RPS awarded grant to host two summer cybersecurity camps

The grant was made possible through funding approved by the Virginia General Assembly to support innovative extended-year programs.

March 16, 2016; 11:57 AM • by Trevor Dickerson

From Richmond Public Schools:

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has awarded Richmond Public Schools (RPS) $125,000 in grant funding to host two Cybersecurity Camps for high school students this summer. The grant was made possible through funding approved by the 2015 General Assembly to support innovative extended-year programs.

The cybercamps will be hosted at Thomas Jefferson High School and Franklin Military Academy and offer students at least 70 hours of instructional time and include project-driven learning, field trips, guest speakers and a culminating recognition program. Each camp will host 25 high school students. In addition to raising student awareness of career opportunities in cybersecurity, the goals of the program are to engage students in project-driven learning and introduce both students and teachers to cybersecurity-related industry credentials.

In a press release issued by VDOE, Superintendent of Public Instruction Steven R. Staples said, “The camps will introduce students to the field of cybersecurity and the cybersecurity-related credentials they can earn through local career and technical education programs. The camps will also serve as models for the development of additional efforts to prepare students to meet the commonwealth’s cybersecurity workforce needs.”

RPS is one of 38 school divisions selected to receive grant funding. School divisions were selected based on the percentage of students eligible for free- or reduced-price meals. Each school division received $62,500 for each camp.

The Cyber Innovation Center, a division of the National Integrated Cyber Education Research Center, and VDOE will provide regional training and planning workshops this spring to support the cybercamps.