CYSE 368

Cybersecurity Internship

Below is my final paper reviewing my internship experiences with Brooks Crossing Lab.

 

April 30th, 2025

Josiah Marshall

Dr. Karen Sanzo

Brook’s Crossing Lab

CYSE 368/Internship

Spring 2025

 

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Overview of Involvement and Goals
  3. Importance of AI & Cybersecurity Literacy in K-12
  4. CEIO’s Role in K-12 Innovation
  5. AI Webinar Series
  6. Supporting the Innovation Summit at Old Dominion University 
  7. Supporting the SCHEV AI Grant Development
  8. Learning About AI and Cybersecurity in the K-12 Space
  9. Supporting Lab School Directors and Program Managers
  10. Engaging in Design Thinking with Undergraduate Peers 
  11. Conclusion

 

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to outline all the work I have done through this Spring semester, my work experiences with the company/team, and how I helped support CEIO’s outreach efforts in K-12 STEM education with a focus on AI and cybersecurity. A little background about myself is that I am a cybersecurity student at Old Dominion University that is graduating this semester. I am originally from Arlington, Virginia and knew nothing about innovation when I was a kid. However, being the curious kid that I was, I was always looking up different things not necessarily directly related to the core curriculum, such as how to hack someone or how to make robots. This is why I was so excited to be brought onto this team and figure out how to help students get the opportunities in school that I feel like I didn’t get when I was a kid. 

 

Overview of Involvement and Goals

This internship had me involved from the moment I started working there. I immediately started collaborating with CEIO (Center for Education Innovation and Opportunity). The team’s goal is to align with how technology is rapidly changing and incorporating technology and other skills into learning spaces for students. This is an effort led by director Dr. Karen Sanzo and associate director Gary Skeen. There were more people involved in this project such as SCHEA AI Grant Team and Lab school initiatives. It was amazing to work in a team considering I have never worked with a team in a professional setting like this before. My involvement included using design thinking to research, practicing with different AI technologies, reviewing different curriculums and making our own curriculums based on the different curriculums the team and I reviewed. 

 

Importance of AI & Cybersecurity Literacy in K-12

A bit of a brief background on the current gaps in and opportunities in the K-12 space as emerging technologies like AI and cybersecurity tools reshape society, the need for early education in these areas has become increasingly urgent. The K-12 education system in the United States still faces significant challenges and gaps in preparing students for a tech-driven future. This is why this team exists, to help the efforts in the Hampton Roads area. While some schools are preparing or already prepared for the tech-driven future, the majority of schools in the United States still lack the resources, curriculum, and proper trained educators to effectively teach foundational concepts in AI and cybersecurity. According to studies, only about half of the high schools offer computer science courses, which should be higher at this point. However, some schools lack the resources and funding for the materials to even offer these types of courses or innovation. Another gap exists in the evolution of technology and the slower pace at which educational standards advance. It is hard for educational standards to advance because standards have to pass different laws, regulations, and policies. However, at the same time, these challenges and gaps present different opportunities. This allows for growing national and state level support for STEM and computer science education. This includes initiatives such as the CISA’s (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) K-12 cybersecurity guidelines, NSF’s (National Science Foundation) for K-12 Framework and different state grant programs. One of these state grant programs is the SCHEV (State Council of Higher Education for Virginia) AI grant that we directly worked with in this internship. That is why different people such as educators and policymakers are working together to bring technological integration into classrooms. They want students to have technical skills but also soft skills such as critical thinking and problem solving at a young age. The best way that the team went about this is looking at the digital divide and building educator capacity. This will help the next generation of students be technologically fluent in our technology based world. 

 

CEIO’s Role in K-12 Innovation

The Center for Education Innovation and Opportunity at Old Dominion University was created to focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics otherwise known as STEM fields. CEIO’s mission is to advance innovation and opportunity in education through collaboration and community partnerships. A main priority is to expand the STEM learning opportunities for K-12 students with more fields, particularly areas of AI, cybersecurity, and computer science. The systematic approach looks at the limited access to high quality STEM education in schools. These include lack of culturally relevant curriculums and an inadequate professional development for teachers in these emerging fields and technologies. The center seeks to teach these teachers as innovators. We do this by providing them with the necessary tools and training to bring advanced topics into their classrooms in ways that are inclusive and sustainable. One way CEIO supports this mission is directly outreach to K-12 educators. We do this by organizing facilitating workshops and participating in educational policy conversations across the state. These events align with Virginia’s goals to strengthen STEM pipelines, close achievement gaps and prepare students for a competitive workforce. An example of this, Virginia’s 5 Year Strategic Plan for STEM education emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary learning, career readiness, and real-world problem solving (Virginia Department of Education, 2020). CEIO’s educator outreach efforts directly reflect and support those objectives by focusing on high-impact topics like AI and cybersecurity. A core value of CEIO’s K-12 efforts has to do with partnership. Without nonprofit organizations and state agencies, CEIO would not have the success it has. These partnerships enable the centor to meet the needs while leveraging insights from multiple stakeholders. For example, the integration of CIEO’s efforts with the SCHEV AI grant demonstrates how the center brings together higher education, policy, and K-12 Practitioners in solution oriented ways. Ultimately, CEIO is attempting to be the bridge that connects innovation research with practical classroom-ready applications.

