In the fall of 2025, a new professional development program titled Safeguarding Youth in the Digital World: Risk Prevention and Protection Strategies was launched under the Explore the Internet School of Mentors, a joint project of the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ and the Academy of Innovative Education and Development. The inaugural cohort was composed of educators from schools across the Kaliningrad Region.
The course aimed to equip teachers with the skills to address digital challenges posed by the broad adoption of new technologies, promote responsible online behavior and – most importantly – provide tools to protect young internet users from digital threats. It also offered guidance on creating educational materials to help children and adolescents navigate the digital world safely and avoid potential threats.
The training covered four modules: the regulatory framework of the information environment, digital risk prevention and literacy, cybersecurity and positive digital socialization, and designing a prevention system for educational institutions. Beyond theory, the program featured practical exercises, independent work, and two capstone projects.
All 79 participating teachers successfully completed the course and received state-recognized professional development certificates.
At the concluding webinar, Olga Rubtsova, Rector of the Academy of Innovative Education and Development, highlighted a key outcome: the establishment of Russia’s first regional commission on information security. This commission, she noted, effectively launched a “unified system for monitoring and preventing risks in the educational environment.”
Viktoria Belyakova, Principal of Kaliningrad Academic Gymnasium No. 32, along with her deputies for methodology and education, Svetlana Potapenko and Yury Shmelyov, shared initiatives already underway in Kaliningrad schools following the training. These include forming digital volunteer teams, creating a dedicated portal for best practices in digital security, developing methodological guides for teachers and parents, and engaging students through project-based learning (such as having them analyze school websites for vulnerabilities and convenient usability). Other initiatives include regular teacher trainings on threat identification and developing fraud and bullying prevention methodologies for younger students.
The webinar concluded with a presentation by Viktoria Bunchuk, Head of Social Projects at the Coordination Center, on the organization’s upcoming digital literacy and digital culture initiatives. She specifically highlighted Safer Runet Week 2026, beginning February 10, which will host a variety of awareness-raising events for Russian-speaking internet users of all ages and skill levels. The Week’s primary goals are to elevate digital awareness nationwide and foster a culture of responsible online behavior.
“I listened to your reports with great pride,” said Viktoria Bunchuk. “It is gratifying to see you actively applying the knowledge and skills gained from the course. This valuable experience should now be formalized into a replicable methodology so that educators in other Kaliningrad schools, and across other regions, can benefit from your work. Our efforts continue, with the next major milestone being the 19th Safer Runet Week. We are open to collaboration and invite you all to join this campaign as we work together to make the Russian internet safer and more positive.”
Enrollment for the second edition of Safeguarding Youth in the Digital World: Risk Prevention and Protection Strategies opens this March. The next cohort will be comprised of educators from the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area.
