CYBER.ORG EdCon 23

June 20-22, 2023

CYBER.ORG EdCon 23 (formerly CEDF) is a national conference designed to inspire and empower novice and expert K-12 cybersecurity educators alike. Attendees will have the opportunity to:

Learn ready-to-implement lessons from CYBER.ORG curriculum developers.
Explore no-cost resources from industry experts.
Gain firsthand knowledge from K-12 educators who teach foundational and technical cybersecurity.

Mesa Convention Center, Mesa, AZ

$100 for K-12 Educators & Government, $150 for Higher Ed & Non-Profit, $200 Industry

See session titles and info below!

See the Agenda

Educator Awards

Educator Awards are awarded to the leading educators teaching cybersecurity in new and innovative ways to K-12 students and showing their undeniable commitment to growing the future cybersecurity workforce.

Congrats to our Educator Award Winners!

Bobbie Bastian
Bryan Hower
Diana Mackiewicz
Moriah Walker

Read more about the Winners

Travel Grants

Don't let financial constraints keep you from CYBER.ORG EdCon 23 at the Mesa Convention Center in Mesa, AZ, June 20-22, 2023! CYBER.ORG has a limited number of $750 travel grants available for eligible teachers. Recipients of travel grants will be able to use the funds to seek reimbursement for up to $750 of registration, airfare, and/or hotel costs (Note: we have secured a room block at the Delta Hotel located right next to the Convention Center at the rate of $103/night.) To be eligible you must be a classroom teacher in the United States or US Territories. All applicants will receive a response to their application within 14 days with an award decision. Please note: in order to accept the travel grant, you must register for EdCon 23; in order to receive funds, you must attend EdCon 23 and submit receipts for total reimbursed. Complete instructions will be given to awardees in the email notifying them of the award decision.

Applications are Closed

See the Full Agenda

Plan for exciting sessions you want to attend!

Having trouble picking? Some sessions will be repeated on multiple days so make sure to take a good look!

Agenda

EdCon Sessions

We'll update this list as we finalize sessions

Analysis and Investigation of Cyber Scenarios (AICS)

Presented by: CYBER.ORG
Pre-req(s): A session in Cyber Society or previous PD (See session Overview of Cyber Society for High School or Middle School Teachers)
Experience level: Novice
Grade Band: 6-12
Technology needed: Laptop or tablet
Description: Take on the role of a DHS agent tasked with solving a complex scenario as you work through one of our AICS scenarios!

Assessing Student's Affinity for Cybersecurity

Presented by: CYBER.ORG
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Novice
Grade Band 9-12
Technology needed: None
Description: In this session, attendees will learn about the Cybersecurity Affinity Metric (CAM) survey instrument, discover how they could use the tool with their own students, and receive access to resources to support their own administration of the CAM with their students.

Classroom Extensions with CYBER.ORG Resources

Presented by: CYBER.ORG
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Novice
Grade band: K-12
Technology needed: Laptop, tablet or phone
Description: Looking for a quick, easy activity to utilize in your classroom? Check out this session about classroom extensions to learn all about CYBER.ORG’s website resources.

Cybersecurity Basics Overview

Presented by: CYBER.ORG
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Novice
Grade band: K-8
Technology needed: None
Description: In this session attendees will be introduced to CYBER.ORG’s Cybersecurity Basics course which is ideal for K-8 educators looking to build cybersecurity awareness in their classes.

Cybersecurity Course with the CYBER.ORG Range

Presented by: CYBER.ORG
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Intermediate
Grade Band 9-12
Technology needed: Laptop or tablet
Description: In this session attendees will be introduced to CYBER.ORG’s Cybersecurity course aligned to the CompTIA Security+ certification as well as its at no cost cyber range.

CYBER.ORG Networking Course Overview

Presented by: CYBER.ORG
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Intermediate
Grade band: 9-12
Technology needed: Laptop or tablet
Description: In this session, attendees will learn about CYBER.ORG’s brand new Networking course that aligns with CompTIA’s Network+ exam. This course uses the new Windows Server VM on the CYBER.ORG Range as well as other VMs on the range for the hands-on lab environments.

Shaping Tomorrow’s Cybersecurity Workforce: K-12 Gen Z/Gen Alpha Classroom

Presented by: CYBER.ORG & Caddo Parish Schools
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Novice
Grade band: K-12
Technology needed: Laptop of tablet
Description: Attendees will learn from two Louisiana K-12 educators sharing their classroom experiences and successes in teaching cybersecurity to underserved and underrepresented middle and high school students in Caddo Parish Schools in Shreveport, LA.

Spanish-Language Resources with CYBER.ORG

Presented by: CYBER.ORG
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Novice (both Spanish and non-Spanish speakers are encouraged to attend)
Grade band: K-12
Technology needed: Laptop or tablet
Description: In this session, attendees will learn about the Spanish-language content available from CYBER.ORG and discover tips for how to use the resources, even if they aren’t Spanish speakers themselves.

Building Cyber Supply Lines: An Examination of Pathways

Presented by: DARK Enterprises, Inc.
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Expert
Grade band: 9-12
Technology needed: None
Description: This presentation looks at current pathways as well as at the ingredients needed to form future cybersecurity pathways as courses of action for addressing the cybersecurity workforce shortage.

