Skills Upload Jr | The Children’s Digital WellBeing Partnership

Every half second, a child goes online for the first time.

At Vodafone Foundation, we believe digital wellbeing means equipping children and young people with the skills and confidence to navigate the online spaces safely, confidently, and responsibly.

Digital wellbeing is a holistic concept. It recognises that all children may be vulnerable online and need support to protect their mental health, understand their rights, and make informed choices. It also promotes a balanced relationship with technology—encouraging healthy screen habits, emotional regulation, and meaningful online and offline engagement.

Education

is essential to this approach and plays a central role to promote and articulate digital wellbeing effectively. We work with teachers, families, children and communities to embed digital wellbeing into everyday learning.

Our Skills Upload Jr partnership with Save the Children

Our partnership with Save the Children for the SUJ programme is designed to ensure that all children, no matter their background, have the tools and confidence to safely navigate and thrive in our increasingly connected world.

We do this through our children’s digital wellbeing programme, designed with and for children, helping them to navigate online spaces safely, confidently and responsibly.

Taking a future-focused approach, the programme equips educators to teach relevant digital life skills in security, privacy, identity, literacy and empathy – so children can embrace the latest developments in their digital lives.

The Children’s Digital WellBeing Partnership

Through our partnership, the SUJ programme will achieve even greater social impact, by combining Vodafone Foundation’s technological expertise with Save the Children’s deep experience in child protection, wellbeing, children’s rights in online spaces.

SMILE framework

The Children’s Digital WellBeing Partnership is co-creating content based on Save the Children’s digital wellbeing framework, SMILE:

ecurity: equip children with security strategies and tools to handle cyberthreats like hacking, scams and malware.

anagement: strengthen privacy awareness and safe decision-making online. Handle all personal information shared online to protect your own and other’s privacy.

dentity: foster self-awareness and critical thinking about online identities and influences. Build and manage a healthy identity as a digital citizen with integrity.

iteracy: promote caution, analytical thinking and emotional regulation in online interactions. Find, analyse and evaluate media and information with critical reasoning and know when to be cautious of contracts online.

mpathy: encourage respectful communication and support for peers in digital spaces. Be sensitive to and supportive of your own and other’s feelings, needs and concerns online.

Nurturing the future

We aim to empower and educate children by:

Promoting digital wellbeing: focus on security, management, identity, literacy and empathy will provide children with essential skills to safely and responsibly navigate online spaces and addressing their risks.
Ensuring cultural relevance: localising content to reflect cultural sensitivities, inclusive material and sessions to ensure the programme resonates with children across different countries, enhancing its effectiveness and influence.
Creating safe learning environments: training for facilitators and local partners will establish safe, supportive environments for both digital and offline activities, while building local capacity for long-term sustainability.
Empowering educators and communities: development of training guides will equip facilitators with the tools to teach critical digital topics and tips navigate sensitive issues.

How we put it into action

We are working with Vodafone Foundation’s existing SUJ partners to build and enhance local capacity, establish robust monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure high-quality delivery, and set up local partners for long-term success. Central to everything we do is our commitment to prioritising children’s participation and perspectives, drawing inspiration from their creativity, knowledge and experiences.

Together we will create a sector-leading approach to digital skills training for children aged 9 to 16 across Europe, empowering the next generation to navigate the digital landscape with confidence, safety and responsibility.

This programme goes beyond teaching basic digital skills, incorporating vital elements such as online safety, digital rights and ethical online behaviour. This holistic approach also equips children not only with technical knowledge but also with the responsibility and awareness needed to navigate the internet safely and respectfully. This partnership has the potential to close the digital divide and ensure that all children can benefit from the opportunities of the digital age.

We actively involve educators, families, and children themselves to ensure everyone is prepared to navigate the digital world with confidence, awareness, and resilience. The programme is co-created with children—their hopes, concerns, and ideas shape every lesson, making the learning experience truly relevant and empowering.

1 CONTENT, TRAINING AND MEAL

2 RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY

3 CHILDREN'S DIGITAL ADVISORY NETWORK

Content, Training and MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning)

We are co-creating 20 new lesson plans, aligned with the SMILE Framework and adapted for the SUJ programme. These lesson plans are co-created in collaboration with Save the Children’s technical advisors, Vodafone Foundation colleagues in education and technology and the Child Digital Advisory Networks (CDANs) and experts steering group, to ensure the lessons are inclusive, engaging and relevant. Each lesson plan includes:

Learning objectives
Detailed instructions
Activity guidelines
Assessment criteria
Adaptability

Moreover, we include “train-the-trainer” sessions to help guide the implementation of these lessons plans, using tools like feedback forms and digital tracking systems. The materials are translated and adapted to for the 8 countries that are part of the SUJ programme.

Furthermore, we will implement a MEAL framework (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning) integrating both Save the Children’s and Vodafone Foundation’s own MEAL frameworks.

Research and Advocacy

We aim to improve the evidence base for children’s digital wellbeing and test the alliance’s content, delivery and training approach, ensuring it is optimised for effective and scalable implementation, through:

Qualitative and quantitative research
Pilot testing
Disseminating findings with key stakeholders
MEAL framework
Evaluation to assess the programme’s effectiveness and identify opportunities for improvement
Continuous learning and adaptation

The Advocacy element of the partnership aims to create a safer, more inclusive online environment for children, influencing policies, holding platforms accountable and fostering child participation in the decision-making processes.

Aligning with EU regulations such as the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), alongside international standards like the EU Strategy for a Better Internet for Children (BIK), and UK regulatory leadership through OFCOM, will be of critical importance throughout programme delivery.

We focus on protecting children in digital spaces, giving them the tools necessary for a safe, conscious and resilient use of technology and the digital world.

The partnership will build coalitions with NGOs, academic institutions and tech companies to amplify advocacy efforts and foster knowledge sharing, and seeks to:

Develop a policy map
Identify European-level events
Create comprehensive resources

Children’s Digital Advisory Network (CDAN)

We have stablished a Children’s Digital Advisory Network (CDAN), with our local partners to shape an influence the development of the SMILE content and training, contribute to research and evidence generation, and meaningfully participate in advocacy for child-centred digital policies focused on safety, access, wellbeing and empowerment.

The CDAN is built on principles focusing on child rights, diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as Local Leadership. This initiative ensures the voices of the children are at the heart of our digital partnership with Save the Children. Key components:

Content development: The CDAN will influence the development of the content and training.
Research: Members will feed into the research framing and review research recommendations.
Advocacy and policy support: The CDAN will shape advocacy messaging and briefings and co-create educational and advocacy materials.
Programme impact: The CDAN will work closely with the projects steering group and leadership.
A child rights framework, including the UN Basic Requirements, will be adapted and integrated in the CDAN, ensuring the safe, ethical and meaningful participation of the members.
Empowering children’s voices, we are recruiting children between 9 and 16 from diverse backgrounds for the CDAN.
We are establishing a virtual operational model.
The CDAN provides ongoing support via a “meet & greet” and quarterly meetings.

Click, scroll, connect – and balance

Children’s digital wellbeing in educational contexts across Europe

As part of our research pillar in this partnership, this study examines children's digital wellbeing in Europe, assessing current systems, policies, and practices to identify gaps and opportunities for creating safer and more inclusive digital environments.

Among the findings from this study, we see how young people in Europe are increasingly exposed to digital stressors like cyberbullying and disinformation, leading to increased anxiety and depression. As digital environments become central to children’s lives, it's crucial to tailor support to their evolving needs and experiences.

You can read the full story in English here

Executive Summary

Children's version