Digital Safety Starts Early with Cyber-PARK Program

Just as we teach children to look both ways before crossing a street or how to ride a bike, we must equip them with skills and tools to safely navigate the digital world.  

Ellie Ebrahimi, UNCW associate professor of computer science, says an “unprotected digital playground” is leaving young learners with a lack of foundational online safety skills. She points to an absence of a standardized, comprehensive cybersecurity curriculum at the elementary school level, resulting in a lack of early digital literacy and safety instruction.  

The educational gap leaves students highly vulnerable to an evolving array of cyber threats, including cyberbullying, online predators, scams, privacy breaches and exposure to misinformation. These threats compromise children's safety and hinder their preparedness for a future which requires digital literacy. 

Ebrahimi, who has taught at UNCW since 2018, launched Cyber-PARK (Cybersecurity Practice and Awareness for Rising Kids), a browser-based cybersecurity platform that helps elementary-age students learn safe digital practices through interactive, age-appropriate simulations. 

The platform moves beyond passive learning by leveraging fun and interactive modules to actively teach vital safety skills and interactive challenges that simulate real-world digital scenarios.   

Cyber-PARK is one of 13 research projects across 11 UNC System institutions that recently received an NCInnovation grant. NCInnovation, Inc. is a public-private partnership providing grant funding, mentorship and partnership development to public university researchers working on discoveries that have commercial promise. This cycle, they awarded a total of $10 million to projects that support regional strengths. 

“Cyber-PARK is a groundbreaking step toward building digital resilience early, equipping K–5th grade students with the skills to navigate an increasingly connected world safely and confidently,” said Ron Vetter, dean of the College of Science and Engineering. “The project’s NCInnovation Award underscores the importance of translating academic excellence into practical solutions that protect and empower future generations.” 

The initiative benefits from the full support and strategic advising of the Department of Computer Science and CSE. Ebrahimi’s colleagues include: 

• Daisyane Barreto, Watson College of Education, Assistant Professor, Department of Instructional Technology, Foundations and Secondary Education 
• Yasin Emre (Leo) Gokce, Cameron School of Business, Lecturer, Congdon School of Supply Chain 
• Geoff Stoker, Cameron School of Business, Associate Professor, Congdon School of Supply Chain, Business Analytics and Information Systems 

Guided by a singular mission to close the critical K-5th grade cybersecurity gap, the team's approach was academically rigorous and intensely user-centered. They interviewed more than 200 stakeholders, including educators, industry leaders, students and parents to fully understand real-world needs. The resulting pilot study, executed with professionals from New Hanover County Schools and the Cape Fear Center for Inquiry, fundamentally shaped the Cyber-PARK platform. 

“To be selected for the NCInnovation Award is an incredibly powerful validation of our team's commitment and a profound honor,” said Ebrahimi. “This award recognizes that our efforts are not just academic; they represent a viable solution with significant economic and societal impact for the region. It feels like every dedicated hour of work has been validated tenfold, and we are now ready to scale our vision.” 

The award will serve as a foundational launchpad to formally establish an EdTech company in New Hanover County, translating university-backed innovation into job creation and commercial success and boosting efforts to make North Carolina the national leader in early cybersecurity education.

More about the NCInnovation Award

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