 

AI Webinar Series

One of the most rewarding aspects of this internship was my involvement with CEIO was developing AI Webinar series for K-12 educators in collaboration with my team but specifically Dr. Kate Maxlow. Dr. Maxlow specializes in igniting young minds to innovate and make the world a better place. To make AI concepts accessible and relevant for educators of all backgrounds, the webinar series emerged as a response to both a growing interest in AI in education and a noticeable lack of educator-facing resources to address it. Dr. Maxlow helped me understand the adult learning theory and I helped her focus on supporting content development in researching K-12 AI tools that are relevant. Together we aimed to make artificial intelligence by breaking it down into different topics. The different topics were “The Ethics of AI in Education”, “AI in the Classroom and how Practical Tools can be Used”, and “Preparing Students for an AI- Driven Future”. My role happened to include gathering and reviewing different case studies, reviewing teacher-friendly AI tools, and drafting engaging strategies for school such as reflection questions and interactive polls. We emphasized the importance of real-world applications and inclusivity. One webinar spotlighted AI tools that support differentiated instruction. This had to do with text simplification, adaptive assessment platforms, and personalized feedback generators. We were intentional and selected examples that could work in under-resourced classrooms, with low bandwidth requirements or minimal cost. By doing this, we were able to help educators envision AI as not just a high-tech concept and a tool for enhancing everyday teaching. Feedback from webinar participants was positive. Many of the participants expressed their appreciation for the balance between concrete takeaways and theoretical insight. One specific middle school teacher noted in a posted-session survey that “this was the first time that AI felt useful to me.” We received different feedback requesting us to host deeper dives into topics like AI-generated lesson planning and student privacy. The insights from this webinar have informed future sessions and demonstrated hunger among educators for practical professional development and learning in the area related to AI. This project served as a valuable professional learning experience for me as well. I enhance my skills in creating webinars as I have not really done so before. I also developed translating complex ideas into non-technical language so that participants in the webinar and stakeholders can understand. This is a critical skill to have in the field of cybersecurity. Lastly, I gained a greater appreciation for the role of intentional design. This AI Webinar series will serve as a foundation for CEIO’s broader educator outreach efforts. School divisions in the Hampton Roads district are growing interest in networking this professional development program. The webinars will be archived and repurposed for asynchronous learning opportunities ensuring that educators can access the content on their own timing and when they like.

 

Supporting the Innovation Summit at Old Dominion University 

Another important area of my contribution to this internship was helping CEIO support the development and execution of the Innovation Summit held April 22-24 on Old Dominion University main campus. The Innovation Summit brought together experts in innovation, educators, industry leaders, and policy makers to explore education, technology, and workforce  development. With a special emphasis on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and STEM education, this event served as a way for people to collaborate. My responsibilities for the Summit were wide-ranging and providing a valuable opportunity to engage in different skills such as event planning, communicating with stakeholders, and real time problem solving. In the preparation process for this summit, I helped in tasks such as drafting communications materials, compiling speaker bios, organizing panel schedules, contributing to logistical planning, helping ensure that breakout sessions, keynote presentations, and hands-on workshops were accessible and well coordinated. During the summit itself, I provided on-site support by assisting with technology setups and coordinating participant check-in. These experiences taught me important lessons on how to properly plan events and event coordination. For example, during the summit one of the breakout sessions had technical difficulties mid presentation. However, I worked with the university IT staff to quickly troubleshoot the problems and fix the presentation so that the participants had a positive experience regardless of the technical issues. The Innovation Summit highlighted the importance of preparing K-12 students for a world increasingly shaped by technology and specifically AI. Sessions such as “Building an Ethical AI Mindset in K-12 Schools” and “Cybersecurity Career Paths for High School Students” addressed the gaps and opportunities previously identified in CEIO’s mission. I was able to attend several sessions. I gained further insight on teacher professional development and how to challenge educators in integrating emerging technologies into their classroom. At the end of the three day summit, I helped upload session recordings and presentation decks. I helped upload them to our website and shared them with educators and partners who unfortunately were unable to attend the summit in person and online. This work reflects CEIO’s commitment to sustainability and accessibility in professional learning opportunities. Supporting the Innovation Summit deepened my understanding of the importance of the ecosystem of innovation. What I mean by this is that one time events like this aren’t the way to go about innovation- it’s multiple recurring events. Events like this play crucial roles in getting everyone from educators and stakeholders on the same page on how to go about implementing these strategies into the classroom as soon as possible.

