From June 26 through 30, Aiken Technical College partnered with the Fort Gordon Cyber District’s Alliance for Cyber Education (ACE) team to host an Air Force Association CyberPatriot summer camp.
Instructors from the NSA Georgia, Army Cyber Commandant and units from across Fort Gordon are assisting with the effort to locally grow cyber talented individuals while allowing them to fill the region’s incredible need of cyber workers.
“For us here at Aiken Technical College, we recognize that cybersecurity is an industry that’s growing in this area, and we can begin to attract younger students to be thinking about this as a career in the coming years,” said Aiken Tech’s Dean of Technical and Continuing Education Steven Simmons. “It’s better to catch them at an early stage and get their interest piqued with the possibilities that there are.”
About 50 children, ages 10 to 16 years old, from the CSRA participated in the CyberPatriot’s second annual camp for free, and learned about the importance of cyber safety as well as the basics of cybersecurity.
“This camp is special because it takes on the subject of cybersecurity and aims to teach it to children – to the point where we can gamify it into a fun challenge,” said camp CyberPatriot’s Lead Instructor and Cyber Operator with the NSA Georgia Dave Basil.
Basil added that he and camp volunteers are also able to slightly tailor lessons to different students’ ability by working with them to perfect certain aspects and skill sets.
To keep campers sharp and focused throughout the week, older and more advanced campers have the option to participate in a competition.
“We turn it into a competition by giving them a lab computer, and then a standard task an IT person would maybe do at work, and they score points by doing the right things,” said Basil. “It’s really fun to see that immediate reaction … and hopefully that competitive edge hopefully makes them more interested in learning more as well.”
Basil said competing with a team demonstrates to students the importance of collaboration and balancing each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
“This is how it works in the real world,” he said.
While many campers came because they heard about the event through school or church, some students attended and learned about CyberPatriot through a local homeschooling group.
Heather Galvas, mother and future cybersecurity mentor, said learning and working in a group environment was a good change of pace for herself and her son, as it allowed them both to open a new doorway of skill and career options.
“A lot of homeschoolers signed up,” she said. “I’m stepping in now as a mentor to make sure that our kids have the same opportunities at home … CyberPatriot is just giving them hands-on experience with cybersecurity.”
Galvas said she believes Basil’s idea for a team-based final competition is a great way to showcase to homeschoolers the necessity and efficiency of proper communication when applied effectively.
Following the in-camp competition, students concluded the week on Friday, June 30, with a completion ceremony at 2:30 p.m. on the Aiken Tech campus. Brig. Gen. Brian Vile, the fifth Chief of Cyber and Commandant of the U.S. Army Cyber and Electromagnetic Warfare School, and Dr. Foster Mahan, President of Aiken Tech, presented the completion certificates during the ceremony.
“Everybody needs a chance – an opportunity,” said Executive Director Alliance for Fort Gordon Tom Clark. “I love watching the kids’ eyes light up as they learn, and watching them progress from when they first start.”
As a result of his experience in the NSA, Clark compared Basil’s cyber/military expertise to that of Chef Gordon Ramsey’s cooking knowledge. According to Clark, the exposure and knowledge campers are receiving from CyberPatriot is “very cool,” because they are learning from the best of the best.
