Convening to Act | Summit on Cybersecurity Education

Name on all marketing materials
Front row seats at convening for up to 8 people
Public Recognition throughout the Convening Day
Social Media “Shout Outs” - multiple times from sponsorship through the event

Check-In
Register to Receive PDUs
Breakfast & Networking
CTF Begins Online

Dr. Alisha Jordan (Director of Education, NCF)
Kelli Arena (CEO & President, NCF)
Secretary Harry Coker Jr. 

Unlocking Cyber & AI Brilliance: Engaging Curriculum, Hands-On Activities, and Escape Room Adventures
Presenter: Jennifer Marden

Looking for a powerful way to make cybersecurity and AI engaging, relevant, and classroom-ready for your students?

Join me for an interactive session showcasing the RING (Regions Investing in the Next Generation) online high school curricula in Cybersecurity and AI. Participants will be engaged through a highly interactive, collaborative session. Educators will actively engage in hands-on cybersecurity and AI learning activities, experiencing the curriculum from a student’s perspective rather than relying solely on lectures. Small-group collaboration will be encouraged as participants work through challenges, discuss instructional strategies, and share classroom applications. The session will culminate in an immersive escape room activity, allowing educators to solve problems, apply concepts, and see firsthand how this engaging approach can be implemented directly in their own classrooms to boost student motivation and learning.

Funded through grants from the Department of War National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, the RING curricula are free for all educators. The cybersecurity curriculum includes 180 hours of content, complete with lesson plans, instructional slides, hands-on labs, games, projects, and assessments. The RING AI curriculum (150+ hours) will bring the same educator-friendly design and rigorous alignment to AI education.

Whether you’re new to cybersecurity and AI or looking to elevate an existing program, you’ll leave with ready-to-use resources, practical implementation tips, and fresh ideas to energize your classroom.

Tech Meets Touch: Soft Skills for High-Impact Professionals
Presenter: Dr. Li-Jen Lester

In today’s rapidly evolving, technology-driven landscape, technical expertise alone is no longer enough to ensure success. Tech Meets Touch is an engaging, interactive workshop designed to help high-tech professionals—from K–16 educators and higher education faculty to government agencies, industry leaders, nonprofit organizations, and cybersecurity experts—strengthen the human skills that amplify their technical impact.

This hands-on session moves beyond theory, immersing participants in practical activities that build critical soft skills such as communication, collaboration, leadership, adaptability, and emotional intelligence. Through guided exercises, role-playing, and real-world case studies, attendees will actively practice techniques to improve teamwork, navigate complex conversations, and build connections across disciplines. Participants will leave with actionable strategies and increased confidence to integrate these skills into their daily work.

By bridging technical expertise with interpersonal effectiveness, this workshop empowers professionals to inspire in increasingly collaborative and interdisciplinary environments.

Bridging Education and Industry: The AP Cybersecurity Advantage
Presenter: Walisa Sabb

Discover how AP Cybersecurity prepares students for college, careers, and industry-recognized credentials while addressing the growing demand for cybersecurity professionals. Explore the course’s design, workforce connections, pilot program outcomes, and the opportunities it creates for schools to expand high-quality cybersecurity education.

CyberSafe AI: A Game-Based Approach to AI Literacy and Cybersecurity Education
Presenter: Dr. Shannon Beck

CyberSafe AI is an engaging, game-based learning experience to help students develop knowledge and skills needed to become safe, responsible, and critical users of artificial intelligence (AI). Developed by the Virginia and U.S. Cyber Range at Virginia Tech, CyberSafe AI introduces learners to the opportunities and risks associated with generative AI through interactive scenarios, real-world examples, and game-based challenges.

Through six progressive lessons and corresponding game levels, students explore foundational and emerging AI concepts, including large language models (LLMs), hallucinations, misinformation, AI-enabled phishing and deepfakes, privacy considerations, prompt injection, guardrails, and agentic AI. The curriculum combines cybersecurity, digital literacy, and AI literacy in an accessible format that promotes critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and safe technology use.