 

Supporting the SCHEV AI Grant Development

A major initiative that I contributed to during my time with CEIO was the support of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) AI grant development. Under the leadership of Dr. Karen Sanzo, this project aimed to secure funding for a large-scale initiative focused on AI among K-12 students and educators across the state of Virginia. My role specifically in supporting the SCHEV AI grant proposal involved lots of extensive research. I compiled background research on the current state of AI in K-12 education. I even used the best practices in national initiatives to help draft different proposals. This required me to review policies, different studies and even certain laws and regulations to build an evidence based argument along with my opinion on what I thought was the best way to go about using AI in education. One of the key goals of this proposal was to create a professional development model that would help teachers gain knowledge and strategies to integrate AI technology into their curriculums. The proposal highlights the importance of interdisciplinary learning and how AI could be infused into everyday curriculums, not just courses like cybersecurity and computer science, but regular courses like math, science, and social studies. This approach aligns with broader educational trends toward STEM integration and the development of “computational thinking” across subject areas (Wing, 2006). An important element of the grant is promoting equity. The project proposed targeted underrepresented school districts. This includes school districts that are in high-poverty areas. The proposal is really all about limiting gaps. This focus on equal access reflects national priorities outlined by the organization such as NSF and echoes CEIO’s core mission of expanding innovation. Throughout the grant development process, I gained insight on how large-scale educational initiatives are structured and funded. I also learned how to articulate project goals with funding priorities which can be very valuable in the future. I also saw and experienced firsthand how collaboration between researchers and policymakers strengthens a grant proposal. It ensures that it is practical. This process was very complex. However, it was a process I will never forget. It was a meaningful experience that allowed me to be a part of something great. It funded the SCHEV AI grant that would allow CEIO and our partners to expand K-12 educators to prepare students for their wants and needs for an AI driven future. 

 

Learning About AI and Cybersecurity in the K-12 Space

Working with a team like CEIO, I understood a deeper understanding of how cybersecurity and AI play a big role within K-12 education. These topics are highly technical for the average student, but as time goes on, these will be essential topics for students today. In the realm of AI, students need to learn more than just how to use these new tools. They must use critical thinking and problem solving to understand how different AI systems work and be applied into whatever challenges they might face. They also need to know how AI can be used ethically. Research from the International Society for Technology in Education (ITSE) emphasizes the importance of teaching students about algorithmic bias, data privacy, and the societal impacts of automation (ITSE, 2022). Exposing these young students to this can help become more responsible with technology. Through webinars, the Innovation Summit, and planning meetings, I got great exposure on how educators take on certain challenges. Teachers are the most hesitant about AI usually because they lack technical knowledge. Teachers know that it can be useful but have concerns about ethical reasons. This is why I appreciate the need for professional development to empower these teachers to feel the need to use AI and on how to properly integrate these different systems into their curriculums. In terms of cybersecurity, it matters a lot more. Schools have been a target for cyber attacks such as ransomware and phishing scams (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2021). Students are at risk of losing their personal information if they don’t practice proper cyber hygiene. The cybersecurity education must teach these students about digital citizenship and protecting themselves and protecting institutional infrastructure. In supporting CEIO’s efforts, it gained practical insight on how different cybersecurity topics can be introduced. For younger students such as elementary and middle school students, they should be taught about strong passwords and what phishing is and how to detect it. For high school students, they should be exploring ethical hacking and even cybersecurity career paths. The last important takeaway was the need for inclusivity. AI and cybersecurity fields suffer from well-documented diversity gaps (Nation Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, 2020). These efforts that we are putting in need to reach all backgrounds but specifically, racial minorities and lower-income backgrounds. If we want the future of AI and cybersecurity to be innovative and inclusive, it has to happen equally. This experience furthered my beliefs that AI and cybersecurity should be essential lessons that students should master. Preparing these students to thrive in the digital world while they also get to learn the many skills that come with learning these topics will shape these students better. The future is very bright for these students.

