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Below are the activities of the Lead Organization (LO), IUP, and all our community college partners. Please check back regularly for new events and activities that might interest you or someone you know!

 Upcoming Partner Activities

Date Event Partner Description
9/14/2023 Science Center Grand Reopening MCCC The Science Center is re-opening after five years of renovations.  A poster outlining the mission, goals, and activities of PC4A will be on display.
9/23/2023 Veterans Community Outreach Event NCC NCC staff will be attending the upcoming Veterans Community Outreach Event to bring awareness to the PC4A Project.
10/14/2023 Fall Open House MCCC Representation from PC4A will attend the fall open house to engage prospective computer science and cybersecurity students. A digital graphic will be created and shared.
10/26/2023 Bsides Flood City Cybersecurity Event LO PC4A is sponsoring this community cybersecurity event and will be attending along with students from partner schools.  Visit the event web page to register.
10/31/2023 16th Annual Cybersecurity Day LO IUP will be hosting the 16th Annual CS Day, and students from WCCC and PHCC will be in attendance for the daylong event with speakers from government, academia, and industry. Visit the CS Day web page for details.
10/2023 Veterans Lunch and Learn MCCC Project staff will host an informative session for students using the Veterans Services Office. Focus of the event will be the career earning potential and benefits offered through the PC4A Project.
11/2023 High School Counselor Breakfast MCCC The Grant Manager will demonstrate interactive digital graphics for counselors to share with students interested in STEM. 
11/6/2023 Veterans Open House BUCKS Project staff will be in attendance at the upcoming Veterans Open house and will spread awareness of the project.
12/2023 CCNA Review Workshop MCCC A workshop for CCNA certification preparation will be offered.  Participants who complete the workshop will receive an exam voucher.
12/2023 CompTIA A+ Workshop MCCC A workshop for CompTIA A+ certification preparation will be offered.  Participants who complete the workshop will receive an exam voucher.
12/11/2023 CompTIA Network+ Bootcamp BC3 A five-week bootcamp will be offered to students to prepare them to sit for the Network+ certification exam.  Students who successfully complete the bootcamp will be awarded exam vouchers.
TBD Cybersecurity War Game Activity PHCC Faculty will support a cybersecurity wargame activity for students.
TBD Certification Workshops PHCC Certification workshops will be offered to students during the fall 2023 semester.
TBD Learn About Computers Day WCCC Students in the Cyber Tech Club will be offering a day to showcase various technologies and will set up interactive stations.
TBD CMU NREC Facility Visit WCCC Students in the Cyber Tech Club will be visiting Carnegie Mellon University NREC facility to learn about robotics.

Previous Activities

Quarter Four (July 2023–August 2023)

Date Event Partner Description
8/24/2023 NCAE NE Regional Meeting and Townhall LO/PHCC The theme of the event was “Planting the Seeds: Collaborating and Sustaining the Next Generation of Cybersecurity Professionals” which was attended by the project PI and PHCC Co-PI.
8/17/2023 Dual Enrollment Orientation MCCC Over 250 prospective students attended an event to provide information on the benefits of dual enrollment.
8/11/2023 Tobyhanna Army Depot Visit NCC Multiple staff members attended a tour of the Tobyhanna Army Depot and discussed implementation of the internship program.
8/8/2023 PC4A Annual Conference LO PC4A Partners met in person for the first time to discuss progress, challenges, and collaboration opportunities.  
8/3/2023 Computer Technology Advisory Meeting PHCC The advisory board met and discussed the PHCC assessment process, the PC4A project, and new courses. 
7/23/2023 CompTIA Network+ Bootcamp BUCKS A three-day bootcamp was provided, and participants received exam vouchers.  Five students participated in the bootcamp.
7/23/2023 CompTIA A+ Bootcamp BUCKS A three-day bootcamp was held, and participants received exam vouchers.  Ten students participated in the bootcamp.
7/11/2023 Coding Camp WCCC A three-day coding camp was offered to MS and HS students using Arduino Uni boards. Eight students participated in the camp.

 Quarter Three (April 2023–June 2023)

