Expanding Cybersecurity Education at a Rural Community College

该项目旨在通过制定一个有凝聚力的战略来提高对网络安全职业的认识，增加劳动力的多样性，并提供实践学习经验，从而为国家利益服务。马里昂技术学院（MTC）与工业和教育合作伙伴合作，打算解决对熟练技术人员的需求，并加强俄亥俄州农村地区的网络安全劳动力。拟议的项目有可能弥合技能差距，建立一支熟练的网络安全劳动力队伍，以满足当地、区域和全国的需求。项目团队计划创建三个新的网络安全课程，其中包括嵌入式认证、一个顶点课程、新的可堆叠证书选项和一个专业发展训练营。该项目提出了一项针对网络安全领域代表性不足的学生（包括农村学生、经济困难学生和妇女）的外展战略。该项目的目标是提高对网络安全途径的认识，以增加熟练技术人员的供应，并加强网络安全劳动力。该项目将通过四个目标来实现这一目标：1)通过开发三门新的技术课程和一门顶点课程来扩展和加强现有的网络安全课程；2)为60名高中教师、地方政府、公用事业从业人员提供职业发展机会；3)通过整合可堆叠的证书和提高现有工人的技能，增强短期证书；4)将攻读网络安全证书的农村学生、女性和经济困难学生的项目入学率提高25%。正式评估将确定该计划的有效性，并捕获该项目对培养合格网络安全技术人员的知识的贡献。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by developing a cohesive strategy to raise awareness of careers in cybersecurity, increase the diversity of the workforce, and provide hands-on learning experiences. Marion Technical College (MTC), in collaboration with industry and education partners, intends to address the demand for skilled technicians and strengthen the cybersecurity workforce in rural Ohio. The proposed project has the potential to bridge the skills gap and establish a skilled cybersecurity workforce to meet local, regional, and nationwide demands. The project team plans to create three new cybersecurity courses with embedded certifications, a capstone course, new stackable certificate options, and a professional development boot camp. The project proposes an outreach strategy for underrepresented students in cybersecurity including rural students, economically disadvantaged students, and women. The goal of the project is to promote awareness of cybersecurity pathways to increase the supply of skilled technicians and strengthen the cybersecurity workforce. The project will achieve this goal through four objectives: 1) Expand and enhance existing cybersecurity curriculum by developing three new technical courses and one capstone course; 2) Provide professional development opportunities for 60 high school instructors, local government, and public utility employees; 3) Enhance short-term certificates by integrating stackable credentials and upskilling 30 incumbent workers; 4) Increase program enrollment of rural students, women, and economically disadvantaged students pursuing credentials in cybersecurity by 25%. The formal evaluation will determine the effectiveness of the program and capture the project's contributions to the generation of knowledge on preparing qualified cybersecurity technicians. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the Nation's economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.