CISA Resources for Educators

Presented by: Jessica Hexsel, Einstein Fellow at CISA
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Novice
Grade band: K-12
Technology needed: None
Description: In this session, attendees will learn about CISA’s K-12 (or K-Career) cybersecurity resources and the Albert Einstein Fellow (AEF) program.

Cybersecurity and STEAM Meet at the Micro:bit

Presented by: Andy Lindsay, Engineer & Curriculum Developer, Parallax
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Intermediate
Grade band: 6-12
Technology needed: Laptop or tablet
Description: This hands-on workshop with the popular BBC micro:bit and free curriculum from Parallax demonstrates cybersecurity concepts in a fun and engaging way.

From ELA to Cyber – My First Year as a Cybersecurity Educator!

Presented by: Moriah Walker, Lakota Schools
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Novice
Grade band: 3-12
Technology needed: None
Description: This session is great for anyone embarking on their own cyber ed journey, looking for engaging strategies, and wanting to form connections with other new cyber teachers.

Hack the Hardware

Presented by: Ben Dougherty, Lakota Schools
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Novice
Grade band: 6-12
Technology needed: None
Description: In this session, participants will learn about embedded systems security and tools and resources for teaching their students about this fascinating aspect of cybersecurity.

Increasing Interest and Broadening Participation in Cybersecurity via an Out-of-School Program

Presented by: DARK Enterprises, Inc.
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Intermediate
Grade band: 9-12
Technology needed: None
Description: The presentation will consider research questions about how a cybersecurity OST (out of school time) program comprised primarily of camps impacts student interest in cybersecurity and highlights the specific components of the camps that benefit underrepresented students.

Leveraging Community Partners to Enhance Student Experiences

Presented by: Amanda Glunz, Milwaukee Public Schools
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Novice
Grade band: K-12
Technology needed: Laptop or tablet
Description: This session will help educators, school administrators, and community partners learn how to work together to create meaningful career exploration opportunities for academy students.

"PK20W": Every Student. Every School. Cyber Educated

Presented by: Nancy Mahlen & Tabitha Teel, NDIT
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Intermediate
Grade band: K-12
Technology needed: None
Description: North Dakota works across the silos to create a comprehensive, state-wide approach to cyber across our educational systems and workforce.

Palo Alto Networks K-12 Fundamental Series Courses and Labs

Presented by: Thomas Trevethan, Academic Program Director, Palo Alto Networks
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Intermediate
Grade band: 9-12
Technology needed: Laptop or tablet
Description: The workshop will include a review of content and hands-on labs that can prepare students to become a Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-Level Technician (PCCET).

Unlocking Career Potential: Navigating Cybersecurity for the Next Generation

Presented by: Jessica Comfort, Information Security Advisor & Adjunct CIS Instructor, GDIT
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Intermediate
Grade band: 9-12
Technology needed: Laptop or tablet
Description: This presentation serves as a valuable tool for teachers to guide students in their career development and help them prepare for the workforce.

STEM Marvels: Inspiring Women in Technology

Presented by: Jill Baird, NDIT
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Expert
Grade band: 3-12
Technology needed: None
Description: Women in STEM have been historically overlooked, but opportunities for women and girls to break into STEM fields are now greater than ever. In this session, we will explore the profiles of women who have made an impact on STEM fields to investigate how they have overcome challenges. Then we will explore how bright the future is for our female students with programs and activities to peak their interests. Finally, who doesn’t enjoy a good story? Sparking interest in STEM can also happen in the library with a wide variety of books for students to discover.

From Cyber-HESITANT to Cyber-HIRED: How Innovations and Gamified Learning are Producing Industry-Changing Results

Presented by: Catherine Lindsay Linsky, University of North Georgia
Pre-Req: None
Experience level: Novice
Grade band: 9-12
Technology needed: Laptop or tablet
Description: What can teachers do to encourage cyber-hesitant students to give cyber a try? This session will explore innovative strategies to encourage motivation, discover hidden cyber talent, and get students into cyber jobs. Based on work at the University of North Georgia, participants will explore innovations at each step from "zero to employable" including: hooking students' interest using the CyberStart America game, encouraging peer leadership, supporting teacher confidence, prizes to boost motivation, SANS course SEC725 tuition waivers, and finally passing certificate exams.

Integrating Cybersecurity in K-12 through University Support

Presented by: Cori Araza and Pam Rowland, Grand Canyon University
Pre-req(s): None
Experience level: Intermediate
Grade band: K-12
Technology needed: None
Description: Build the Cybersecurity Pipeline through University Partnerships! Attendees will learn how to incorporate teacher-focused PD with university and industry support.

Latinos in Cybersecurity: A Bright Future for Our Nation

Presented by: Eric J. Belardo, Raices Cyber
Pre-req(s): None
Experience Level: Expert
Grade Band: 6-12
Technology Needed: Laptop or tablet
Description: Latinos are a growing force in the cybersecurity workforce, and their skills and talents are essential to protecting our nation's critical infrastructure. This talk will explore the role of Latinos in cybersecurity and the challenges and opportunities that exist for Latino students who are interested in pursuing careers in this field.

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