The digital space has turned into an alternative reality for children, who study, communicate, and develop their worldview within it. However, besides new opportunities, the Internet is filled with risks, and only awareness of one’s rights can protect from them.

How to protect your rights in the digital world? How to identify cyberbullying, social media influences, and human rights violations? Can documentary cinema help discuss complex themes with students in an accessible and interesting way?

“The School DOCU/WEEK is taking place for the fourth time now, and every time convinces us how important it is to provide educators with tools to discuss complex topics with students. This year, we discuss children’s rights in the digital era, which immediately concerns the everyday life of schoolchildren,” emphasizes Nina Khoma, Head of the Docudays UA Network of film clubs.

“Documentary films help schoolchildren watch real-life stories, recognize in them their own experiences, ask questions, express their opinions, and look for answers together with their classmates. Shared discussions turn films into tools of development of critical thinking, empathy, and understanding of one’s rights.”

This year’s theme will enable students in grades 5 to 11 to view the digital space not merely as a place for learning, communication, and entertainment, but also as an environment where understanding the risks and protecting oneself and others are of utmost importance. 

What does the School DOCU/WEEK have to offer?

We invite educational institutions to participate in the School DOCU/WEEK. There is no upper limit for the number of educators from every institution who will be conducting lessons.

In the course of one month, the participants have to conduct 5 lessons (for middle school) or 6 lessons (for high school), dedicated to documentary films, human rights, and digital security. The program also includes screenings of documentary films with moderated discussions. 

The Docudays UA Network of film clubs offers educators ready-made methodological materials for lessons and scenarios for film discussions that will be useful in organizing conversations with students and turning screenings of films into a space for dialogue, analysis, and reflection on one’s personal experience. 

What films will the students watch?

Students in grades 5–11 will have the opportunity to watch Swatted by Ismaël Joffroy Chandoutis. The protagonists of the film are online gamers who are sharing their experience related to “swatting” – a dangerous type of cyber violence, where the perpetrators provide law enforcement with fake information to provoke the use of force. The story unfolds through YouTube videos and footage from online video games, providing an opportunity to discuss cyberbullying, online risks, privacy, and responsibility with teenagers in the digital environment.

For high schoolers (grades 9-11), two more films will be available in addition to Swatted.

Adidas Owns the Reality (directed by Igor Vamos, Keil Orion Troisi) is a story about prankster activists who resorted to an unusual mystification to draw attention to the labor conditions within the Adidas supply chain, labor rights violations, and environmental damage. The film will provide an occasion to discuss human rights and possibilities for civic activism that involve social media.

+10К (directed by Gala Hernandez Lopez) is dedicated to the influence of social networks on our lives, behaviors, and youths’ life choices. After the screening, students can discuss how social media algorithms and the digital environment influence our decisions, what happens to personal space in social networks, and how to use digital platforms conscientiously. 

How to join the School DOCU/WEEK?

Participation in the School DOCU/WEEK is completely free of charge. 

By the end of September, registered participants will get access to films and materials that are necessary to conduct their lessons.

Upon completion, all teachers who participated in the School DOCU/WEEK will receive certificates.

To join the project, please fill in the registration form (one form per school): https://forms.gle/uM9KaME5UqhCYMhJA .

We encourage educators to discuss children's rights in the digital world with children. The School DOCU/WEEK is a crucial opportunity to create a space to discuss with children issues directly related to their everyday lives.

The School DOCU/WEEK is implemented with financial support from the Canada-Ukraine Foundation.

The opinions, conclusions, or recommendations are those of the authors and compilers of this publication and do not necessarily reflect the views of the governments or charitable organizations of the respective countries. The authors and compilers are solely responsible for the content of this publication.