Upcoming events

ARAPO Association to Reduce Alcohol Promotion in Ontario
ARAPO Recognition Award

The Association to Reduce Alcohol Promotion in Ontario is accepting submissions for the ARAPO Recognition Award until Friday, February 29th. (Yes, it's a leap year.) In the words of their Guiding Statement, the award is for “recognition of individuals (e.g. journalist, teacher, student etc.) or organizations (e.g. schools, businesses) that have made, and continue to make, outstanding efforts to reduce the effect of alcohol promotion in Ontario.” Nominations must be made jointly in writing by two or more members of the community, following a format you can find here.

The award guidelines give the following examples of activities that might lead to a nomination:

  • Efforts to educate focusing on media literacy and alcohol-related issues
  • Important contributions to the successful implementation of community activities surrounding alcohol advertising issues
  • Significant contributions to creating and/or implementing policies aimed to reduce the exposure of inappropriate alcohol advertising
  • Socially responsible alcohol promotion or counter-alcohol messages

If you know anyone who had been outstanding in any of these activities in the last year, go to the ARAPO Web site and find out how to nominate them.

Safer Internet Day

Safer Internet Day falls on February 12th this year. As in previous years the sponsor, Insafe, is running a contest to create public service material on Internet safety. This year's theme is “Life Online Is What You Make Of It,” and they're looking for entries that “show how the behaviour of users has an impact on the online environment.”

While only residents of Europe can enter, you can view the uploaded projects here. You can view MNet's contribution to the Safer Internet Day Blogathon, "Life Online Is What You Make It," at the SID site.

For Classroom Discussion

Why not establish a Safer Internet Day at your board or school? If you like you can follow the guidelines used by InSafe: physical or printable products for younger students (pamphlets, comic strips, etc.) and audiovisual entries like videos and slideshows for younger students. Or, if you prefer, you can allow entries of either type from all students, or have two separate categories. The important thing is to draw on your students' experience and knowledge and let them show the best ways to make the online world safer and more civilized.