The nonprofit Center for Cyber Safety and Education launches new “Garfield at Home” program to teach children ages 6-11 how to be safe and secure online from the comfort of their homes.
“COVID-19 has shown us that internet safety education needs to be a priority, especially when it comes to younger kids. The Center is here to help parents eliminate the guessing game of how to teach their children cyber safety and what resources to use,” says Patrick Craven, director of the Center.
The new “Garfield at Home” program will feature award-winning Garfield’s Cyber Safety Adventures in a new digital platform where children will be able to learn internet safety lessons on privacy, gaming, cyberbullying, and illegal downloading through animated cartoons, game-based learning, and find and click storybooks. Children will earn digital badges as they test their knowledge through the different levels. Children will also have access to physical internet safety materials such as Garfield’s Cyber Safety Adventures Coloring Book and the newly released Movie Adventure Comic Book.
In addition, “Garfield at Home” will feature a new Parents Internet Safety Guide to help families continue the conversation of internet safety beyond “Garfield at Home” activities.
With the uncertainty of how schools will operate in the fall of 2020, “Garfield at Home” is the perfect summer tool to educate children of the dangers online with fun and relatable content as a preventive measure.
I had a chance to do an interview to learn more.
Why was the Garfield at Home program created?
COVID-19 has shown parents that internet safety education needs to be a priority, especially when it comes to younger kids. At the Center, we want to help them eliminate the guessing game of how to teach their children cyber safety and what resources to use. With the uncertainty of how schools will operate in the fall of 2020, “Garfield at Home” is the perfect summer tool to educate children of the dangers online with fun and relatable content as a preventive measure.
Why is it so important for kids to learn digital safety skills?
According to our Children’s Internet Usage Study, 40% of children in grades 4-8 have chatted with strangers online. In addition, children are a prime target for identity theft due to their limited credit usage. Because of these and other potential threats, it’s important for children to understand the consequences of talking to strangers online or providing personal information on the internet.
At the Center we believe that internet safety is not a one-time conversation, rather a series of conversations to keep reminding children best cyber safety practices. We want to equip our kids to be responsible digital citizens and keep themselves and their loved ones safe online.
What are some often-overlooked elements of cyber safety?
Many people don’t realize how much personal information they are sharing online, giving predators and cyber criminals an opportunity to exploit that access. Being tech-savvy doesn’t mean you are cyber-savvy. It’s important to understand the basics of cyber safety, such as network security, creating strong passwords, and identifying phishing emails. Luckily we offer resources on these topics in over 20 different languages for people to download and learn.
What sets this program apart from other options for teaching kids about digital safety?
In one word, Garfield. His sense of humor and cattitude makes learning internet safety fun for children. Garfield is known worldwide which allows our program to be used anywhere. Adults and children love him alike, making this program much more engaging and appealing for the entire family.
The new “Garfield at Home” program features award-winning Garfield’s Cyber Safety Adventures in a new digital platform where children will be able to learn internet safety lessons on privacy, gaming, cyberbullying, and illegal downloading through animated cartoons, game-based learning, and find and click storybooks. Children will earn digital badges as they test their knowledge through the different levels. Children will also have access to physical internet safety materials such as Garfield’s Cyber Safety Adventures Coloring Book and the newly released Downloading Disaster Garfield Comic Book. We are also releasing with this program an brand new extensive Parent’s Internet Safety Guide that if full of useful tips and information from top cybersecurity professionals on what we all can do to keep our children safe and secure online.
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