More than ever, connected devices have been woven into society as an integral part of how our children learn and communicate. Cornerstone Jamaica believes that Cyber Safety for Jamaican children has become paramount. With the growing access of the internet for online learning, there has come an increase in children’s social communications through platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, YouTube, TikTok and Gaming. Data collected from your children’s devices, profiles and online activities can detail highly specific information, which can be exploited by bad actors, namely stalkers, bullies, blackmailers and hackers, for their personal gain.
With the approval of numerous stakeholders and the endorsement of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, initial pilot sessions were well received in January 2021 by a large handful of Jamaican primary students. CyberSafe Yuhself! was officially launched on April 13, 2021, beginning with Broughton Primary School, one of Cornerstone Jamaica’s official partner schools. Over the next nine weeks, online CyberSafety workshops for students, their parents and their teachers were held in the eleven partner primary schools, along with high school students at Manning’s School and Lennon High School.