Attention Teachers and Educators

The Governor’s office, the State Information Technology Services Division (SITSD), and the Montana Information Security Advisory Council (MT-ISAC) are conducting a state-wide kindergarten through 12th grade computer safety contest in conjunction with the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC). We encourage teachers and educators to use this contest to address cybersecurity awareness and online safety in their classrooms.

The goal of the “Kids Safe Online” poster contest is to engage young people in thinking about cybersecurity through the creation of original artwork that will encourage their peers to use the Internet safely and securely. Young people know more than anyone how their friends use the Internet, so their messages and images will help their peers make better decisions when posting pictures, videos, and personal information online.

All entries may be used in national, regional, and state cybersecurity awareness or online safety campaigns. The MT-ISAC will select 13 state winners who will be featured in the 2023 Montana Kids Safe Online calendar and also submitted to the MS-ISAC for entry into the national poster contest. The Governor’s office will select the top four state winners to be displayed on posters and other educational material.

"The Kids Safe Online Montana Poster Contest was a valuable addition to our lessons on cyber safety. Our students spend a significant amount of time online, both at school and at home.

This poster contest provided an engaging springboard into hearty discussions centered around how to treat others online, how to handle unwanted attention and strangers online, keeping private information private, and navigating the internet safely with parent or teacher supervision.

Students carefully considered which of these topics needed reinforcement among their peers and designed creative posters to display their advice. The posters allowed for our students to exercise their artistic talents while solidifying the importance of cyber safety. Win, win!"

- K.D. Jones
Library Media Specialist
Radley Elementary School
East Helena

Registration

Please have your school principal, administrator, or teacher email poster@mt.gov by December 3, 2021 if your school is interested in participating in Montana's "Kids Safe Online" poster contest. We will confirm your participation and provide helpful information to get your school started.

Suggested Topics

Poster entries should illustrate the safe use of the Internet or mobile devices in a positive manner. Some of the key concepts of cybersecurity awareness and online safety include:

• Cyber Security
• Cyber Bullying
• Cyber Community Citizenship (Cyber Ethics)
• Malicious Code (Worms and Viruses)
• Social networking
• Mobile devices (Smartphones, tablets)

Topic suggestions by grades

Grades K-5

• How should you treat others online?
• How should you keep your name and address secret online?
• How should you handle unwanted attention or strangers online?
• Why should you have your parents with you while you re online?
• Why should you not use instant messaging, chat rooms, or social networking?

Grades 6-8

• How can you select a strong password and keep it secure?
• What information is safe to put on social media and what should you keep private?
• How can you handle cyberbullying?
• Why should you only use instant messaging, chat rooms, or social networking with your parents?
• Why should you not meet people in real life that you only know online?

Grades 9-12

• How can you preserve your online reputation or “digital footprint” on both social media and elsewhere on the Internet?
• Why is it important to be careful what you post online?
• How can you select a strong password and keep it secure?
• Why shouldn’t you share your personal information online?
• Why is it important to keep your devices and software up to date?
• When is it safe to text and what information is safe to text?
• How can you handle cyberbullying?
• How should you handle unwanted attention or strangers online?
• Why should you be careful using instant messaging, chat rooms, or social networking?
• How to identify phishing emails?
• What are spear phishing emails?
• How to protect against computer viruses?
• What are computer viruses?
• What are computer worms?
• Why to be careful clicking links in emails?
• How to tell where a link really goes?
• How bad websites install malware on your computer?
• How to be careful playing online games?
• How to protect the information on your cell phone?
• Why you shouldn’t give your password to anyone?

 

Requirements

See the Montana Kids Safe Online Poster Contest Tool Kit for more information.

Format

• Original hand-drawn or electronically created submissions will be accepted.
• Text should be dark and large enough to read.
• Submissions may be in the format of either a full-page drawing or a 4-panel comic.

Layout

• Only landscape layout submissions will be accepted! Calendars are in landscape format.

Dimensions

• Minimum: 11” x 8.5”
• Maximum: 14” x 11”

Content

• Do Not send any artwork that contains trademarked images or brands such as Disney Characters, Dell, Google, Twitter, etc. For additional information on copyright visit: http://www.copyrightkids.org/
• Do Not put any identifying information (such as student’s full name or age) on the front of the poster.
• Adults may offer minimum technical support but cannot aid in the creative process. No professional (paid) assistance is allowed.
• Inappropriate or offensive language and images will cause a submission to be automatically disqualified.

Note:

• Students may use a variety of media, such as watercolor, pen and ink, crayon, chalk, or markers.
• Brighter colors reproduce better for the calendar. Light pencil marks will not show up.
• Keep in mind most posters will likely be on public display and should be easy to see or read.

Submission

Poster entries will only be accepted from schools that registered by the deadline. If your school is interested in participating in Montana's "Kids Safe Online" poster contest, then please have your school principal, administrator, or teacher send an email to: poster@mt.gov by December 3, 2021. We will confirm your participation and provide helpful information to get your school started.

Entry Form

• Each poster must be accompanied by a completed Montana Kids Safe Online Poster Contest Entry Form located in the Tool Kit.

Due Date

• Posters and Entry Forms must be submitted by December 17,2021.

Submitting via US Mail or other courier

Poster entries and forms should be mailed to:

Kids Safe Online Poster Contest
SITSD Room 229
125 N. Roberts
Helena, MT 59601

Submitting electronically

Email digital artwork to: poster@mt.gov

Note:

• All entries must be submitted with a completed entry form located in the .
• All entries become the property of the State of Montana and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center.
• All entries may be used in future security awareness campaigns or Internet and computer safety publications.
• Poster entries will not be returned.

Judging

Members of the MT-ISAC will pick 13 winning designs. The Governor will pick the top four winning designs, including the State's overall winner. Artwork will be judged based on the following criteria:

• artistry
• creativity
• message
• originality

Note:

• Posters that are difficult to read will not be judged.
• Posters that are not submitted with a completed entry form will not be judged.
• Posters that do not meet the specifications in the will not be judged.
• Posters that infringe on copyright will not be judged, see: http://www.copyrightkids.org/
• Posters that do not convey a message consistent with the contest theme will not be judged.

Winners

Thirteen winners will be chosen and their designs will be featured in the 2023 Montana Kids Safe Online calendar which will be distributed throughout the state and used in campaigns to raise awareness among children of all ages about Internet and computer safety. The top four winning submissions will also be made into posters. The MT-ISAC will notify the school contact person named on the Poster Entry Form if their student is a winner!

This is a fun way to raise awareness about computer and online safety, so have a great time!

2020 Winners Who Are Featured on the 2021 Montana Kids Safe Online Posters

Examples of previous national winners can be found here and here .