On 3 July 2026, Casa Hacker took part for the third time in the training programme of the Escola de Conselhos of Unicamp, leading a session on Digital Safety for Children and Adolescents.
The activity was part of the continuing education course organised by the Centre for Public Policy Studies (NEPP), an initiative of the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship aimed at training municipal counsellors, especially guardianship counsellors working within the System for Guaranteeing the Rights of Children and Adolescents. The sessions take place at the Unicamp School of Economics and bring together participants from different cities in the state of São Paulo.
During the training we talked about privacy, digital safety, disinformation and digital well-being. The discussion started from Casa Hacker’s experience in projects developed with children and adolescents and from partnerships with organisations such as Tactical Tech.
Participants of the Escola de Conselhos – Unicamp/SP
One thread of the training was a discussion of digital culture drawing on the ideas of Vani Moreira Kenski (2018; 2012). We talked about how digital technologies have been transforming the ways we live, learn, build relationships and take part in society. Looking at digital safety from this perspective allows us to understand that protecting children and adolescents does not only mean giving guidance about internet use, but recognising that a large part of their experience takes place in that environment. In acknowledging that technologies are part of how we live and relate to one another, we also understand that they create opportunities but can widen inequalities, conflicts and new forms of violence. That is why discussing digital safety is also discussing rights, participation and care. This reflection was important for thinking about the role of guardianship counsellors in the face of situations that increasingly run through the daily lives of children, adolescents and their families.
Over the course of the session we also presented recent research on digital safety, discussed authors who investigate the impacts of technology on society, and shared situations experienced in Casa Hacker’s projects. More than presenting concepts, we sought to discuss strategies that could support participants in guiding children, adolescents and families through challenges that are already part of everyday life.
Reflections between Casa Hacker, the university and the guardianship council
One of the most striking aspects of the training was the participation of the group. The discussions were built from the experiences of the guardianship counsellors themselves, who shared questions, cases and situations lived in their own municipalities. These accounts showed that issues related to the digital environment are already part of these professionals’ routine, and reinforced how important it is to create spaces for training on the subject.
For Casa Hacker, taking part in the Escola de Conselhos once again reinforces the importance of widening the dialogue about digital culture and safety with professionals who work directly on guaranteeing the rights of children and adolescents. Each session widens this network and strengthens the circulation of information that can contribute to supporting and guiding families and to protecting children and young people.
Educator and children in Casa Hacker training activities
As a trainer, I leave this session with the sense that talking about digital safety is, above all, listening to those who are in the territories. The experiences shared by participants showed that many of the situations discussed already reach guardianship councils daily and demand responses that run through dialogue, listening and an understanding of the digital culture in which children and adolescents are immersed. They also reinforced the importance of bringing the university, civil society organisations and professionals who work directly with the population closer together. At a moment when technological change is happening ever faster, creating spaces for listening and joint reflection is essential if we are to understand these challenges and build responses that make sense for the reality of children, adolescents and their families.
References
KENSKI, Vani Moreira. Cultura Digital. In: MILL, Daniel (Org.). Dicionário Crítico de Educação e Tecnologias e de Educação a Distância. Campinas: Papirus, 2018.
KENSKI, Vani Moreira. Educação e Tecnologias: o novo ritmo da informação. 8. ed. Campinas: Papirus, 2012.