Press Releases

The Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) and the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) announced today that two Virginia students are national winners in the 2023 Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center’s (MS-ISAC) annual Kids Safe Online poster contest.

Faith, who just graduated from the Williamsburg-James City County (WJCC) Virtual Academy, won first place in the national contest overall. Rosalind, a junior from Radford High School, also placed in the top 10. In all, the Commonwealth submitted entries from 18 students in elementary, junior and high school into the national competition.

“Congratulations to Faith and Rosalind, and all our finalists from Virginia. We are so proud of you and all that you’ve accomplished,” said Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth Robert Osmond. “Your participation in the contest serves as a model to all students in Virginia when it comes to sharing the message of cybersecurity, and the importance of staying safe while online.” 

“I congratulate Faith and Rosalind for their attractive designs and the themes they selected for their award-winning posters,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons. “And I thank VITA for providing this annual opportunity for our students to demonstrate their creativity and talent while promoting online safety and cybersecurity.”

The goal of the contest is to engage young people in creating posters to encourage their peers to use the internet safely and securely. The competition also offers an opportunity for teachers in classrooms across Virginia to address and reinforce cybersecurity and online safety issues. All students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 are eligible to participate. 

“Cyber education programs such as the Kids Safe Online poster contest are a significant part of Virginia’s educational fabric, as the students of today are our technology users and professionals of tomorrow,” said Chief Information Security Officer of the Commonwealth Michael Watson. “Educating our students on how to protect themselves in a digital world is our collective responsibility; it’s up to each and every one of us to secure our technological future.” 

For more information on the Kids Safe Online poster contest and the submissions from this year’s finalists in Virginia, visit the VITA website.