While the digital age has brought with it a wealth of technological boons, it has also been plagued by unique challenges and obstacles.
Towards the end of National Cyber Security Month (October) in 2015, the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) and MediaSmarts gathered together industry experts and 200 secondary school students and for two days of engagement on the topics of cyber citizenship and cybersecurity. The summit’s aim was to enhance digital literacy among Canadian youth.
Aside from bridging crucial gaps in professional knowledge across generations, the DigYS event provided opportunities for students to learn new and critical skills and enabled them to share ideas about their future in technology.
Digital Youth Summit 2015 Overview
On October 23rd 2015, I was delighted invited to join the roundtables at the Digital Youth Summit 2015 and mentor digital professionals of the future. From the ICTC website:
Cyber Security is headline news. Privacy breaches, compromised data systems, and unauthorized access to corporate secrets are playing out in real life. The opportunity for youth to see the threats we face and the role they can play in helping to secure our systems is very powerful.
Day two of the Summit will provide secondary students from the Ottawa region with hands-on, interactive learning about the cyber security threats we are facing and the skills needed to safeguard our privacy and protect the integrity of Canadian companies and governments. Students will hear from industry experts about the state of Cyber Security in Canada and then will jump right into learning the skills necessary to secure a network in a fun and interactive way.
A selfie of an excited crowd of tomorrow’s digital experts (via @e_liang on Twitter)
Summit Organizers
The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) is a not-for-profit national centre of expertise for the digital economy. Through trusted research, innovative talent solutions, and practical policy advice, ICTC fosters innovative and globally competitive Canadian industries empowered by a talented and diverse digital workforce. For more information about the ICTC, please click here.
MediaSmarts is a Canadian not-for-profit charitable organization for digital and media literacy. Their vision is to ensure that children and youth have the critical thinking skills to engage with media as active and informed digital citizens. For more information on MediaSmarts, please click here.
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