On February 7, 2026, 27 PK–12 teachers, school staff, and education leaders completed Cohort 10 of the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) CyberTEACH program after five weeks of intensive professional development focused on cybersecurity and digital literacy education.
The cohort included educators from public and nonpublic schools across Maryland—including Prince George’s, Montgomery, and Baltimore counties and Baltimore City—with additional participants from the District of Columbia and Virginia, including Arlington County and the Archdiocese of Washington.
During the program’s final session, participants presented collaborative group projects demonstrating cross-curricular approaches to integrating cybersecurity concepts into PK–12 classrooms. The projects emphasized digital literacy, ethical technology use and cybersecurity awareness across subject areas, reflecting CyberTEACH’s educator-centered and practice-based design.
Cohort 10 marks the completion of the first phase of CyberTEACH, an initiative developed to strengthen cybersecurity and AI literacy across the PK–12 education ecosystem. The program emphasizes hands-on lesson development, collaborative professional learning and the responsible use of emerging technologies to help educators address evolving digital security challenges.
“By fostering the integration of cybersecurity training across disciplines, CyberTEACH provides educators with meaningful opportunities to engage in rigorous, forward-looking professional development,” said Dr. Helen Barker, associate dean in UMGC’s School of Cybersecurity and Information Technology and principal investigator for the initiative.
Cohort 10 was led by UMGC Professor Dr. Barry Humphrey, whose expertise guided participants through the CyberTEACH curriculum. Prior cohorts have also benefited from the leadership and subject matter expertise of UMGC Professor Sean Flowers, who previously served as lead instructor and curriculum specialist.
Since its launch in October 2024, CyberTEACH—Teaching Educators About Cybersecurity Holistically—has graduated more than 228 educators, with a primary focus on serving Maryland and the National Capital Region. The program supports educators from all academic backgrounds, equipping them to introduce cybersecurity and artificial intelligence concepts beyond traditional STEM classrooms. Notably, the program has maintained a 100 percent completion rate across all cohorts.
The CyberTEACH program operates under the Cyber SyncED initiative and is supported through partnerships with the Energetics Technology Center and the Army Research Laboratory. UMGC also works closely with school and district organizations throughout the National Capital Region to expand access to cybersecurity-focused professional development for educators.
For updates on CyberTEACH and UMGC’s career-focused academic programs, visit umgc.edu.