Cybr-PARK: A Teacher-Centered Approach to K-12 AI & Digital Literacy

As digital literacy and AI awareness become mandatory components of the K-12 experience, teachers often face the "implementation gap”, the space between high-level standards and practical, classroom-ready tools. This session introduces Cybr-PARK, a gamified educational platform designed to bridge that gap. We will share the journey of how Cyber-PARK evolved from a research concept into a classroom reality through a strict "teacher-first" design philosophy. Participants will learn about our intensive customer discovery process with educators in Spring 2025 and our initial August pilot in New Hanover County, which prioritized reducing teacher burnout while maximizing student engagement. Central to our mission is a model of continuous development, where current classroom teachers and school librarians serve as active co-designers. We will demonstrate how these ongoing feedback loops from NHC educators have directly shaped the platform’s future, ensuring it is not just "another login," but a living, practical resource aligned with NC DPI Digital Learning Standards. Finally, we will explore the integrated Student and Parent portals, showing how this educator-led ecosystem supports a unified "Digital Guardian" culture from the school library to the home. We will share the journey of how Cybr-PARK evolved from a research concept into a classroom reality through a strict "teacher-first" design philosophy. Participants will learn about our intensive customer discovery process with educators in Spring 2025 and our initial August pilot in New Hanover County, which prioritized reducing teacher burnout while maximizing student engagement. Central to our mission is a model of continuous development, where current classroom teachers and school librarians serve as active co-designers. We will demonstrate how these ongoing feedback loops from NHC educators have directly shaped the platform’s future, ensuring it remains a living, practical resource aligned with NC DPI Digital Learning Standards. Crucially, Cybr-PARK is an ongoing project; we are currently developing new content modules and are actively accepting applications from schools and districts interested in joining our upcoming pilot phases. Finally, we will explore the integrated Student and Parent portals, showing how this educator-led ecosystem supports a unified "Digital Guardian" culture from the school library to the home. Session Timeline (45 Minutes) 1. The Origin Story: Why Teacher-Centered Design? (10 min) - The Background: How Cyber-PARK was born from the need to simplify complex cybersecurity and AI concepts for young learners. - The "Pain Point" Discovery: Insights from Spring and Summer 2025, where we interviewed educators to identify the barriers to teaching digital literacy. 2. From Pilot to Practice: The NHC Feedback Loop (15 min) - August 2025 Launch: Results from our initial pilot testing in New Hanover County. - The Iterative Process: Real-world examples of how teacher feedback led to direct modifications of the platform’s delivery. - Standard Alignment: How we mapped the platform to NC DPI and ISTE standards to ensure efficiency for educators. 3. The Ecosystem: Students, Parents, and the Future (15 min) - Student Experience: A quick tour of the gamified "adventures" and newly developing AI-literacy modules. - The Parent Portal: Engaging the home front, how the portal provides parents with tools to support digital safety. - Current State & Future Steps: The role of the Educator-Librarian Advisory Board in guiding ongoing content creation and the roadmap for expanding the pilot program to new districts across North Carolina. 4. Q&A and Call to Action (5 min)        - Call to Action: Practical steps for getting started and an invitation for interested schools and districts to sign up for the next phase of pilot testing.