An EU-wide campaign encouraging young people to use the new media technologies begins today.
Netd@ysEurope Week, is, as the name suggests, a week-long series of events and initiatives taking place at schools, libraries, galleries etc., throughout the EU.
Participation is a key element of the campaign and workshops at numerous locations throughout the country will allow people to work in particular with digital images.
"Image" is the theme of this, the fifth year of events, which are co-ordinated by the European Commission and the education and training agency, Leargas, in the Republic of Ireland.
Internet-based activities will be allied to exhibitions, workshops and discussion groups as Netd@ys seeks to encourage understanding of images and the development of creative interaction with images.
Film plays a prominent role with European Film Heritage Week coinciding with Netd@ys. A number of Irish schools have arranged video-conferences with schools in other parts of the EU to compare and contrast Irish film with work from other countries.
In a welcome message on the netd@ys website, the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, said he was impressed with the standard of project submitted to date. "Netd@ys provides a great opportunity to promote educational and cultural projects and to establish partnerships with other key players in the field of education and culture," he said.