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Building Workforce-Ready Cybersecurity Skills in the Classroom
Thursday, August 27, 2026 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EDT
Presented by Ronald Adams, Experienced Educator, Instructional Leader, Cyber Intelligence Academy at Park Crossing High School, Montgomery Public Schools (AL); Rashad Robinson, Experienced Educator, Tech Coordinator and Cyber Teacher, Cyber Intelligence Academy at Park Crossing High School, Montgomery Public Schools (AL); and Jessica S. Tickle, Experienced Educator, Instructor, PLTW Engineering and Cybersecurity, Center for Academic Achievement, Shawnee Mission School District (KS)
Moderated by Derek Babb, Experienced Educator, Cyber Security Lecturer, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Sponsored by Project Lead The Way
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As cyber threats continue to impact businesses, governments, schools, and communities, cybersecurity has become essential to economic security, national security, and workforce readiness. Schools play a critical role in helping students navigate the digital world while preparing them for high-demand careers that increasingly require cybersecurity knowledge and skills.
In this edLeader Panel, educators discuss why cybersecurity education matters now more than ever and how their schools are successfully integrating cybersecurity concepts into existing courses and programs. Learn how students engage in hands-on, real-world experiences that challenge them to investigate digital threats, analyze cyber incidents, protect sensitive information, and develop critical-thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Discover practical strategies for creating meaningful cybersecurity learning opportunities that prepare students for college, careers, military service, and beyond.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the growing importance of cybersecurity education and its connection to student opportunity, workforce readiness, economic security, and community resilience
- Explore classroom and program models that provide students with authentic, hands-on cybersecurity experiences aligned to real-world challenges and career pathways
- Identify practical strategies for integrating cybersecurity concepts, digital citizenship, and career exploration into existing courses and educational programs
This edLeader Panel is of interest to K-12 teachers, school leaders, and district leaders.
About the Presenters
Ronald Adams is the Instructional Leader of the Cyber Intelligence Magnet Academy at Park Crossing High School in Montgomery Public Schools. A graduate of Montgomery Public Schools, he brings more than 20 years of experience in education and is dedicated to developing innovative learning environments that prepare students for careers in cybersecurity, business technology, and public service. In addition to his educational leadership, Ronald serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve with extensive experience in cybersecurity operations and national cyber training. He is a graduate of the Instructional Leadership program at Auburn University at Montgomery and is currently pursuing a doctorate in instructional leadership. Through strategic partnerships with higher education, government, and industry, Ronald is committed to expanding opportunities for students while building a nationally recognized model for career-focused, technology-driven education.
Rashad Robinson is a computer science and cybersecurity teacher who loves helping students discover what they’re capable of. He’s taught coding, robotics, and cyber defense at Tuskegee University, Alabama State University, Trenholm State Community College, Lowndes County Public Schools, and Montgomery Public Schools, where his classes focus on design thinking where students use their technology foundation to improve their daily routines in the way they learn, live, and play, Micro:bit programming, collaboration, coding, networking, and real‑world problem solving.
His teaching journey was inspired as he worked in network engineering across the Alabama Community College System, the federal government, and the state court System, building secure networks with routers, switches, fiber optics, and enterprise‑level systems. He’s been inspired to show his students that they can use their knowledge, skills, and creativity to impact the world beyond their current environment, as he discovered along his own life and career journey. His STEM journey has taken him to New York, Japan, Canada, Alaska, Arizona, and Guam. He uses his experiences to show students that technology can take them beyond their wildest dreams into leadership in schools, government, and corporate settings. Rashad’s goal is simple: help every student build confidence, think creatively, and see themselves as future innovators in cybersecurity and beyond.
Jessica S. Tickle is a PLTW Engineering and Cybersecurity Instructor for the Shawnee Mission School District's Center for Academic Achievement in Kansas. She believes the best way to get students excited about engineering and cybersecurity is to let them dive in, solve real problems, and occasionally break things (responsibly). Jessica leads districtwide engineering and cybersecurity programs, serves on the College Board AP Cybersecurity Development Committee, and enjoys working alongside teachers who are building or growing their own programs. A recipient of the Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award, she is passionate about creating authentic learning experiences that connect students with industry, certifications, internships, and competitions. When she's not in the classroom, she's usually collaborating with fellow educators, chasing the next big idea, or finding new ways to make cybersecurity more engaging for both students and teachers.
About the Moderator
Derek Babb is a former high school computer science teacher, currently teaching cybersecurity at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He has focused on the transition from high school to college and now works with all levels of undergraduate cybersecurity students, from their introductory courses to their senior capstone projects.
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Inspiring PreK-12 Students and Teachers in Thousands of Schools Across the U.S.
School and district leaders need a solution that cultivates confidence and career readiness—and PLTW checks all the boxes. As a nonprofit organization founded by educators and driven by education leaders, we've spent more than 28 years equipping students with the technical knowledge, transferable skills, and career confidence they need to thrive—through programs that integrate real-world industry partnerships, best-in-class teacher training, and our proven activity-, project-, problem-based (APB) instructional model.
