NT's Roberts takes prize in Kids Safe Online poster contest

Meredith Roberts, a student at the North Tonawanda Intermediate School, recently received word that she was one of the winners of the New York State Information Security Office’s “Kids Safe Online” poster contest.   

With cybersecurity awareness being a hot topic with educators, the annual contest focuses on how kindergarten-12th grade students talk about cybersecurity issues. 

There were over 500 entries in the competition that challenged students to think about online safety and creatively illustrate cybersecurity issues in ways that would resonate with their peers and spread the word about dangers online.  

“With technology so easily accessible for today’s children, we must increase our efforts to educate young people about the importance of cyber safety,” said state Chief Information Officer Robert H. Samson. “The New York State Safe Online poster contest is one way to help raise awareness about the many risks associated with being online.”  

Roberts was one of 12 students who won the contest. She was in the grades 3-5 category. Her poster “Cybersecurity Smarts” is displayed on the poster contest webpage at http://its.ny.gov/2018-2019-kids-safe-online-nys-poster-contest and will be featured in the 2020 New York State Kids Safe Online calendar.