Chronicle of the 12th edition of the “Your data – Your concern” programme

In June 2022, the implementation of the 12th edition of the nationwide educational program “Your data – Your concern” has ended. The past ten months have resulted in numerous undertakings and educational initiatives.

Below we present you with a summary of the 12th edition of the “Your data – Your concern” programme.

307 schools and teachers vocational training centres participated in the programme

In the 2021/2022 school year, 307 schools and teachers vocational training centres from all over Poland participated in the programme. Among the educational institutions that participated in the programme, 63% were primary schools and 34% were secondary schools. The remaining participants were teachers vocational training centres. Most applications to participate in the programme were received from the Mazowieckie, Łódzkie and Wielkopolskie voivodeships.

3,543 lessons and 1,296 educational initiatives were implemented – including 463 on the occasion of the 16th Data Protection Day. As many as 44270 students participated in lessons, extra-curricular activities and thematic events. During the school year, 5,122 teachers were trained and involved in activities popularising the idea of data protection and privacy.

Programme inauguration in Kutno

The first event planned in the programme took place at the Władysław Jagiełło Primary School No. 9 in Kutno, on 12 October 2021, where the inaugural conference which was organised within the framework of the “#GDPR in education” took place. During two thematic panels, the most important issues related to the implementation of the programme and the practical aspects of personal data protection in the education sector were discussed.

Lectures, webinars, meetings

A key element in the implementation of the programme is that coordinators are trained and prepared to teach the students. The first two-day training dedicated to the coordinators of the 12th edition of the programme was organised on 27 and 28 October 2021. It constituted one of the main events organised as part of the “Your data – Your concern” programme. During the event, issues such as the protection of personal data at school, students online and their safety, the rules of implementation and the schedule of the current edition were discussed. Interesting educational initiatives were also presented.

The implementation of the 12th edition of the programme also involves extensive cooperation with other actors. Its results included the webinar “Click sensibly – how to protect your personal data?”, created in agreement with the Office of Electronic Communications, on 23 November 2021. The lecture on the security of young people's personal data on the Internet was aimed at pupils in grades VII and VIII of primary schools.

“Your Data and Artificial Intelligence” was the title of a webinar held on 10th January 2022 with an expert from the UODO and the representative from Intel Polska. The speakers addressed a number of issues that serve to shape informed attitudes among young people. They defined the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI), while explaining why the protection of privacy is particularly important in the context of the processing of huge amounts of information by advanced IT systems. They discussed how AI works and what are its general mechanisms.

How to prepare interesting activities with students of different ages on the key principles of data protection? The answer to this question was provided in a workshop for teachers organised by the UODO and the Computer Assisted Education and Information Technology Centre in Warsaw as part of the Data Protection Day celebrations. The meeting took place on 31st January 2022. The main topics of the workshop were carried out using ICT based on the “It's worth knowing...” advice series developed by the UODO. The advice included practical tips on data protection and safe use of digital tools.

As part of the programme, a seminar for teachers on “The impact of online activity on the student's image in the real world” was held on 24 March 2022, organised by the Radom Teacher Training Centre. In addition to the topics of data protection and privacy, seminar’s participants were also able to learn about other issues, such as the impact of virtual reality on a student's functioning at school; the legal responsibility of young Internet users; and shaping one's image online.

In April, the UODO joined in the celebration of New Technologies Day – organised for the fourth time jointly by the Ministry of Education and Science and the school superintendents. The aim of this event is to popularise information and communication technologies used by students in and out of school. The inauguration was scheduled for 29th April 2022.

On this occasion, the UODO has prepared a comprehensive resource for teachers and students entitled. “It’s worth knowing... New technologies and privacy. How to keep safe online?”, consisting of advice, 'memo' fiches and a quiz.

1,296 educational initiatives were implemented, including 463 on the occasion of the Data Protection Day

An important element of the implementation of each edition of the programme is the celebration of Data Protection Day, organised jointly with schools. This year, the event was celebrated for the sixteenth time. The nationwide celebration of this unique Day was enriched by numerous local educational initiatives organised by schools, which were encouraged by the President of the Personal Data Protection Office in his open letter to teachers and students.

The main event of the 16th Data Protection Day was the “Personal Data Protection on a Daily Basis” conference, during which issues of particular importance to educators, parents and students were discussed. We are glad that as many as 463 educational initiatives took place in various regions of the country - numerous classes, meetings and assemblies, as well as many other events, e.g. screenings of presentations and thematic films prepared by students, exhibitions of posters, leaflets, competition entries, comic strips made using new graphic techniques and tools. Games were also prepared – even for pre-school children. Coding and encryption activities, as well as interactive quizzes, crosswords, rebuses, using numerous educational apps and platforms, were very popular with students, many teachers made sure that educational initiatives on the occasion of the Data Protection Day were implemented in this form. Equally engaging for pupils, game-type activities, both computer-based and field-based, were used this year to popularise knowledge of safe processing of personal data.

Some educational institutions relied on information campaigns in the school premises: preparation of presentations and stickers, leaflets, posters, film presentations, information corners, newspapers, presentations of activities undertaken within the framework of the “Your data – Your concern” programme. Meetings were held with experts: representatives of the police, data protection inspectors. Students developed special guides and codes of conduct in the Internet.

‘Michał Serzycki’ Data Protection Award was also presented on this special day. The laureates included Małgorzata Margulska-Haczyk, headmaster of Primary School No. 9 in Kutno, who, through her achievements within the programme, highlights the extremely important role of social education in the field of data protection for young people.

Students recorded podcasts and teachers created, among other, their own lesson plans

The competitions of the President of the UODO were announced in March. Their main objective is to promote the principles of personal data protection among young people, to popularise knowledge about personal data protection among students and to emphasise the important role of the subject of privacy and personal data protection in everyone's life.

On 9 May 2022, the winners of the competitions for schools and students taking part in the 12th edition of the programme were announced. The winning entries in the students’ competition consisted of advice for seniors in the form of podcasts on the principles of data protection and safe use of the web under the motto “Personal Data Protection on a Daily Basis”. In turn, in the competition for schools and educational institutions  the most interesting educational initiatives won. The winner of the “Golden Pen” statuette was the Primary School No. 360 in Warsaw for its “Successful Official Original Debut - 360 minutes about personal data protection, or personal data all round”. The award ceremony which was organised to complete the 12th edition of the programme took place on 21st June 2022 in Warsaw.

We would like to thank all the participants of the 12th edition of the nationwide educational programme “Your data – Your concern” for their participation and commitment to the implementation of the programme, as well as their work to promote the values of personal data protection and privacy among young people. We have had another successful year.

Thank you!