Two state centers based at the University of 黑洞社区 have announced an ambitious partnership to help Florida public schools provide classes on cybersecurity skills to their K-12 students.
The Florida Center for Instructional Technology (FCIT) and Cyber Florida: The Florida Center for Cybersecurity will develop and implement curricula and outreach programs to teach K-12 educators and students about the importance of cybersecurity, the possibilities of a career path in the field, and for those students who demonstrate the aptitude and interest, even classes in basic cybersecurity skills.
鈥淐ybersecurity is a rapidly growing and high-paying field that is critical to our nation, and we鈥檙e dealing with a critical shortage of talent at both the state and national levels,鈥� said Mike McConnell, the former director of U.S. National Intelligence and the National Security Agency, who now serves as the executive director of Cyber Florida. 鈥淲e must engage students as early as we can to introduce and encourage their interest in cybersecurity; that鈥檚 the only way that we will be able to build a larger talent pool to protect our country鈥檚 national and economic interests.鈥�
As a relatively new and technically complex profession, cybersecurity can be a daunting subject for teachers as well as students. Many K-12 educators are not comfortable dealing with the potential complexities of the subject in the classroom. To overcome this challenge, Cyber Florida and the FCIT will partner with area school districts and educators to help prepare them. This includes conducting free workshops and webinars, sponsoring summer camps and academies, and developing classroom instructional materials that can be used 鈥渙ut of the box鈥� or adapted to fit local needs.
鈥淐ommunity is an important part of the mission. We will provide coordination and resources鈥攖echnical, pedagogical, and financial鈥攖o support delivery of K-12 cybersecurity education programming at schools, colleges, universities, community centers and other cultural institutions across Florida,鈥� said James Welsh, director of the Florida Center for Instructional Technology at USF. 鈥淲e want to support and expand programs that are already helping engage the K-12 cybersecurity community across the state and develop new resources to help Florida鈥檚 K-12 students and teachers.鈥�
As part of the collaboration, the team will produce and pilot a semester-long course on 鈥淐ybersecurity Essentials鈥� for those high school juniors and seniors who have the interest and the aptitude for more college-level study (and eventually a career) in this area. The course will also help prepare students to earn one of the most sought-after cybersecurity professional certifications, a credential that is typically required for entry-level cybersecurity positions in business and government. High schools in Hillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas counties will be the first to offer this course to students this fall, with the objective of offering the course materials and 鈥渃lassroom playbooks鈥� to other school districts and teachers across the state.