CyberBytes- Intro to Cybersecurity for Young African Minds

Age Range: 9+

Class Time (EST): 1:30 PM EST

Class Days: Fridays

Instructor Name: Mamaga Fafali Mathis

Instructor Email: [email protected]

Instructor cell phone: +17572928292

Class Description

Cyberbytes is a 10-week online, instructor-supported foundational cybersecurity course designed for children ages 9+ that provides hands-on, story-driven digital safety education, building future cyber defenders one child at a time. It equips young learners and their caregivers with tools to navigate and shape the digital world safely through interactive cybersecurity awareness activities.

Class Skills Development 

Build digital self-protection skills. Children learn how to spot manipulation, unsafe links, strangers, scams, and risky requests in games, chats, video platforms, and apps. This matters because kids are increasingly exposed to online grooming, harmful content, and other abuse risks through everyday digital spaces. Strengthen safe decision-making and critical thinking. The course can teach children to pause, question, verify, and tell a trusted adult when something feels off. That kind of habit is useful against fake accounts, social engineering, ai companions for homework and misleading content that can be used to target minors. Create family-ready digital safety routines. It can equip caregivers with simple rules for device use, privacy settings, screen-time boundaries, and conversation habits so safety continues at home, not only in class. Parent-child communication is a key part of helping young learners stay safe online. Promote responsible, smart online habits. Beyond avoiding harm, children can learn how to behave respectfully online, protect other people’s privacy, and understand the difference between curiosity and unsafe conduct. That helps build a generation that can use technology confidently without normalizing abuse or risky behavior. 

Class Materials 

Parent handouts with home safety tips. Slide deck for each lesson. Badges for completed lessons. Games or quizzes for review and reinforcement. A final take-home safety pack for children and caregivers.

Class Norms 

Never share passwords or private details. Don’t click unknown links or open suspicious messages. Use approved apps, sites, and game spaces only. Speak up quickly if you see something that makes them feel uncomfortable, bullying, scary content, or unsafe behavior.

About the Instructor 

I'm a mother, a wife, an encourager, a trailblazer, a cybersecurity strategist, and Co-Founder of Krafo Systems, a cybersecurity service provider in West Africa. I am the convener of the Cybersecurity Capacity Building Initiative, which educates young learners and IT professionals who want to learn cybersecurity. Through CyberBytes, I train and inspire Africa's next generation of cyber defenders — because a digitally resilient future has to be built from the ground up, starting with its youth.