The CyberWatch K12 Division extends the CyberWatch Mission to the K12 Community. Its mission is to advance cybersecurity education by leading collaborative efforts and strengthen the national cybersecurity workforce. The K-12 Division Goals include increasing:

• the Cybersecurity workforce pipeline
• community awareness of Cybersecurity workforce needs
• community awareness of Cyberethics, safety and security, and
• security of K-12 IT systems

The National CyberWatch Center (NCW) is a National Science Foundation funded Advanced Technology Education Center. The CW goals are focused on Cybersecurity education at all levels, from elementary through graduate school and include curriculum development, faculty professional development, student development, career pathways, and public awareness. Since its founding as a consortium of 10 institutions in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, CW has achieved the following: grown to over 50 member institutions across multiple states; acquired multiple partner institutions, businesses, government agencies, and professional associations; developed model IA curricula, including complete courses for A.A.S. and A.S. degrees and for two IA certificates; assisted member institutions in mapping their Cybersecurity courses to the Center for National Security Standards (CNSS) 4011 and/or 4013 standards; currently helping lead the national effort to create the Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Security Education for Community Colleges (CAE2Y) with NSF, NSA, and DHS; assisting all eligible CCs to apply for CAE2Y status; trained 450+ faculty through CW workshops and through sponsored courses at member institutions; built the Montgomery College Virtual Lab (MCVL), the University of Maryland Digital Forensics Lab (DFL), and the Bowie State University CW Underground Tunnel System (CUTS); initiated and still conduct these student competitions: Mid-Atlantic Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC), Digital Forensics Cup, and (in collaboration with Educause) Security Awareness Poster and Video Contest for higher education and K12; created a robust Cybersecurity program for K-12 students including cybersecurity awareness materials for educators and parents, after school and summer programs, formal content modules, contests and competitions, and STEM related research studies.