Cyber security workshop for 100 adolescents at the FC Bayern Campus

What are the dangers for children and adolescents on the internet, and how can they protect themselves? What does responsible handling of social media mean? About 100 pupils at the age of 14 to 17 learned about this and more at the FC Bayern Campus on Wednesday. The adolescents from multiple Munich schools and education centres participated in a cyber security workshop in the context of the extracurricular educational program "Learning with a Kick".

Technological progress and digitalisation have made this an up-to-the-minute topic, said Markus Meindl, FC Bayern director of fan and fan club support, which has been supporting the project since 2016. The progress is very helpful in everyday life, "but it also presents big challenges to us, and we must sensitise and educate people for it," according to Meindl. "Learning with a Kick" coordinator Moritz Janke said adolescents must think about "what we reveal on the internet" and must be aware "of many fake news and that they can be deceived."

Broad spectrum

The two-hour workshop focused on social media and artificial intelligence before addressing identity fraud, password security and hate speech in the second part. The participants showed their knowledge in a quiz, the winner was presented with an FC Bayern jersey. All participants got a ticket for a Euro group match at Munich's Allianz Arena, provided by the initiative "10,000 Smiles" of the UEFA Foundation for Children.

The cyber security workshop was a special course by "Learning with a Kick", a free offering from the AWO München-Stadt and is part of the nationwide network 'Lernort Stadion e.V.', in which 27 German professional clubs are involved. FC Bayern supports it with €10,000 per year. After many years at the Olympiastadion, the "Learning with a Kick" classroom has been at the FC Bayern Campus since the beginning of 2023, offering weekly workshops focused on different socially relevant subjects.

Extra large classroom

"FC Bayern is one of our strong partners, not only financially but also with regard to facilities," confirmed Janke, stressing that another room at the FCB Campus could be used. Courses for individual classes are usually staged in a room at the Campus, but this time an entire sports hall was necessary for a special experience for so many pupils.

Executive vice chairman Dr Michael Diederich visited one of the "Learning with a Kick" workshops last December: