“Anger is not always the best reaction to a situation that can hurt your feelings and pride. There are healthier ways to channel that emotion. Speaking openly with your friends and being productive, finding someone else to focus on.” – Crushed But Okay co-designer, and final year law student, 21-year-old Jay Chaaban.
As the Foundation’s work adapts to a fast-changing world, our mission continues through care, prevention and advocacy – from supporting children experiencing family violence or online bullying to fighting for the rights of young people and including their views in everything we do.
Similarly, with the knowledge a community is stronger when acting together, we work to empower others – parents, teachers and the wider community – to do more.
The safety of children and young people is the driving force behind everything the Foundation does.
The Foundation’s newest programs look to the future, extending our reach to include wellbeing and digital intelligence, so we help children and young people to become responsible digital citizens for a kinder and safer world.
eSmart – an online safety framework for students, teachers, principals and parents on how to safely navigate the online world to avoid bullying and violence – has evolved from its beginnings in 2009. It’s now being used in more than 2,500 schools and 80 per cent of public libraries around the country, helping our children and young people to be smart, safe and responsible online.
Our eSmart Digital Licence+ has seen the Foundation partner with digital intelligence think tank, the DQ Institute, as well as support from global technology leader, the Accenture Foundation. This exciting education program is a gamified online learning tool for students aged 10-14 aims to increase digital intelligence – vital for all our young people if they want to succeed in today’s and tomorrow’s world.
eSmart Digital Licence+ will soon launch in New Zealand and the Philippines, taking the Foundation’s expertise in empowering young people to be safe and responsible online to new communities in our region.
Launched in 2021, the eSmart Media Literacy Lab engages secondary students in essential media literacy education through an innovative, gamified resource that reflects youth experiences. Young people will be able to tell fact from falsehood, pick a deepfake and be alert to misinformation across social media – a vital skill to ensure we continue to live under a democratic system.
And our latest – Crushed But Okay – co-designed with young people for young people helps young men and women responsibly navigate relationships and rejection.
It promotes healthy and positive online intimate relationships between young people, where rejection can be discussed without self-perceived shame, humiliation or disgrace.
The past, present and future
A quarter of a century ago, a dark and terrible day sowed the seeds of an organisation which now – though passionate advocacy, prevention and empowerment – shines a light into the dark on behalf of children and young people.
25 years on, that fight continues. The challenges facing children and young people may have changed, but our mission has not. We fight for their right to be safe, so their future is strong.
Our mission continues through care, prevention and advocacy – from supporting children experiencing family violence to online bullying and fighting for the rights of young people everywhere.
And, hopefully, we’ll see a better world where the rights of children to be free from bullying, violence and trauma is recognised by all.
25 years: We champion and strengthen the rights of children and young people through participation and practice in the communities where they live, learn and play.