 

Supporting Lab School Directors and Program Managers

Not only did I work on AI Webinars, the SCHEV AI grant, and at the Innovation Summit, but I also provided on-demand support to directors and program managers involved in the planning and early development of the proposed Lab School affiliated with Old Dominion University. This helped me gain insight into what it takes to really build a K-12 educational model from scratch and how higher education collaborates meaningfully with K-12 systems. Lab schools are designed to be places where educators can try new instructional methods and experiment differently from the normal core methods. Educators will use interdisciplinary learning and connect directly with real-world applications to go about teaching. CEIO’s vision for its Lab Schools is to include a strong emphasis on project based learning and inclusive design thinking. After having done multiple programs that made me use design thinking, I can say that it has opened my eyes to being creative. My work with the Lab School team ranged from assisting with meeting preparation to contributing research on curriculum development and instructional models. I reviewed the best practices for integrating AI and cybersecurity into elementary, middle, and high school. I also sourced sample lesson plans and made sure they aligned with different standards and frameworks. I also participated and oversaw meetings with school division partners. I helped take different notes, focus on different themes and track follow-up action items. This work helped me understand the role these directors and managers play in instructional leadership and stakeholder engagement. This will help one day because I plan to be a manager of some sort myself in the cybersecurity field. This entire project of working with the Lab school requires leadership and constant iteration. One specific area where I was able to contribute was reviewing models from other university-based Lab Schools in the U.S. I gained insight from different schools such as Purdue Polytechnic High School to assess learning outcomes and build scalable programs. My research helped the team refine their approach and identify multiple strategies for implementation in the Virginia context following Virginia laws and regulations. These experiences reinforced clear communication, problem solving, and education innovation work to help the team clearly understand the different ways we can go about creating these programs. 

 

Engaging in Design Thinking with Undergraduate Peers 

Design thinking is a problem-solving methodology. Engaging in design thinking was something I learned about a year ago. This internship will be my third time using design thinking to tackle a problem. For the third time, I was able to work with my peers (fellow undergraduate students) to create creative student-informed ideas to support the CEIO K-12 initiatives. Working with these students allowed us to apply human-centered design principles to different real-world situations and explore how innovative thinking can change these situations. The process of design thinking typically includes five stages: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test (Brown, 2009). CEIO’s use of this framework helped us approach complex educational problems. However, instead of using the lens of an educator and stakeholder, we used our own personal experiences and research to help us input our opinion. In the early stages of the process we focused on the first step- the empathy stages. We focused on interviewing each other and other students and how they feel. Some of the interview questions included “How might we help teachers feel more confident incorporating AI topics into their classrooms without adding to their workload?” Through this lens we brainstormed potential solutions such as ready-to-use lesson modules. We also prototyped outreach strategies for engaging underrepresented student populations in cybersecurity learning. We did this by developing a concept for a mobile “Cyber Lab on Wheels” which is a traveling trailer required with gamified learning stations and VR simulations. This exposure was made to bring opportunities to communities with access gaps. These exercises helped a lot of us with teamwork. Working in interdisciplinary teams pushes us to think with our individual experiences but go even further than that and consider different things like systemic barriers. This helped me remain open to feedback always which is a skill I will always keep with me. CEIO’s leadership reviewed our prototypes and provided feedback. They explored some of our ideas and how they could integrate our plans into ongoing programming planning. This shows that even at undergraduate level can play a meaningful role in any projects including this one. These experiences underscored the value in education innovation. By giving students a voice in the design thinking process, CEIO is not only modeling different inclusive practices but also building the next generation of people that will change the world. 

 

Conclusion

CEIO has professionally developed me for the better. I now feel professional enough to work a cybersecurity job and understand certain skills that I will need. While this wasn’t the most technical based job to showcase my technical skills, this job helped me gain other soft skills that will definitely help me in the future. Completing a wide range of projects throughout the semester, I had the opportunity to contribute to problems that matter. It is good to know that whatever happens in the future with K-12 initiatives, my opinion will matter. Dr. Sanzo and Dr. Maxlow pushed me everyday to engage in real world challenges and be practical. I learned the importance of collaboration in any position. Doing something by yourself will never be as good as working with a team together. If we didn’t act collectively on how AI and cybersecurity is rapidly changing, we would not be as successful as we were. Ultimately, my time with CEIO helped me network and continue to not only work in cybersecurity but stay in this field regarding K-12 initiatives. Just because this was my internship during this semester does not mean I can’t contribute to the efforts. As I mentioned before, the K-12 initiatives will continue to keep changing as new emerging technologies continue to be made. I will continue to contribute to the field by making more hands-on programs, continuing research and even making ready-to-use lessons. I leave this experience with a stronger understanding of systemic challenges we face and how to be creative with a team to design solutions to better everyone in the future.

References

Brown, T. (2009). Change by Design: How Design Thinking Creates New Alternatives for Business and Society. 

International Society for Technology in Education (ITSE). (2022). AI in Education: Guiding Principles for Policymakers.

National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE). (2020). NICE Strategic Plan.

Virginia Department of Education. (2020). Virginia’s 5 Year Strategic Plan for STEM Education 2020-2025.

Wing, J. M. (2006). Computational thinking. Communications of the ACM, 49(3), 33-35.