Cyber Civics vs Be Internet Awesome in Education - What is The Difference?

Last Updated Feb 2, 2025

Be Internet Awesome empowers you to navigate the digital world safely by teaching essential skills like recognizing phishing attempts, creating strong passwords, and practicing respectful online behavior. Mastering these online habits protects your personal information and enhances your confidence in digital interactions. Discover how you can become a smarter, safer internet user by exploring the full article.

Table of Comparison

Feature Be Internet Awesome Cyber Civics
Target Audience Elementary school students (ages 6-12) Middle school students (grades 6-8)
Focus Area Internet safety and digital citizenship Digital citizenship and ethical online behavior
Curriculum Format Interactive games, lessons, and activities Project-based learning with discussion and reflection
Key Topics Protecting personal information, phishing, respectful online behavior Privacy, cyberbullying, digital rights, online ethics
Program Creator Google iKeepSafe Foundation
Cost Free Free with optional paid resources
Certification No formal certification Certificate of completion available

Introduction to Digital Citizenship

Be Internet Awesome and Cyber Civics both emphasize the introduction to digital citizenship by teaching essential skills for online safety and responsible behavior. Be Internet Awesome, developed by Google, focuses on interactive lessons about internet safety, privacy, and digital etiquette tailored for younger audiences. Cyber Civics offers a comprehensive curriculum that incorporates critical thinking and ethical decision-making to empower students in navigating digital environments responsibly.

Overview of Be Internet Awesome

Be Internet Awesome, developed by Google, is a comprehensive online safety program that teaches children essential digital citizenship skills through interactive games and activities. It emphasizes critical concepts like phishing, privacy, and respectful communication to empower kids to navigate the internet securely. This program is widely used in educational settings to foster responsible online behavior among students aged 7 to 12.

Overview of Cyber Civics

Cyber Civics offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to equip students with critical digital citizenship skills, emphasizing responsible online behavior and ethical technology use. Its structured program integrates interactive lessons on privacy, security, and digital etiquette to foster safe and informed internet practices. The framework aligns with national educational standards, aiming to build a community of digitally literate and accountable users.

Curriculum Structure Comparison

Be Internet Awesome offers a curriculum centered on foundational digital safety concepts such as phishing, secure passwords, and online privacy, using interactive games like Interland to engage students. Cyber Civics provides a comprehensive program structured around critical thinking, ethical digital citizenship, and civic responsibility, integrating project-based learning and classroom discussions to foster deeper understanding. Both curricula emphasize practical skills but differ in approach, with Be Internet Awesome focusing on skill-building through gamification, while Cyber Civics emphasizes behavioral development through real-world applications.

Age Appropriateness and Target Audience

Be Internet Awesome targets children aged 5 to 12 with interactive games and activities to teach foundational digital safety and citizenship skills suitable for elementary students. Cyber Civics is designed for middle and high school students, focusing on deeper critical thinking about digital ethics, privacy, and responsible online behavior for ages 11 to 18. Both programs emphasize age-appropriate content, with Be Internet Awesome tailored for early learners and Cyber Civics for adolescent development and digital literacy challenges.

Teaching Methods and Delivery

Be Internet Awesome employs interactive games and hands-on activities to engage students in learning digital safety and citizenship, emphasizing practical scenarios and real-time decision-making. Cyber Civics uses a curriculum-based approach with structured lessons delivered through discussions, reflective writing, and collaboration to promote critical thinking about online behavior and digital ethics. Both programs prioritize student participation but differ in modality--Be Internet Awesome leans on gamified digital experiences, whereas Cyber Civics integrates classroom-centered dialogue and analysis.

Core Topics and Learning Objectives

Be Internet Awesome by Google emphasizes digital citizenship, safety, security, and online etiquette, aiming to teach kids how to think critically about online information and interact responsibly. Cyber Civics focuses on ethical use of technology, digital literacy, and promoting civic engagement in digital spaces, with learning objectives centered on understanding digital rights, privacy, and collaborative problem-solving. Both programs cultivate responsible online behavior but differ in scope, with Be Internet Awesome targeting foundational internet skills and Cyber Civics addressing broader ethical and civic dimensions of technology use.

Parental and Educator Involvement

Be Internet Awesome by Google emphasizes active parental and educator involvement through interactive lessons and parent-oriented resources, fostering a collaborative approach to digital safety education. Cyber Civics integrates structured teacher training and modular curricula designed for classroom implementation, promoting sustained educator engagement and parental awareness. Both programs prioritize creating supportive environments that equip families and schools with tools to encourage responsible online behavior and critical digital literacy skills.

Measurable Outcomes and Effectiveness

Be Internet Awesome by Google demonstrates measurable outcomes through increased digital literacy scores and improved online safety behaviors among students aged 8-12, with studies showing a 30% rise in identifying phishing attempts. Cyber Civics emphasizes critical thinking and ethical decision-making, reporting a 25% improvement in students' ability to analyze online scenarios and reduce cyberbullying incidents in middle schools. Both programs effectively enhance digital citizenship skills, but Be Internet Awesome excels in foundational internet safety, while Cyber Civics targets deeper civic engagement and ethical reasoning.

Choosing the Right Program for Your Needs

Be Internet Awesome offers interactive lessons and games designed by Google to teach children foundational online safety skills, focusing on digital citizenship for elementary students. Cyber Civics provides a comprehensive curriculum centered on ethical technology use and critical thinking for middle and high school students, emphasizing real-world applications and discussions. Selecting the appropriate program depends on your target age group and whether you prioritize foundational digital safety (Be Internet Awesome) or advanced ethical engagement and citizenship skills (Cyber Civics).

Be Internet Awesome Infographic

Cyber Civics vs Be Internet Awesome in Education - What is The Difference?


About the author. JK Torgesen is a seasoned author renowned for distilling complex and trending concepts into clear, accessible language for readers of all backgrounds. With years of experience as a writer and educator, Torgesen has developed a reputation for making challenging topics understandable and engaging.

Disclaimer.
The information provided in this document is for general informational purposes only and is not guaranteed to be complete. While we strive to ensure the accuracy of the content, we cannot guarantee that the details mentioned are up-to-date or applicable to all scenarios. Topics about Be Internet Awesome are subject to change from time to time.

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