Designed for high school and undergraduate learners, CyberSafe AI includes educator-ready lesson plans, presentation slides, assessments, and classroom activities. CyberSafe AI can be readily integrated into computer science, cybersecurity, digital citizenship, and technology courses. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in education and everyday life, CyberSafe AI equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate an AI-powered world safely and confidently.

This session will present the educational materials as well as discuss the initial response, usage, and feedback from the CyberSafe AI pilot that launched on June 1, 2026.

Topics include: Understanding LLMs; AI Accuracy and Hallucinations; AI Phishing, Deepfakes, and Social Engineering; Privacy with LLMs; Prompt Injection and Guardrails; and Agentic AI.

The complete CyberSafe AI curriculum and game are available through go.vacr.io/cybersafe-ai

Beyond the Degree: Using Google Professional Certificates to Build Career-Ready Cyber Talent
Presenter: Dr. Loyce Pailen

This 30-minute presentation will highlight the Google NASH Professional Certificate Project and its potential to expand access to career-focused education for students, adult learners, educators, military-affiliated learners, and individuals seeking to enter or advance in technology and cybersecurity careers.

Participants will learn how Google Professional Certificates provide flexible, industry-relevant training in high-demand areas such as cybersecurity, data analytics, IT support, project management, digital marketing, user experience design, and artificial intelligence. The presentation will also explore how universities and educators can incorporate certificate opportunities into existing academic programs, workforce initiatives, student support services, and professional development activities.

Special attention will be given to the value of earning an additional industry certificate alongside a college degree or professional experience. Certificates can help learners demonstrate initiative, develop practical skills, strengthen résumés, prepare for interviews, and become more competitive for internships, entry-level positions, promotions, and career transitions.

The session will provide practical examples from the Google NASH project, including student engagement strategies, certificate completion support, program administration, and opportunities to connect certificate learning with academic and career goals.

From Interests to Impact: Guiding Students Toward Cybersecurity Careers
Presenters: Dr. Kristine Christensen & Dr. Deanne Cranford-Wesley

Advisors, counselors, and educators play a critical role in helping students discover where they fit in cybersecurity. In this interactive session, participants will explore a ready-to-use toolkit that connects students’ interests, strengths, and personality traits to cybersecurity roles and related college and career pathways aligned with the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity and the DoD Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF).

Through hands-on activities, participants will map student characteristics to cybersecurity roles, examine educational and career-planning resources, and explore responsible ways to use AI tools to support resume and professional profile development. Attendees will leave with adaptable activities, actionable strategies, and greater confidence to help students identify educational options, strengthen career readiness, and take meaningful next steps toward a rewarding future in cybersecurity roles and related college and career pathways aligned with the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity and the DoD Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF). Through hands-on activities, participants will map student characteristics to cybersecurity roles, examine educational and career-planning resources, and explore responsible ways to use AI tools to support resume and professional profile development.

Attendees will leave with adaptable activities, actionable strategies, and greater confidence to help students identify educational options, strengthen career readiness, and take meaningful next steps toward a rewarding future in cybersecurity.

Navigating AI & Cybersecurity Resources: A Deep Dive Into the MSDE AI Hub and Computer Science Standards
Presenters: Quiana Bannerman & Erin Senior

In this interactive professional learning session, participants will explore the critical intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity within the 2026 CSTA K–12 Computer Science Standards. Educators and leaders will examine the shifting AI landscape, engage with key resources like the MSDE AI Hub, and analyze national trends to understand how data security and AI literacy intertwine. By highlighting priorities from leading organizations, the session emphasizes preparing students for a secure, AI-ready workforce. It concludes with “Think Alike” breakout groups, where participants will collaborate on role-specific strategies to integrate AI safely, ethically, and securely into their practice.

Whitebox Pentesting: Using "Kali w/ Vulnerable Targets" In Your Class
Presenter: Thomas "Tweeks" Weeks

Have you logged into Kali Linux a few times and wondered, “Now what?". If you possess some basic Linux command-line skills, this fast-paced, 60-minute hands-on workshop will walk you through getting logged into the Maryland/US Cyber Range, accessing our dedicated "vulnerabilities lab" network filled with documented vulnerable targets. Just bring your laptop and from there we'll step you through the basics of Linux-based nmap open-port scans, and beginner to intermediate level network penetration testing against several classic CVEs (vulnerabilities). You will extract SSL/TLS encryption keys on a vulnerable Heartbleed web server, pop root shells on a vulnerable telnetd system, and even see how blackhats set up netcat listeners to pop reverse shells on vulnerable network services! Play along and you'll even score some points in the NCF Cyber Summit's CTF game for prizes at the end of the day!

