Competency-based, hands-on learning starting in elementary school
The cybersecurity skills gap is real—hundreds of thousands of unfilled cyber jobs nationwide. But the pipeline is broken. Most students from underserved communities never even know these careers exist. We're changing that by starting in elementary school, creating pathways where none existed before.
Traditional cybersecurity education either:
We built a curriculum that:
Students don't just memorize facts—they demonstrate transferable skills with "I can" statements. Portfolios show growth over time with artifacts like screenshots, projects, and presentations.
Kinesthetic activities make abstract concepts concrete. Students act out packet routing, physically sort phishing emails, build network diagrams, and test password strength with real tools.
Every unit includes Family Challenges—enabling 2FA together, completing Wi-Fi safety checklists, updating router passwords. We educate entire households, not just students.
Students learn about red team/blue team, ethical hacking, incident response, and security engineering. They see cybersecurity as accessible and exciting—opening career doors early.
Designed for under-resourced schools and underserved communities. We provide curriculum licensing, teacher training, and materials at no cost or on a sliding scale.
Aligns with CISA's K-12 Cybersecurity Education Framework, NICE Framework competencies, and state computer science standards. Meets educator requirements.
Our competency-based curriculum progresses from beginner (5th grade) through expert (12th grade). Click on each grade level to explore the detailed module descriptions.
Students explore what information they leave online and learn to distinguish between their digital footprint and digital shadow through hands-on creative activities.
Students investigate what personal information apps and websites collect, learning to make informed decisions about privacy. Includes family engagement component.
Through interactive games and real-world practice, students learn to create strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication with family members.
Students learn to recognize cyberbullying and develop strategies to be upstanders through role-play scenarios and action planning.
Students learn to identify phishing attempts and social engineering tactics through hands-on activities and real-world examples.
Students develop skills to evaluate website trustworthiness and practice safe browsing habits through guided activities.
Students explore privacy controls on common platforms and learn to make thoughtful decisions about their digital reputation.
Students learn about copyright, Creative Commons, and proper attribution through creative projects that demonstrate ethical digital practices.
Students compile their work from Quarter 1 and present to peers and families, demonstrating growth and setting goals for continued learning.
Grade 6 establishes foundational IT knowledge, teaching students how computers work, basic networking concepts, and essential troubleshooting skills. Students gain hands-on experience with hardware, operating systems, and digital productivity tools.
Students explore internal computer components through hands-on activities including virtual PC building, hardware identification challenges, and understanding how components work together.
Students gain proficiency across multiple operating systems, learning file organization, system settings, and basic command line operations.
Students learn how computers communicate over networks, build simple networks, and understand internet connectivity fundamentals.
Students master productivity software and develop systematic troubleshooting approaches for common IT problems.
Students start building their professional portfolio with:
Grade 7 advances students into professional-level IT knowledge aligned with industry certifications. Students master hardware troubleshooting, network infrastructure, and security fundamentals through hands-on labs preparing them for CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ certifications.
Students can pursue industry certifications:
Grade 8 marks the transition from IT fundamentals to dedicated cybersecurity study. Students learn core security principles, incident response, access controls, network security, and security operations aligned with the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) certification. This curriculum also builds the foundation for the CISSP pathway in high school.
Students prepare for professional certification:
Students begin building professional credentials:
In Grade 9, students choose one of three specialized cybersecurity tracks based on their interests and career goals. All tracks include collaborative exercises where students work together using CloudRange cyber range platform, simulating real-world security operations.
For students interested in ethical hacking and penetration testing
For students interested in security operations and incident response
For students interested in security policy, risk management, and compliance
Students work together across tracks in realistic simulations:
Grades 10-12 focus on advanced specialization within chosen tracks while building professional portfolios, earning industry certifications, and documenting work experience toward ISC2 CISSP eligibility. Students graduate career-ready with 4+ years of documented cybersecurity experience.
Curriculum designed to fulfill 5-year work experience requirement:
Students build comprehensive career portfolios including:
Our curriculum replaces passive lectures with kinesthetic activities that make abstract concepts tangible. Students don't just learn about cybersecurity—they experience it.
Research shows that students retain information better when they can physically interact with concepts. Our activities transform complex technical topics into engaging, memorable experiences.
"When we did the packet relay activity, I finally understood why my video games lag sometimes. Now I know it's not just 'slow internet'—it's packets waiting at routers! This is the coolest class ever."
— Ella R., 6th Grade Student, Poulsbo Middle School
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we believe every student deserves access to cybersecurity education. Our curriculum is available on a sliding scale:
All pricing includes teacher training, curriculum access, and 1 year of support. No school is turned away for inability to pay.
Whether you're a teacher, administrator, or district leader, we'd love to discuss how our K-12 cybersecurity curriculum can empower your students and build career pathways.
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