Reinvigorating Information Technology Education with Cybersecurity

新墨西哥大学洛斯阿拉莫斯分校与洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室、洛斯阿拉莫斯县和其他雇主合作，正在建立一个强大的两年期网络安全计划，既为该地区的雇主增加高技能技术人员的数量，又为现有工人提供再培训和认证的机会。对于这个项目，调查人员正在调整由网络安全教育联盟(CSEC)开发的网络安全课程，CSEC是NSF ATE的卓越中心。活动包括：*提供丰富的实习和实践课堂体验，加深学生对复杂的IT系统及其安全需求的了解；*为高中毕业生和大学生创建通往IT职业生涯的渠道；*通过“夺旗”挑战和迷你技术研讨会等活动激发学生对IT和网络安全的兴趣；*创造从两年制计划到四年制计划的无缝过渡机会；*为现有的IT工作者提供在网络安全方面建立技能和获得认证的机会；*为两年制大学教师和高中技术教师提供专业发展。为了提高留校率，该项目通过职业发展促进器、重新设计的辅导中心和平等意识计划强调学生支持。为了更好地接触拉美裔和美洲原住民学生，该项目正在利用与这些选区相关的教育组织的联系，向这些学生展示当地的就业机会，使他们能够与家人保持联系。该项目的其他特点包括将解决问题的技能与实践项目相结合，为学生进入工作场所做好准备，建立一个成功的实习/合作项目，利用智能教室技术扩展和丰富在线组件，并测试小型机构共享课程的安排。调查人员正在与新墨西哥州的合作社区学院分享项目设计、课程和可持续发展概念。并通过联合研讨会帮助培训社区大学合作伙伴和高中教师有关课程和动手活动的知识。

In partnership with Los Alamos National Lab, Los Alamos County, and other employers, the University of New Mexico-Los Alamos is building a robust two-year cybersecurity program that both increases the number of highly-skilled technicians for the region's employers and provides opportunities for retraining and certifying existing workers. For this program, the investigators are adapting cybersecurity curricula developed by the Cyber Security Education Consortium (CSEC), an NSF ATE center of excellence. Activities include:* providing rich internship and hands-on classroom experiences that deepen students' understanding of complex IT systems and their security needs;* creating a pipeline to IT careers for high school graduates and college students;* exciting students' interest in IT and cybersecurity through events such as a "Capture the Flag" challenge and mini-technology workshops;* creating seamless transfer opportunities from the two-year program to four-year programs;* providing opportunities for existing IT workers to build their skills and achieve certifications in cybersecurity; and* providing professional development for two-year college faculty and high school technology teachers.To improve retention, the project is emphasizing student support through a career development facilitator, a redesigned Tutor Center, and an equity awareness program. To reach Hispanic and Native American students better, the project is utilizing contacts with educational organizations tied to those constituencies and showing those students local job opportunities that allow them to stay close to family.Other features of the project include integrating problem-solving skills with hands-on projects to prepare students for the workplace, establishing a successful internship/co-op program, expanding and enriching online components with smart-classroom technologies, and testing an arrangement for small institutions to share courses.The investigators are sharing the program design, curriculum, and sustainability concepts with partner community colleges across New Mexico, and helping train both community college partners and high school teachers in the curriculum and hands-on activities through combined workshops.