New York State Office Of Information Technology Services Launches...

Poster Contest Helps Teach Kids About Cybersafety; ITS Now Accepting Poster Submissions from Students Across State

The New York State Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) today launched its 20th Annual New York State Kids Safe Online Poster Contest to engage young people in thinking about cybersecurity and to help promote safe online practices. The contest is open to New York State students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The deadline for submissions is December 20, 2024.

"For the twenty years, ITS has proudly presented our Kids Safe Online poster contest to the children of New York State. This contest educates children that we all have an important role to play in ensuring online safety. Each year we receive very creative submissions from across the state. We enjoy using poster submissions to promote cyber safety and online best practices for the benefit of all New Yorkers," said Dru Rai, New York State Chief Information Officer.

"By combining student creativity with their unique perspective, we find that the Kids Safe Poster Contest effectively promotes online safety for children and adults as well," said Chris DeSain, New York State Chief Information Security Officer. "This is not just a fun activity that helps kids focus on the importance of their online safety, however their poster submissions will carry their message to others for years to come."

"Safeguarding our digital future is a top priority and the annual Kids Safe Online poster contest is a creative way to educate our youth of safe cyber hygiene practices. Using this poster contest, Governor Hochul and ITS are empowering schoolchildren around New York to help spread the word of the cyber threats that exist in the digital realm in a way other kids can relate," said Colin Ahern, New York State Chief Cyber Officer.

New York State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said, "Technology holds the incredible potential to empower young minds, enabling them to learn and achieve remarkable things. However, it also carries risks, such as cyberbullying and the spread of misinformation. To address these challenges, the State Education Department urges schools to prioritize media literacy education, equipping students with the skills to navigate online dangers safely. Participating in this year's NYS Kids Safe Online Poster Contest is a great way to bolster these efforts, and we encourage our school communities and students to join the fun!"

The winning posters will be announced in early 2025 and will be featured in the New York State Kids Safe Online Calendar.

The goal of the contest is to educate students about the importance of cybersecurity by encouraging them to creatively depict what cybersecurity means to them through artwork. The contest also encourages teachers across New York State to reinforce cybersecurity best practices, such as the appropriate use of text messaging, safe sharing on social media and protection of personal information.

For more information on the New York State Kids Safe Online Poster Contest or for additional information on how to stay safe online, visit the 2024-2025 Kids Safe Online Poster Contest webpage.

About ITS

The New York State Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) was created in 2012 to transform IT services in an effort to make New York State government work smarter for its citizens and enable the state to be accessible for businesses through the use of technology. ITS provides statewide IT strategic direction, directs IT policy, and delivers centralized IT products and services that support the mission of the State. ITS operates data centers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to support statewide mission-critical applications for more than 50 agencies, over 17 million resident accounts, 120,000 employee accounts, 60,000 phones, 99,000 desktops and laptops, and 3,433 Virtual Desktop remote connections. ITS operates a secure network of over 1,600 miles of fiber to deliver telecommunications, Internet and Intranet services, enterprise email systems and support, IT training, networking, data storage and processing to State government entities in addition to developing new services in support of citizens, businesses, and State Agencies.

For more information, visit the ITS website and follow ITS on X, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.