Overview
Four winners of the 2025 CYBER.ORG Educator Awards will receive a Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Palo Alto Networks sponsored Travel Grant to include full reimbursement for airfare, hotel, and free registration for CYBER.ORG’s EdCon 25 on June 16-18 2025 at the Loews Chicago O'Hare in Rosemont, IL. Winners will also receive a technology prize package sponsored by Palo Alto. In addition to the grant and prize package, winners will have the opportunity to meet CYBER.ORG and CISA administrators and present to a national audience at EdCon 25.
2024 EdAward Winners
Application Eligibility Requirements
- Currently employed as a K-12 classroom educator in the United States (includes U.S. Territories)
- Must have cybersecurity curriculum integrated into your regular classroom instruction.
- Applicants who have not already received an Ed Award
- Former or current employees of the Cyber Innovation Center and their immediate family members are ineligible to apply.
Application Information
Applications will open on Monday, November 11th and must be submitted by Friday, December 6th at 11:59 PM CST. Submissions will be via Microsoft Form.
Selected applicants will be invited to participate in a virtual interview. Based off scores and interviews, the top four applicants will be selected as Ed Award winners.
Applications will consist of two rounds.
Application Round One
Applicants will provide:
- Applicant contact information
- Teaching history for Cybersecurity and related content
- If applicable:
- Cybersecurity certifications or micro-certifications
- Relevant advanced degree(s)
- Professional affiliations related to cybersecurity education
- Responses to the following questions (200-word limit per question):
- What are your contributions to cybersecurity education? (This can include at your school or district, serving on committees, delivering professional development, creating curriculum, and/or increasing access to underrepresented populations.)
- Have you helped start, lead, or contributed to a successful cybersecurity extracurricular activity? If yes, please explain. (Please list all activities you are actively involved in and select 1-2 of those activities to elaborate on.)
- Have you or your students won any cybersecurity awards or competitions, either regionally or nationally? If yes, please provide details. (This includes robotics, CTFs, and any other cyber- or STEM-related competition. Please list all awards you and your program have received and select only 1-2 of those awards to elaborate on.)
Application Round Two
Round two will open December 9, 2024. Selected applicants will respond to the following virtual interview questions:
- What is your greatest accomplishment in cybersecurity education?
- Have you integrated cybersecurity education into any other subjects? If so, how have you integrated it? You may include collaborations with other teachers.
- Elaborate on Round One questions.
Timeline
Additional Information
If selected, winners must be available to attend Ed Con 25 and sign a release form to use images and any material in the application for marketing for EdCon 25 including print, website, social media, press releases, and any other marketing efforts for EdCon 25.
