From the Pool Deck to the Server Room: Lifeguarding Lessons That Strengthen K-12 Cybersecurity

What do a rescue tube and a firewall have in common? More than you think. This interactive poster presentation draws directly from the American Red Cross Lifeguarding curriculum to explore how lessons from water safety apply to K-12 cybersecurity. Led by a K-12 technology coordinator who is both a CISSP and a certified lifeguard instructor, it connects ten core lifeguarding principles to the Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover functions of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and the Cybersecurity Rubric for Education. Gain fresh insight into threat detection and scanning, emergency action planning, vigilance fatigue and the human behaviors that create risk in schools. Whether you are a technology coordinator, building administrator or classroom teacher, you will leave with a new mental model for cybersecurity culture, a practical lens for assessing gaps and prioritizing improvements using the Cybersecurity Rubric and an approach to awareness training that works for technical and non-technical audiences alike. The best rescue is the one you never have to make.