After the workshop, you'll get to "take home" the Cyber Range lab-login where you can complete the other/remaining challenges in at your own pace. By the end, you'll end up with some really powerful hands-on pentesting experience, and have a new tool for advancing Linux pentesting skills in your classroom.

What is a CTSO, and how does it help empower students to develop leadership and technical skills?
Presenters: Robin Burns & Ty Cherry

In this session, you will learn about Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) and how they help students develop leadership and technical skills through co-curricular activities. The session will take a closer look at the SkillsUSA chapter in Calvert County. You will hear perspectives from the lead chapter advisor, as well as a student leader.

Beyond Open Chat: A Safety-First Framework for AI in K-12 Learning
Presenters: Lemi-Ola Erinktola & Terry Smith

AI tutoring is everywhere in K-12 — but not all AI is built for classrooms. Most platforms rely on open chat, where a student types a question and the AI generates a response. That model has known risks: math errors, easy answer-giving, off-topic drift, and unclear data privacy. When students, teachers, and parents rely on tools built for scale first and safety second, districts absorb the risk.

This interactive session introduces a practical framework for evaluating AI learning tools using four safety dimensions: content restriction, interaction design, data privacy, and pedagogical grounding. Attendees will walk through real examples of how safety-first design changes what students see, what teachers can trust, and what data leaves the district.

Co-presented by Lemi-Ola Erinkitola — Founder of The Critical Thinking Child, Kapor Foundation Responsible AI Fellow, and former Co-Chair of the NICE K12 Cybersecurity Education Community of Interest at NIST (2023–2026) — and Terry Smith, CTC's School Relations Manager, Loyola New Orleans MBA, who holds the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate and Google certifications in AI Essentials and Prompting Essentials. Terry has led responsible AI and cybersecurity training sessions for audiences as large as 100 students, teachers, and parents.

Dr. Calvin Nobles, Moderator
Dede Keller, Panelist
Siraaj Hasan, Panelist
Dr. Zoe Fowler, Panelist
Pranjali Sanwal, Panelist
Seeyew Mo, Panelist

Beyond Engagement: Validating Cybersecurity Pathway Readiness Through EdTech and Digital Game-Based Learning in High School Classrooms
Presenter: Tyra Harris

This session shares findings from Step Into the Cyber Workforce! (SCWF!), a Department of the Navy ONR STEM-funded initiative exploring how EdTech-enabled digital game-based learning (Minecraft Education) can support validated learning, skill development, and cybersecurity career readiness in high school classrooms.

Cryptography & Encryption 101
Presenters: Jessica Hexsel & Charlene Cooper

Bring codebreaking to life for your students with no-cost CYBER.ORG resources! In this interactive session, attendees will gain first-hand experience to prepare their students for future-ready careers with an innovative, engaging approach to cybersecurity education using the CYBER.ORG Range and supplemental activities. Come prepared to access engaging lessons that build skills in cryptography, encryption, hashing, and password security. Whether you’re new to cybersecurity or looking to add new resources to your program, this session will equip you with practical tools to innovate your instruction, inspire student curiosity, and impact your CTE pathway immediately.

Crack the Code: Building Confidence and Career Skills Through Cryptography and Beyond
Presenter: Jennifer Langdon

Join this session for a hands-on introduction of how to incorporate Capture the Flag (CTF) challenges using the accessible, beginner-friendly platform of the National Cyber League (NCL), Cyber Skyline. No experience needed– just curiosity!

This session shows how CTFs build confidence, grow resilience through safe failure, and develop the job-ready problem-solving skills employers value in cybersecurity.

Participants will receive three months of FREE access to the platform gymnasium and be able to participate in a virtual CTF event at a future date.

Cyber in Every Classroom: An AI‑Powered Train‑the‑Trainer Model
Presenters: Sean Flowers, Barry Humphrey, & Tommy de Jongh