In May, Moraine Valley Community College hosted a three-day, in-person boot camp as part of the National Community College Cybersecurity Fellowship Program.
This application-based, competitive program, funded by the National Science Foundation and Microsoft, welcomed 35 cybersecurity students from across the country venture to campus. They were largely college and university students in their final year of study or recent graduates working in the cybersecurity or STEM fields.
Moraine Valley Community College hosted the National Community College Cybersecurity Fellowship Program boot camp.
The purpose of the program is to develop a new generation of diverse community college cybersecurity educators, of which there is a shortage. This was the second cohort of students, which nearly doubled from the 2022-23 class. Dr. John Sands, Moraine Valley professor/department chair of Information Technology and director/principal investigator of the Center for Systems Security and Information Assurance (CSSIA) NSF Regional Center, and Dr. Kristine Christensen, Moraine Valley professor of information management systems and director of faculty development, oversee the program with Christensen serving as program director of the fellowship.
Throughout the course, participants completed a four-hour virtual orientation, 16-hour virtual workshop on 21st century skills and 32-hour cybersecurity fundamental boot camp that included virtual and in-person instruction. Moraine Valley faculty taught students about concepts in Security+ as well as creating lesson plans, developing instructional materials, and formulating assessments and rubrics. The camp also involved hands-on lab activities and strategies for creating and managing collaborative and team exercises and projects.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to work with such bright students who are enthusiastic about teaching others cybersecurity, especially at the community college. Their passion and dedication not only inspire their peers but also contribute significantly to building a stronger, more knowledgeable cybersecurity community,” Christensen said. “The friendships and networks formed are truly beneficial, creating a collaborative, friendly and enthusiastic community. We have many participants from our first cohort currently teaching full or part time at community colleges across the nation.”
For news media inquiries, contact Maura Vizza, Moraine Valley communications specialist and sports information coordinator, at (708) 974-5742 or Vizzam@morainevalley.edu.
