On July 24, the Academy of the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ conducted a series of Safe Internet Lessons at the Russian State Children’s Library as part of the 7th session of Art Holidays, a summer urban camp attended by children aged 9-12.
Each day of the session features educational and engaging activities, including interactive games that introduce participants to internet safety topics. The program culminates in a quest game, a literary quiz, a film premiere, an immersive tour, or a colorful graduation performance – with all roles played by the children themselves. The curriculum draws from fiction, popular science literature, myths, legends, and historical and scientific facts.
While the 7th session’s central theme was ocean mysteries, participants also dedicated time to digital literacy training, led by representatives of the Coordination Center.
“Since the Art Camp activities take place in the library, we decided to frame the Safe Internet Lesson within a literary context – using our new comic book, A Critical Error, as the foundation,” explained Viktoria Bunchuk, head of social projects at the Coordination Center, who served as the session’s tutor. “The protagonist, teenager Andrey, and his robot assistant Ruby encounter both perilous and mundane scenarios in the digital world, navigating them resourcefully – albeit with minor setbacks. Each lesson consisted of two stages: first, participants received copies of the comic and were tasked with reading it and completing the Bingo for Your Cybersecurity section; second, they engaged in an interactive workshop.”
During the lesson, attendees discussed the comic’s cybersecurity scenarios – including various forms of phishing (traditional, SMS-based, phone call scams, and QR code fraud) – and consulted the Internet Glossary from the Coordination Center’s Explore the Internet & Govern It! initiative to explore phenomena like cyberchondria. Collaboratively, they defined social engineering and critical thinking, with the latter culminating in a set of guidelines for identifying fake news, deepfakes, or authentic content.
As a warm-up, the children searched for hidden Easter eggs in the comic and practiced distinguishing phishing emails – fraudulent traps for the unwary – from those sent by official, trusted sources.
Still, by the end of the Lesson, the children agreed that despite its risks, the internet remains a powerful tool. When approached with the right “instruction manual” and mastery of cybersecurity practices, it offers vast opportunities for self-improvement, education, communication, and leisure – even serving as a lifeline if one finds themselves alone in an unfamiliar place.
In addition to the comics, the participants received informational pamphlets titled Critical Thinking and If You Get Lost, the Network Can Help, along with practical souvenirs from the explore the Internet & Govern It! project: rain ponchos, collapsible water bottles, USB drives, and branded stationery.
The next Safe Internet Lessons will be held in August, as part of the final session of Art Holidays at the Russian State Children’s Library.
