The Air Force Association’s (AFA) CyberPatriot program will be hosting its third round of CyberCamps throughout the United States this summer.
CyberPatriot, the nation’s largest and fastest growing youth cyber education program, is the Air Force Association’s flagship science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) initiative dedicated to strengthening cyber skills among American youth and exciting students toward careers in STEM.
Registration will be open from March 1 through May 1, 2017. Closing with a record 85 camps in 2016, AFA strives to increase participation to grow the program to over 100 camps during the summer session.
AFA CyberCamps are week-long seminars designed to educate students in grades six through twelve on the introductory topics of cyber ethics and network security.
(Learn More, courtesy of CyberPatriotAFA and YouTube)
Each camp culminates with a mock cyber defense competition.
Hosted during the summer months by approved schools and organizations, AFA CyberCamp curriculum kits include several 4-hour instruction and activity modules, accompanying instructor guides, student workbooks, and demonstration software.
In addition to the traditional CyberCamp model, CyberPatriot has partnered with Cyber Diamond sponsor Cisco to offer limited pilot CyberCamp program geared toward more advanced students in partnership with Cisco.
“CyberPatriot is grateful for Cisco’s enthusiastic support of AFA CyberCamps over the past two summers,” said Bernie Skoch, Cyber Patriot National Commissioner.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Cisco to create an intermediate camp pilot that will help address the continued need to provide challenging STEM related activities for students beyond the school year.”
(Learn More, courtesy of CyberPatriotAFA and YouTube)
Cisco’s involvement in the CyberCamp program opens the door to countless students to continue their passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career fields.
“I am very pleased to announce that the initial success with cyber camps has led to an expansion to include camps for more advanced students,” said Greg Prynn, Senior Director of Corporate Affairs at Cisco Systems Inc.
“Now both entry level and advanced participants can access customized preparation via the NetAcad learning platform for this year’s CyberPatriot competition. We are thrilled to see our partnership with CyberPatriot expanding for the benefit of our students.”
Additionally, Leidos, (through its affiliation with SAIC) has provided invaluable support to the program as a Cyber Silver sponsor since CyberPatriot began in 2009.
“We at Leidos are very proud of our founding sponsorship of the critically important STEM event and pleased [to] continue that support,” commented Lt Gen (USAF, Ret) Chuck Heflebower, of Leidos, Inc.
Leidos provides the Digital Forensics Event at the CyberPatriot National Finals Competition each April, which covers encryption, steganography, and file carving challenges, as well as other challenges that focus on digital forensics topics.
The event exposes the students to new areas of cybersecurity that are not traditionally covered in other the other events of the National Finals Competition.
“It’s been a real pleasure having the support of Leidos for such an extended period of time,” said CyberPatriot National Commissioner Bernie Skoch. “They’ve been part of the program since its early stages, and we are looking forward to continuing the partnership for years to come.”
CyberPatriot, created by the Air Force Association, aims to inspire high school and middle school students to pursue careers in cyber security and other STEM disciplines critical to our nation’s future.
Supporters of CyberPatriot include Northrop Grumman Foundation, CyberPatriot’s Presenting Sponsor, as well as Cyber Diamond sponsors AT&T and the AT&T Foundation, Cisco, Microsoft, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense; Cyber Gold sponsors Facebook, Riverside Research, Splunk, and Symantec; and Cyber Silver sponsors Air Force Reserve, American Military University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Leidos, and University of Maryland University College.
The Air Force Association is a non-profit, independent, professional military and aerospace education association.
Our mission is to promote a dominant United States Air Force and a strong national defense, and to honor Airmen and our Air Force Heritage.
