideshare.net/DigitalTrainingInstitute/young-minds-online-a-guide-for-parents-salerno-showcase-33843978
Galway-based Senator Hildegarde Naughton is backing a campaign to protect young minds online and set up the meeting with Minister Quinn.
Joanne who is owner of Digital Training Institute says, “I was able to navigate my teenage daughter through her social media years because I was well equipped with practical social media knowledge and experience. However, this is not true of all parents. So I decided to do something positive and with Sophie’s help we wrote a course dedicated to Transition Year Students.”
18-year old Sophie says, “While it was a bit annoying to have my mum constantly nag me about my social media habits, I now look back and thank her for her guidance. I think I was lucky really. I’m in Leaving Cert now and looking ahead to my career so my online reputation is really important to me. In writing the TY course I was able to bring the mindset of a teenager while Mum had really good practice and academic knowledge.”
A series of summer workshops are being held in Galway for teens, parents and teachers to upskill in internet safety, social media and online reputation.
For more information log onto www.youngmindsonline.ie.
Video Interview with Mr. Brian Fogarty about Young Minds Online
ENDS
Caption
Pictured in Leinster House are Senator Hildegarde Naughton, Joanne Sweeney-Burke, Digital Training Instiute, Minister for Education, Ruairí Quinn, Sophie Burke, 6th Year Student Salerno Secondary School and Mr. Brian Fogarty, IT Teacher, Salerno Secondary School.
Media Contact
Joanne Sweeney-Burke
T: 1890 815 625
M: 087 6237373
A: Unit 204, Business Innovation Centre, NUI Galway, University Road, Galway
Notes to Editors
About Young Minds Online
Young Minds Online is a course that allows teenagers, under the supervision of their own teachers and Joanne Sweeney Burke (The Trainer), to help each other understand what steps they need to take to safeguard your privacy online, develop a social media policy booklet for all pupils in their school as well as their parents, and also help fight online bullying.
Download the course brochure here: https://digitaltraininginstitute.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/DTI-YMO-Brochure-Feb2014.pdf
About Joanne Sweeney-Burke
Joanne is a former journalist and holds a first class Masters Degree in Journalism a Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Marketing and she is currently studying for her Masters in Digital Marketing. She is researching the use of social media by polices forces in Ireland and the UK – the first study of its kind. She also owns multi-media company Media Box.
Connect with Joanne on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannesweeneyburkemediabox
