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AI & Cybersecurity

Explore how artificial intelligence is used to detect cyber threats, prevent online scams, and protect digital systems through real-world examples and hands-on activities.

AI & Cybersecurity gives students a practical introduction to how digital systems are protected and how AI is used to detect and respond to threats. Students learn core security concepts—confidentiality, integrity, availability, authentication, and common attack patterns such as phishing, weak passwords, and unusual login behavior.

Students use curated, safe datasets from security logs and phishing examples to practice cleaning and organizing data, spotting anomalies, and building clear dashboards in Tableau to communicate evidence. The program highlights responsible security habits: protecting personal data, understanding privacy tradeoffs, recognizing bias in automated detection, and learning why defensive tools must be used ethically. The program concludes with a team capstone where students investigate a cybersecurity scenario, create visuals and findings, and present prevention recommendations at a culmination event for families and peers.

2 weeks

Grade 9+

Virtual

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Program Details

Start Date

July 13, 2026

End Date

July 24, 2026

Duration

2 weeks

Program Times

5:00 - 7:00 PM PST

Program Cost

$400

Program Information

Prerequisites

No prior programming experience required
Comfort with basic algebra and graphs
Interest in computers, online safety, and problem-solving

Program Format

Live online sessions 5:00 - 7:00 PM PST
Daily 2-hour sessions: 1 hour lecture + real-world example + hands-on lab
Concepts taught with clear visuals and guided practice
Real-world cybersecurity case studies to connect ideas to impact
Guided, no-code or low-code hands-on exercises
Team collaboration for a guided capstone project

Curriculum Highlights

Cybersecurity Foundations: CIA triad, common threats, authentication, password hygiene, and social engineering patterns
Security Data Foundations (Tableau Labs): Clean and organize security-relevant datasets (login attempts, alerts, phishing indicators) and identify meaningful patterns
Threat Visualization & Storytelling: Build dashboards that communicate risk, trends, and evidence clearly to a non-technical audience
AI and Machine Learning in Cyber Defense: Understand how anomaly detection, classification, and automated triage can support defenders, using age-appropriate examples and outputs
Responsible Security & Privacy: Discuss privacy constraints, safe handling of sensitive data, bias and false positives in detection, and ethical boundaries (defense-focused learning only)
Capstone Project: Apply program concepts to analyze a cybersecurity scenario and propose practical prevention steps

Capstone Project & Showcase

Students will complete a team-based capstone project focused on a cybersecurity challenge, applying program concepts to develop a clear, well-reasoned solution.

Apply learned techniques to a cybersecurity theme (e.g., phishing detection, suspicious login patterns, incident timeline analysis, security awareness improvement)

Work in small groups to define the problem goal, analyze evidence, and communicate conclusions clearly with visuals

Present results on culmination day to an audience that includes parents, educators, guests, instructors, mentors, and peers

A certificate of completion will be provided at the end of the program

Meet the Instructors

Anjana Manian

Program Lead & Instructor

Anjana brings a strong background in data and AI education, with experience guiding high school students through hands-on projects that connect technical skills to real community needs. She helps students frame meaningful questions, work with real-world datasets, and communicate findings with clarity and confidence. Anjana is passionate about creating an inclusive, supportive classroom where students feel empowered to learn and contribute positively.

Padmapriya (Priya) Parthasarathy

Instructor

Priya brings over 25 years of industry experience across a wide range of technology domains, with a specialization in AI and data. She has worked extensively with large-scale datasets and complex analytical concepts, translating technical work into practical, real-world applications. With more than a decade of teaching experience, she has taught students computer science, Python, AI, and data science, supporting learners at different skill levels. Priya is passionate about working with students to build confidence, curiosity, and responsible problem-solving skills through engaging, hands-on projects.

Program Registration

Register for AI & Cybersecurity

Complete the form below to apply for this program.

Registration Fee: $400

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Frequently Asked Questions

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