Jim Dobbin urges primary schools to “Make IT Happy, Make IT Safe”

The seventh year of the Make IT Happy competition, a UK-wide technology challenge for primary school students aged 9 to 11, has been launched and is backed by Jim Dobbin, MP for Heywood and Middleton.

This year’s competition has been specially designed to help children use the internet safely and creatively. Staying safe online is an important skill even for primary age children, and the competition helps them learn how to make the most of the internet without putting themselves at risk.

Children will be asked to create an infographic – a digital poster – that tells other people what they’ve learned and how they too can be safe on the web. This reinforces the learning and helps spread the word about using the internet securely.

£1,200 will be awarded to each of the regional competition finalists, with the overall winning school taking home an additional cash prize of £4,000. Winners will also be invited to attend an awards ceremony to be held at the Houses of Parliament in London in June 2013.

Jim Dobbin is keen for local primary schools to get involved: “I encourage all of the local primary schools to get involved with Make IT Happy this year. The competition helps children gain invaluable internet safely skills, and pass them on to other people. I’m confident that pupils will enjoy the chance to work together on such an exciting and relevant project, as well as having the opportunity to win cash prizes for their school.”

The closing date for entries is April 6, 2013.

For further information and details of how to enter, visit the website at http://makeithappy.cc4g.net