Thanks to a sixth year of funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Security Agency, Indiana University of Pennsylvania will offer a free, one-week, GenCyber cybersecurity camp for middle and high school students and teachers.
The camp will take place online August 2 through 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
IUP remains as one of only 10 schools in the nation selected for funding to hold the GenCyber program. This year's funding for the program totals $123,967; overall, IUP has received some $530,000 for this programming.
The project director is Waleed Farag, director of IUP's Institute for Cyber Security and professor of computer science.
The camp will be taught by a team of faculty and instructors with established expertise in cybersecurity teaching and research. It will provide a uniformly distributed, engaging blend of delivery that includes direct instruction, group activities, structured discovery, and hands-on laboratory and informal instructional techniques to both individual and combined cohorts.
Upon completion of the camp, participants will have a strong understanding of cybersecurity in addition to mastering basic skills that help them be safer online. Students in the camp will receive a Raspberry Pi (small computer board) to take home, and teachers will receive a $750 stipend.
To apply, students must be entering seventh grade or higher in fall 2021. Kindergarten through grade 2 teachers from different disciplines may apply, but preference will be given to teachers in STEM-related areas and those who teach middle and high school students. Space is limited, so interested participants should apply as soon as possible. Application deadline is May 14.
Information about the camp and online application forms are available at the GenCyber website.
According to national experts, jobs in cybersecurity have grown 91 percent nationally, and the demand for cybersecurity workers is expected to rise to 6 million globally.
For more information, persons may email gen-cyber@iup.edu.
IUP is a National Cyber Security Alliance “Champion,” recognized by the National Cyber Security Alliance. IUP was recognized in a 2014 national survey of “Best Schools for Cybersecurity” by HP Enterprise Security, released in October 2015. The university was ranked in the top 25 percent of all cybersecurity programs in the nation. Only four Pennsylvania colleges and universities were rated in the top quartile.
The university is a recent recipient of multi-million-dollar grants in the cybersecurity area from various federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, and the National Security Agency.
IUP was first selected as a National Center for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security in 2002, a recognition that the university continues to hold. IUP's program is unique because of its interdisciplinary character, blending the disciplines of criminology and computer science.
In addition to the development of computer programs and systems for cybersecurity, IUP's program focuses on cybercrime detection, loss prevention, and how to collect the evidence to prosecute cybersecurity offenders.