Cybersecurity fun for families at free event
Emporia, KS (04/16/2026) — Students in kindergarten through high school and their families will find plenty to do while learning about cybersecurity during a free event sponsored by the Cybersecurity Research and Outreach Center and The Teachers College at Emporia State.
The Cyber Awareness Party will be from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, at the Anderson Building on the Lyon County Fairgrounds, 2650 W. Highway 50 in Emporia. The event also has received funding from DOCK, Digital Opportunities to Connect Kansans, a state-funded grant program in the Kansas Office of Broadband Development.
Activities available include gaming and esports, virtual Capture the Flag, lock picking and robots. Informational presentations include how to keep children cyber safe, accessing school information as well as cyber games that teachers and others can use in the classroom for learning.
Special guest at the event is Alan CyBear, cybersecurity mascot from the University of Texas San Antonio's Center for Infrastructure Assurance & Security. Named for mathematician Alan Turning, the mascot travels the country to introduce cybersecurity primarily to children.
About Emporia State University
Emporia State University offers a range of academic programs through its seven schools: Applied Health Sciences, Business and Technology, Humanities and Social Sciences, Library and Information Management and Library and Archives, Science and Mathematics and Visual and Performing Arts, along with The Teachers College.
ESU stands out for its innovative education practices. It ensures accessible education by offering in-state tuition rates to full-time undergraduate students from all lower-48 United States. Additionally, full-time undergraduates benefit from flat-rate tuition - students enrolled in 12 or more credit hours with at least one credit hour on campus pay a flat rate.
For more information on how to build your future at Emporia State University, please visit www.emporia.edu.