About PC4A | In the News | Student Resources | Partner Pages | Project Documents | Grant Progress | Faculty Development | DoD/DIB Outreach
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. |