Introducing: The Google Web Rangers

What is a Web Ranger?

Rangers, traditionally guard parks and other areas of natural beauty.

At Google, Web Rangers are modern day online heroes who work towards spreading positive influence to keep the internet safe. It is also a program designed to train the youth on ways to address cyber threats and cyber bullying.

What is the objective of Web Rangers?

The Web Rangers program aims to train teenagers, age 14-21, to campaign for the safe use of the Internet in their communities. Selected teens are given a workshop by Google and partner agencies so they can be empowered to effectively campaign for online safety.

The teens are challenged to make the best use of their social influence to spread responsible use of the web among their peers using their knowledge and creative skills. The workshop includes lessons on how to tap into one’s creativity, how to produce educational videos and effectively distribute them online, how to out together workshops or presentations and more.

What are their roles as Web Rangers?

There are five Web Ranger roles that participants can identify with:

• The Creator, who creates inspiring and empowering creative content.
• The Frontliner, who takes a stand against cyberbullying.
• The Guardian, who is vigilant against cyber threats.
• The Transmitter, who shares positive content.
• The Uplifter, who is a source of positivity for the depressed.

From left to Right: The Transmitter, The Guardian, The Frontliner, The Uplifter and The Creator; group photo from https://www.webrangers.ph/about/

What does a Web Ranger need to do?

• Be an initiator.
• Be available and attentive to friends on the web and help them feel safer.
• Deliver messages on safe Internet to others in a creative and interesting way.

What are the campaign mechanics?

• Workshop attendees will be split into teams and will be tasked to create an idea, a mechanism, a social movement, a digital campaign, or an installation that will help address the issues of cyber bullying.
• The teams are given three weeks to produce their campaigns and should submit their work by Sunday, August 16, 11:59 PM. Awarding is on August 20.

What will the winning team receive?

The group with the most impressive campaign will get a chance to visit a Google office in Asia to present to Google executives.

Web Rangers is a trademark of Google, Inc.