The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) is the largest voluntary organization in the world for girls and young women with an impressive global reach – impacting millions of girls from 146 countries. In 2011, WAGGGS partnered with Symantec to educate children and young people about online safety. Together, we developed a curriculum, called Surf Smart, that helps children and young people identify online risks, protect themselves and others, and address online incidents. In 2011–2012, the curriculum was piloted in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Within five months, the pilot reached approximately 1,400 girls and more than 115 curriculum educators, which included Symantec employee volunteers.
An FY14 grant from the Symantec Foundation further enabled Surf Smart to expand to Africa. The program focused on training African facilitators and peer educators to deliver it in their home countries. By mid-2014, these facilitators and educators had reached more than 57,000 girls and young women in 13 countries across the continent, including Nigeria, South Africa, Burundi, and Lesotho.
The Symantec and WAGGGS partnership has equipped 120,000 girls and young women with the knowledge of how to identify online threats and what online safety practices they should employ. Now, the Surf Smart program will continue its expansion to reach an additional 60,000 girls and young women in Latin America, the Caribbean, and India.
Increasingly Connected
Did you know that by 2020, it is predicted that there will be anywhere from 25 to 75 billion connected devices? While the estimates are drastically different, one thing is certain – we are undoubtedly becoming more and more connected to the online world. With the increase in digital connectivity, there will certainly be more cyber dangers. Everything from malware and phishing to cyber-bullying is on the rise, and these concerns are not exclusive to any one region – they are global issues. In Mexico alone, cybercrime increased 113% from 2013 to 2014.
Surf Smart engages young people in online safety to promote safe, positive us of the Internet, and we’re thrilled that the program continues to expand globally to reach regions of the world where online safety programs are not as prevalent.
Engaging Symantec Staff to get the Message Out There!
Just like the other phases of the Surf Smart roll-out, engaging Symantec staff is integral to the success of the program. We will be working with Symantec employees to promote the program and to share their expertise on Internet safety with WAGGGs members and program participants.
Online safety is a key philanthropic focus area for both WAGGGS and Symantec. Our partnership has enabled us to increase our social impact across several regions. We look forward to the next expansion into Latin America, Caribbean, and India!
Anne Brookes is WAGGGS Director of Global Partnerships and Philanthropy