As the country moves to get more students interested in learning about and pursuing careers in cybersecurity, Georgia Regents University’s Cyber Sciences Summer Academy represents the latest large-scale attempt to pique interest.

Dozens of high school students from both Georgia and South Carolina attended the Cyber Sciences Summer Academy which was made possible through partnerships with the National Security Agency and the National Science Foundation. Throughout the course of the week-long program, students learned a variety of cyber security skills.

"[T]he camp is part of a larger university initiative meant to introduce high school students to the cybersecurity field. Attendees spent the week learning techniques commonly used in cybersecurity and applying those skills in specially designed virtual computer networks," according to The Augusta Chronicle.

Participating students had an agenda of 30 'skill challenges' to work with and master throughout the course of the week through lectures, games, and activities.

"Students worked through basic code breaking, played an electronic version of 'capture the flag' and practiced fortifying and infiltrating computer networks," The Chronicle said.

Students also got to meet and learn from leaders within the field like NSA Director Adm. Michael Rogers to give listeners an understanding on what to expect from cybersecurity careers.

In order to resonate with the young learners, much of the program integrated pop culture into learning to make activities fresh and engaging.

"One of the lectures...describes computer viruses and Trojan horses as 'the Dark Arts,' a nod to the Harry Potter fantasy series. Other activities take the form of games, such as a 'cryptobowl' where players advance down a football field by rapidly breaking codes and logic puzzles," The Chronicle said.

The program was a success, as many students reported a continued interest in learning about cybersecurity topics like cryptography and code breaking.

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Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor 

06/30/2015