About Optus Digital Thumbprint
Optus Digital Thumbprint offers free, curriculum-aligned workshops designed to empower young people to participate safely online, and equip them with the tools for fostering positive, responsible, and authentic digital interactions.
Since 2013, Optus has been running our free, award-winning Digital Thumbprint Program in schools across Australia – an initiative to educate young people around crucial digital safety and well-being topics. This award-winning program has been endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner as a Trusted eSafety Provider. Through facilitator-led and teacher-led digital interactive workshops, students learn about the importance of cybersecurity, digital identity, digital discernment, digital balance, cyberbullying and respectful relationships online.
We also have a range of guides and interactive quizzes for young people and families.
At Optus, as a leading provider of communications for Australians, our purpose is to “power optimism with options”. As part of this, Optus are committed to serve our community and have a positive impact through our sustainability programs and initiatives. Many of our sustainability initiatives provide our customers with options that positively increase their own impact on the environment and community.
Digital Thumbprint Impact Report 2021
The education landscape has shifted in response to COVID-19 and redefined the way students engage with educators, peers and technology itself. The Digital Thumbprint 2021 Impact report demonstrates how the program continues to support students, teachers, and parents to navigate this changing world, by promoting important behaviours to keep young Australians safe online.
Check out our findings and some great feedback from our students and schools by clicking below.
Digital Thumbprint Impact Report April 2020
Through our latest Digital Thumbprint Impact Report we engaged with over 1000 students and 315 teachers to hear directly from young people about their experiences online and with the program. This report summarises the evaluation results and impact of the program on its participants.
Digital Thumbprint Evaluation Report, February 2018
With our world now being ‘everything digital’, at Optus our focus is to give young people the ability to manage their digital presence in the best possible way, while avoiding the perils and pitfalls that are becoming all too common for young people online. This report summarises the evaluation results and impact of the program on its participants.
Mid Year Report
The latest information about the Digital Thumbprint program's reach and impact over the 6 month period from 1 April to 30 September 2017.
Digital Citizenship Research Report
How do young Australians behave online and what common issues do they face in this space? What is the current state of programs designed to promote the wellbeing of young Australians in the digital space, and what can we be doing better? To answer these questions, Optus has drawn on both primary and secondary research to provide a map of the current digital citizenship landscape for young Australians.
Digital Thumbprint Evaluation Report 2013-2016
As part of our commitment to create empowered and responsible digital citizens who thrive in today’s world of technology. Optus has conducted a thorough review on over 5,000 students and 2,000 teachers who have participated in the Digital Thumbprint program.
Advisers and Contributors
Dr Michelle Blanchard
Head of Projects and Partnerships
Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre
Honorary Research Fellow
Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne
Dr Michelle Blanchard is the National Manager, Programs and Practice at the Butterfly Foundation, where she leads the Foundation’s clinical and support services for Australians impacted by eating disorders.
From its inception in 2011 until 2016, Michelle was Head of Projects and Partnerships at the Young and Well CRC – an international research centre which explored the role of technologies in improving young people’s mental health and wellbeing. During this time, Michelle was also an Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne.
Michelle is currently a Board Member of youth mental health organisation Batyr and a member of the Community Health and Wellbeing Advisory Panel for the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation.
Michelle holds a PhD in Youth Mental Health, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree with majors in Psychology and Political Science and a Graduate Diploma in Adolescent Health and Welfare, all from the University of Melbourne.
Dr Mark Gregory
BEng(Elec)(Hons), MEng, PhD, FIEAust, SMIEEE
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
School of Engineering, RMIT University
Mark is currently an Associate Professor focusing on network engineering and Internet security in the School of Engineering at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia and has published more than 100 refereed papers. Mark is a Fellow of Engineers Australia, a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. and received an Australian Learning and Teaching Council Citation in 2009. Dr Gregory is the Managing Editor of the Australian Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy.
Mark has been the founding director of several companies that provide IT services, systems and software development.
Ben Peters
Digital Literacy Co-Ordinator
Waratah Technology Campus, Callaghan College, NSW
Technology Coordinator at Waratah Technology Campus, BA Visual Arts, BA Education (Secondary), MA Education. Ben is a secondary school teacher who, in addition to educating students in Information Technology has analysed, designed and implemented many whole school and college online learning spaces encouraging the use of effective technology use in teaching and learning.
