Hector’s World^® is a free online learning resource for children 2-9 years of age. Hector and his friends live in the magical world of Silicon Deep where their whole community is learning about the digital world. Children can be entertained and have fun as they learn about serious and complex topics like online privacy and safety.

The key to the success of Hector’s World is the very engaging characters, and character-driven storylines. Young children engage with the material emotionally as well as intellectually. They can use the characters as role models until they are old enough to develop their own critical thinking and online skills. Great creative giants like Walt Disney understood the communication power of animation with children. We are using that strategy to give children the best possible start to their life with ICT (information and communication technologies). We help them mature into caring, capable and responsible members of the online community. As well, we are offering an effective tool to parents, teachers, librarians and others to build children’s understanding of digital citizenship.

The core content of Hector’s World for children uses high quality 2-D animation, games and music presented in a variety of formats:

• 8 minute episodes and 4 minute interactive episodes
• MP3 music files of catchy songs with downloadable songsheets
• new 1.5 minute music video format
• Hector’s World Safety Button™
• puzzles and games
• character profiles and downloadable storybooks (2 different reading levels)
• activities like character hats which can downloaded for children to make at home or school

For parents, teachers and librarians we offer the following:

• all of the resources listed above plus-
• plans for use of the resource for a Digital Citizenship Week
• lesson plans for each episode, 3 different age levels per episode
• downloadable character flashcards for use with the lessons
• 10 minute guided tours of Hector’s World.

With Hector’s World there is the potential to create a universal cybercitizenship resource for the very young. In New Zealand, Hector and his friends are already integrated in the learning at many primary school and early childhood centres. Outside of New Zealand, we have Government Partners now in the UK and in Australia.

Our material works well with existing e-safety education programmes and complements the excellent resources other cybersafety agencies have developed. We are also developing educational resources that can be purchased by teachers and parents to add even more diversity and flexibility to our programme.