In recent years, smart devices have become truly intelligent through the integration of artificial intelligence directly into microchips. This shift has created the Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT)—connected technologies that can sense, analyze data, and make decisions in real time. While these advances create powerful opportunities, they also introduce new cybersecurity risks affecting individuals, communities, and industries-especially educational institutions. As devices become more autonomous and interconnected, it is critical that teachers and students understand these risks and learn how to identify and mitigate them.
Cyber ConnectED is a six-unit, standards-aligned learning experience for grades 6–12 that blends real-world problem solving with electronics, physics, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity concepts. Students explore, design, build, and pitch solutions to cybersecurity challenges affecting water, energy, transportation, communication, health, and financial systems. Through game-based learning, they develop practical skills for identifying vulnerabilities and securing the IoT and AI-powered devices that increasingly run our digital world.
Teachers receive a CS STEM kit to prototype and program connected devices while exploring how insecure design practices create vulnerabilities. By the end of the course, educators are prepared to teach best practices for securing IoT and AIoT technologies, empowering students with essential cybersecurity and AI literacy skills. Upon completion, teachers will be prepared to lead student teams in innovation competitions and will receive a curated list of high-quality challenges that provide meaningful, workforce-aligned experiences. These opportunities help students build the skills and evidence of learning that future employers value.
