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2024 NICE K12 Cybersecurity Education Conference Recap

Students Workshop at 2024 NICE K12 Cybersecurity Conference
Hands-on Lock Picking Village at the NICE K12 Cybersecurity Education Conference, where students and educators  dived into the art of lock picking—a critical skill for understanding physical security principles.
Credit: NICE

The NICE K12 Cybersecurity Education Conference took place this week in San Antonio, Texas. The conference brought together nearly 500 participants and featured 8 pre-conference workshops, 28 breakout sessions in 4 tracks, several keynotes, 25 exhibitors, networking opportunities, and more. Take a look at some key highlights from the event below.


FEATURED SPEAKERS

2024 NICE K12 Cybersecurity Education Conference Featured Speakers
Credit: NICE

Over 80 speakers shared ideas, insights, and perspectives during the conference, including:

  • Councilwoman Marina Gavito, MBA, PMP, San Antonio City Council District 7
  • Jeff Webber, Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
  • Ethan Zhang, Youth Cyber Defender President (Student Keynote)
  • Steve Stocks, SentinelOne
  • COL John Picklesimer – 67th Cyberspace Wing, U.S. Air Force
  • Student Panel: Kaylee Crouthamel - Innovation Center SVVSD; Jake Goodwin - Spotsylvania High School; Wesley Huhn - University of Texas San Antonio; Sneha Prakash - North East Independent School District; Jaden Wood - Moreno Valley College; Davina Pruitt-Mentle - NIST-NICE (Moderator)

NATIONAL CYBER SIGNING DAY

2024 National Cyber Signing Day
National Cyber Signing Day participants from left to right: Kaleb Calhoun, Homeschool; Jessica Chhour, Bollman High; Mairead Finnerty, Texas A&M University; Lorenzo Karuppan, Lakota East High School; Corinne Kinlaw, Institute of Cybersecurity and Innovation; Jaden Wood, Moreno Valley College. Student advisors are standing behind participants.
Credit: NICE

National Cyber Signing Day aims to increase awareness of cybersecurity career options and pathways available to K-12th grade students. The event this year showcased six K12 students and recent graduates who have participated in or will soon be participating in cybersecurity-related internships, apprenticeships, trainings, and certifications. 

A recording of this year’s National Cyber Signing Day will be made available on the official Signing Day website. Learn more and access recordings of previous Signing Days at nationalcybersigningday.org.


PRESIDENTIAL CYBERSECURITY EDUCATOR AWARD

2024 Presidential Cybersecurity Educator Award
Albert Palacios, Deputy Assistant at the White House Office of the National Cyber Director; Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award winners, Jessica Tickle (second) and Kathy Green (third); Davina Pruitt-Mentle, NIST-NICE.
Credit: iKeepSafe

The Presidential Cybersecurity Educator Award is presented annually to two teachers – one at the elementary or middle school level and another at the secondary level – who demonstrate superior achievement in instilling skills, knowledge, and passion with respect to cybersecurity and cybersecurity-related subjects. The award recognizes demonstrated superior educator accomplishment as well as academic achievement by the educator’s students.

Congratulations to this year’s award winners who were recognized during a plenary session at the conference!

  • Kathy Green, Northside Independent School District, San Antonio, Texas
  • Jessica Tickle, Shawnee Mission School District, Shawnee Mission, Kansas

SAVE THE DATE FOR 2025

2024 NICE K12 CONFERENCE Save the Date
Credit: iKeepSafw

Save the date to join us at next year's NICE K12 Cybersecurity Education Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.


The NICE K12 Cybersecurity Education Conference is supported by NICE, a program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the U.S. Department of Commerce, under financial assistance award #70NANB20H144.

Released December 12, 2024, Updated February 4, 2025