Date Event Partner Description
6/27/2023 Cisco Bootcamp MCCC A bootcamp for CTA high school students began in June 2023 and concluded in August 2023.  11 Students completed the course and earned an exam voucher.
6/21/2023 Cybersecurity Student Bootcamp PHCC Students participated in a two-day workshop focused on Cyber Security networking, Linux and ethical hacking. Kali Linux and several tools were used to demonstrate concepts in a hands-on environment.  11 high school students participated from local area high schools.
5/31/2023 Showcase for Commerce PHCC Co-PIs attended the 32nd Annual Showcase for Commerce and made connections with various DoD contractors, private business, and educational institutions. 
5/16/2023 Comp Sci Advisory Board Meeting BUCKS The Advisory Board invited STEM faculty and local employers to provide feedback on the level of employment preparedness and curriculum for two majors: 2136 – Computer Networking Technology Degree and 2164 – Information Technologies Studies Degree. Employers present represented Visual Software, Inc., The eNeighborhood Project, and Mtech AI Solutions.
5/13/2023 CCNA Review Workshop MCCC A CCNA test prep workshop was held to prepare students for the certification exam.  11 students participated, six students attempted the exam, and five students earned their certification thus far.  
5/11/2023 Bucks Faculty Development Workshop LO STEM faculty from Bucks participated in a professional development workshop featuring presentations on the PC4A Project, network defense, and the NCAE Cyber Sandbox.  The workshop was held virtually with six participants.
5/10/2023 BC3 Faculty Development Workshop LO STEM faculty from BC3 participated in a professional development workshop featuring presentations on the PC4A Project, network defense, and the NCAE Cyber Sandbox.  The workshop was held virtually with four participants. 
5/8/2023 CompTIA Security+ Workshop BC3 Three students participated in the Security+ bootcamp to prepare for their certification exam.  At the conclusion of the workshop, participants were awarded additional study materials and an exam voucher.  Three students have taken and passed their certification exam.
4/27/2023 SRU Cybersecurity Event BC3 One instructor and six students attended the SRU Cybersecurity Event to learn about careers in cybersecurity presented by cybersecurity experts and view live software and application demonstrations to address threats.
4/21/2023 CompTIA Linux+ Workshop PHCC 10 students participated in a Linux+ bootcamp to prepare for their certification exam.  At the conclusion of the workshop, participants were awarded additional study materials and an exam voucher.
4/21/2023 CTE Dual Enrollment Day MCCC Computer Science students from local CTE visited the MCCC campus and were given a behind the scenes look at the MCCC IT department, participated in a cybersecurity escape room, and were given a presentation on MCCC Computer Science programs. 
4/15/2023 PHCC Faculty Development Workshop LO Faculty from PHCC participated in a professional development workshop featuring presentations on Cloud Security, Cryptography, and the NCAE Cyber Games. The workshop was held virtually with seven participants. 
4/11/2023 NAVSUP Visit to IUP LO IUP hosted representatives from NAVSUP and provided them with information on the Institute for Cybersecurity, computer science programs available, and the PC4A project.  
4/1/2023 WCCC Faculty Workshop IUP The LO, IUP, offered a faculty professional development workshop for WCCC faculty with lessons on cloud security, cryptography, and blockchain technology. Four faculty participated in the event, and all collected feedback was excellent. View the event website for more information.
4/15/2023 PHCC Faculty Workshop IUP The LO, IUP, offered a faculty professional development workshop for PHCC faculty with lessons on cloud security, cryptography, and the NCAE Cyberg Games Sandbox. Seven faculty participate in the event, and all collected feedback was excellent. View the event website for more information.

Quarter Two (January 2023–March 2023)

Date Event Partner Description
1/30/2023 PI Visit at Homer-Center HS IUP Dr. Waleed Farag visited with students to discuss cybersecurity career options. See the news release for more information.
2/1/2023 Cybersecurity Mentor Visit BC3 The BC3 Cybersecurity Mentor visited with students to discuss the importance of Linux, requirements for federal positions, and DoD/DIB contractors that are currently hiring.
2/23/2023 DoD STEM Exchange IUP The PI presented a talk at the inaugural STEM Exchange on PC4A progress. See the news release for more information.
3/3/2023 EPC Science Olympiad NCC NCC hosted the fifth annual Science Olympiad which consisted of 10 STEM competitions. 165 students from 11 high schools across multiple counties participated in the event. Visit the Science Olympiad website for more information.
3/8/2023 BotsIQ Combat Robotics Competition WCCC WCCC hosted the semi-finals combat robotics competition. Visit the competition website for more information.
3/25/2023 Community Cybersecurity Event PHCC A public cybersecurity event was held at the PHCC Richland campus to raise cybersecurity awareness in the community. Visit the event website for additional details.
3/29/2023 RMU Faculty Presentation WCCC Dr. Karen Paullet, professor of computer and information systems at Robert Morris University, visited with computer science students to discuss transfer opportunities and programs available.  

Quarter One (September 2022–December 2022)

Date Event Partner Description
10/18/2022 15th Annual Cybersecurity Day IUP For the fifteenth year in a row, IUP offered a day-long event featuring presentations from renowned cybersecurity experts. This event was held at the IUP main campus with 150–200 participants. Students and faculty from WCCC also attended this event.
10/7/2022 Bethlehem and Monroe High School Counselors Breakfast NCC The college Admission Departments at the Bethlehem and Monroe campuses hosted a High School Counselor Breakfast session to provide updates on academic programs. A total of 46 counselors were in attendance. The NCC grant Co-PI provided information on the PC4A project, STEM programs, and paid internship benefits. 
12/2/2022 CompTIA Network+ Bootcamp BC3 Five students who completed both networking courses in the Networking and Cybersecurity degree at a minimum of 80 percent were invited to attend the winter offering of the bootcamp. Three students completed the bootcamp and were awarded vouchers for the CompTIA Network+ Certification.
12/2/2022 CompTIA Network+ Bootcamp PHCC A workshop to help prepare students for the CompTIA Network+ exam was held and presented by Leisa Zuccolotto. Three students participated in the workshop. Participants will receive access to the Examcram Network+ eBook, as well as an exam voucher.
12/7/2022 River Valley Roundtable w/ PA Labor and Industry Secretary IUP The PI was invited to participate in a round table discussion hosted by River Valley STEAM Academy with PA L&I Secretary Jennifer Berrier. The focus of this event was to discuss the shortage of skilled workers. Please see the news release for more information.
12/22/2022 CodeBreakers MCCC A Java coding bootcamp refresher for MCCC computer science students was held to prepare them for upper-level coding classes. 45 students participated in this event.