Welcome to the FoeFace Parents’ Page
We are delighted that your child has been selected by their teacher to take part in FoeFace — a social media citizenship project preparing young people who are at or near the beginning of their online life for responsible digital citizenship in a world marked by increasing abuse, division, and breakdown in public discourse.
When young people first join social media, they begin a second, digital life - one where they are inevitably exposed to poor examples of human interaction and steered by algorithms toward participation in a hostile culture. The harmful effects of social media on the mental and emotional health of young people are now widely acknowledged and deeply concerning, but we have not established rites of passage or structured preparation to effectively equip them for this significant digital transition - all that is required of them is to enter some basic details and agree to the terms.
FoeFace is a digital citizenship project that responds to this by supporting and educating young people to become peacemaking influencers on social media. It does not encourage them to join social media, but — recognising the likelihood of it at some point– FoeFace provides them with supported exposure to some of the experiences on it in a way that will both immunise them against some of its harmful effects, and equip them to join a positive cultural shift online.
FoeFace participants are selected from a number of schools and come together for the one-day experience that involves a variety of workshops, games and other activities designed to develop their confidence and skills in engaging with those who think and value differently to them while taking care of their own well being and acting responsibly towards the wellbeing of others. Their valuable feedback on the experience will also play a crucial role in shaping the programme for wider, national implementation.
FoeFace 2024 is taking place on Friday 14th June at John Keble Primary School, Harlesden and is designed and delivered by artists and educators at Fer.
Further down, you'll see an overview of the program, FAQs, and links to our relevant safeguarding and privacy policies.
If you have any questions please contact project leader, Jen Logan at hello@ferproduction.com.
MORE ABOUT FOEFACE
Participants will be led through a series of creative activities together in groups and individually online via the FoeFace app, which provides them supported exposure to views and beliefs that are different from their own and guides them in how to listen with empathy, communicate respectfully, and take care of their own wellbeing as well as others online.
The students will engage in online conversations that cover a range of political, cultural and ethical issues. They will be guided by the app's structured approach and supported by experienced educators from Fer. Throughout the day, students will also participate in fun games and other activities all designed to equip young people for online citizenship and to support them to become part of cohort of emerging young people who lead and role model a peaceful way of relating to others online. Lunch and refreshments will also be catered for the students.
To ensure a secure and inclusive experience, clear guidelines for engagement are in place, guaranteeing the protection of students' anonymity throughout. It's important to note that FoeFace is solely committed to supporting young people in learning how to engage peacefully online. Consequently, there will be no evaluation of the specific views expressed by participants, and such views will not be shared beyond the FoeFace moderators.
Personal data and records of conversations will be securely stored and accessible only to Fer charity employees. This information will not be shared with participants' schools or youth group leaders unless a safeguarding issue arises. Click on the links below to read our FAQs and our relevant policies.
“There is growing evidence that social media makes young people – especially teenage girls – more anxious and depressed. The best approach – I believe – is for under 16s to stay off social media entirely. But I also really welcome FoeFace. This is a digital citizenship project that offers structured guidance and education, helping to prepare young people for what they might see online. The team behind it are great people and I’d recommend people to engage with what they are doing”
Click here to view the FoeFace app at www.foeface.com
FoeFace has been designed by educators and artists at Fer Production— a charity that creates initial experiences of Christian faith and discipleship through contemporary art and creative practices for emerging generations.
