ENID, OK - Enid Public Schools STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Coordinator, Kitty Herbel, was named to a Cybersecurity Standards Writing Committee.
With overwhelming applications making the selection process very challenging, Herbel is one of 30 educators serving on the committee, representing 22 states across the country. The committee will be broken down into three sub-committees (Elementary, Middle, and High School) and, based on expertise and experience, Herbel will be serving on the elementary sub-committee.
The committee will study the implementation of cybersecurity and draft inaugural standards while determining structure and content regarding the nation’s future academic content standards in this academic discipline. Once completed, the standards will be published for states to adopt in their entirety or to imbed partially into existing content standards (i.e. math, science, English language arts, etc.).
“Kitty is a terrific asset to EPS and will represent us well,” said Kristen Jones, District Curriculum Director. “Her participation in this project also supports our district goals and efforts in STEAM and cybersecurity instruction through the networking opportunities with other agencies, organizations, and businesses. We’re excited Kitty was selected.”
Herbel has been in education since 2004. She started with Enid Public Schools in 2009 as a teacher at Garfield Elementary School and now serves as the district STEAM coordinator, a position she was appointed to in July 2020.
“My previous experience of writing elementary math and technology standards for the state of Oklahoma will help me through this process so that I can make sure the Cybersecurity standards are appropriate for all students in elementary,” said Herbel. “I am honored to have been selected for this tremendous opportunity that will allow me to represent my district and make an impact on the nation.”
The standards writing committee will be facilitated by McRel International and will be supported by government agencies such as the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Institute for Cybersecurity Education, as well as industry partners such as Palo Alto Networks, Tenable, the National Cryptologic Museum Foundation, and Parallax.
Cyber.org is facilitating the standards writing committee and is an academic initiative of the Cyber Innovation Center. Their mission is to ensure that every K-12 student gains foundational and technical cybersecurity knowledge and skills.
