Power-Up Erasmus+ project on Digital Citizenship

Imagine a world where children navigate the digital space with purpose, wisdom, and courage, and are resilient against the myriad of complex challenges posed or exacerbated by digital technologies. In the last few years, the COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed a significant surge in the use of digital technologies in our daily lives, transforming how we work, learn, and interact. As many have defined, through these frequent engagements with digital technologies for various aspects of our lives, we essentially are digital citizens. 

Why digital citizenship education matters

In this era where digital technologies have reshaped nearly every aspect of our lives, it is crucial to cultivate more than technical skills to navigate the digital world. As UNESCO states, education that emphasises competencies and values that encourage responsible, critical, and ethical digital citizenship is essential for global peace. Transforming this vision into reality is what inspired Erasmus+ project Power-Up: Values at the heart of digital citizenship. Power-Up is a partnership between Brilliant Stars International School (Bratislava, Slovakia) and a Hague based organisation Dexterity Club (Netherlands). It began as a conversation which grew into a meaningful initiative about the importance of global and digital citizenship, how these two are more interrelated than ever, and how responsible digital citizenship enables us to realize our true oneness with the world.

As a result of ongoing discussions with educators, caregivers, children, and researchers, we identified the key challenges in understanding what it means to be a digital citizen, as well as the knowledge, skills, values, and virtues necessary to cultivate responsible digital citizenship nowadays. Through these conversations, a collaborative and iterative learning process emerged, which is the defining methodology of Power-Up.  The overarching objective is to create innovative approaches and resources that help children develop their digital citizenship rooted in strong character values, and a sense of responsibility to be active protagonists for change. Therefore, Power Up. aims to: 

1) Expand our understanding and innovate how we teach children, caregivers, and educators the importance and application of character development and virtues in the digital world.    
2) Develop resources that empower caregivers and educators to foster children’s digital citizenship through a positive framework rooted in virtues and care.
3) Cultivate approaches that empower children with a sense of global responsibility, recognising digital technologies as a meaningful tool for seeing the world as one interconnected whole.

A look at the project

A collaborative and participatory method, utilizing the insights from educators, students, and caregivers center impactful, applicable, and needed resources. Since starting in October 2023 on this 2 year project, a few pivotal learning experiences and achievements are worth highlighting below. 

What we are working on

Our team has developed a comprehensive framework designed to guide the development of resources about digital citizenship, with values at its center. By integrating insights from academic research alongside the experiences of children, teachers, and caregivers, we have identified four key areas of focus. Each area is accompanied by learning objectives and themes that facilitate a deeper exploration of specific topics, virtues, and concepts related to digital citizenship.

Student Digital Creations

During the spring-summer months of 2024, students at Brilliant Stars International School explored responsible digital citizenship through the medium of animations. Students brought their understanding of the key concepts to life, crafting captivating stories that illustrated key principles of responsible and ethical digital citizens. This hands-on approach not only enhanced their technical skills but also fostered critical thinking.  You can read about some of their creations here. 

    

Student Musical Creations

Additionally, during a music summer camp, students explored concepts surrounding digital citizenship and created poems and lyrics exploring responsible digital citizenship, that they then put to music and performed. Click here to have a look at one of their songs 'Anywhere Anytime'!

Join us

When your child joins Brilliant Stars, your whole family is joining a vibrant community.

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What People Say

Do you still remember the excited eyes and hunger for new knowledge and skills that are so typical of kindergarteners? When searching for a school, retaining the love of learning was our top criteria. That’s why we came to Brilliant Stars. And the choice was good - kids asking “when can I start some math?” on the first day of school, kids going deeper on some school topic and bringing their findings back to others, kids writing short books, kids looking forward to discussing moral choices and current affairs… by now, our kids are 10 years old. They still love learning.
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Eva Trenkova
Mother (Agriturismo Owner)
I whole-heartedly recommend Brilliant Stars to any parents searching for a warm, safe school environment that nurtures the whole child. My daughter attended preschool and year one for three years and leaves the school confident and prepared for her next adventure. Brilliant Stars' dedicated staff supported her natural talents and personality and showed her how much she can accomplish. I especially valued Brilliant Stars' emphasis on virtue education and the effort they make to instill their students with a sense of responsibility-- for themselves, for their friends and loved ones, and for the world around them. Brilliant Stars' curriculum and philosophy unlocks academic excellence without neglecting equally important social skills and commitment to community. We had experience with other, more expensive private schools in Bratislava but Brilliant Stars outclasses them easily---- it is what we will miss most about leaving Slovakia.
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Griffin Rozell
Father (Embassy of USA)
Thank you for the excellent cooperation in the last 5 years. Having had the chance to attend Brilliant Stars was the best start to education of our children we could have imagined. Hearing children chatter fluently in English at the end of Kindergarten, was a great achievement. Not being a bilingual family, we considered that as one of the main objectives and it was met. Your enthusiastic and motivated team whom our children and us will keep the best memories of. Always smiling, ready to help and discuss, proactively report on status. Last but not least – healthy cuisine, clean environment, library, well-groomed premises, educational tools and playground… Brilliant Stars should be referred to as a role model for other educational institutions!
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Martin Majernik
Father (Accenture)
I would like to thank you for all the efforts you took and make this difficult time as smooth as it is possible. Everything was so well-organised and once again I must say that I am very proud to my child in this school 🧡
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Ilona Sinigaglia
Mother
I have two children at Brilliant Stars' and I am delighted with the care and approach of all of the staff towards childcare and education in the early years. Both my children are flourishing under their academic, social and moral guidance. My older child has loved the use of Jolly Phonics (a UK approach to teaching literacy) as a learning tool and enjoys his numeracy, science, art and music lessons. The kindergarten also offers a wide variety of extra activites and has a lending library. Finally, and one of the key reasons why I chose this kindergarten, is that the head teacher is an inspiration to everyone involved with the kindergarten - very proactive, accommodating, hands-on and very focused on the children and what is best for them. I can highly recommend this kindergarten and given the high standard they have set can only expect their new Stupava branch to be just as good.
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Miranda Hackett
Mother
I think Brilliant start gives children 'active learning', and teachers know how to support children's Curiosity. I can see that my children are having good time. Because my children can't stop speaking what they have done today with big smile when I pick them up after school.
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Mrs Osaka
Mother
Thank you and your entire team for the tremendous work. I have been impressed from the very beginning by the flexibility of your staff and the speed with which you managed to convert the entire curriculum online.
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Annonymous
Father