In 2011 the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and Norton, one of the most trusted brands in consumer Cyber Safety, partnered together to produce the internet safety curriculum ‘Surf Smart’. As of 2020, the programme has reached over 350,000 young people across 5 continents with over 44 countries and 700 trainers involved.
In the first phase of the partnership, the Surf Smart curriculum was piloted in the UK, France and Germany with over 100,000 Girl Guides and Girl Scouts taking part. It was then adapted to the African context including advice for mobile internet users.
Between 2014 and 2015, it expanded to Latin America, the Caribbean and India becoming available in 44 countries in 9 languages. In 2017, it was then extended to Asia Pacific, engaging another 100,000 girls in the Philippines, Singapore and Australia.
Between 2019 and 2020, the Surf Smart programme was evaluated and the curriculum was updated to incorporate changes in how young people access the internet and the world of social media and apps.
In February 2021, Surf Smart 2.0 Generation Digital, was launched. It is a unique resource which will provide generations of girls and young women with the knowledge and skills to protect themselves and others online as well as raise their voices as responsible citizens of the world.
Find out more about Surf Smart 2.0 programme here.