Maryland Launches “NSA Day of Cyber” School Challenge
Program Aims to Ignite Student Interest in Cybersecurity
BALTIMORE – Dr. Karen Salmon, State Superintendent of Schools, today announced the launch of the Maryland “NSA Day of Cyber” School Challenge, a free online cybersecurity career exploration and mentorship platform that enables students to test drive their future by living a day in the life of six National Security Agency (NSA) leaders. The challenge will kick-off November 7 at the Maryland Stem Festival’s Night of Cybersecurity and will culminate February 28, 2018.
Thousands of open and unfilled cybersecurity jobs are present in Maryland and across the country. The demand for cybersecurity professionals is growing twelve times faster than the overall job market. The NSA Day of Cyber School Challenge is a way for Maryland to help prepare students for the rewarding and impactful careers in this high-demand field.
WHEN: November 7, 2017- February 28, 2018
Kick-off event to be held Tuesday, November 7 from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: The Maryland NSA Day of Cyber School Challenge is a state-wide event middle and high school students across Maryland are encouraged to participate.
Kick-Off Event Location
Universities Space Research Association
7178 Columbia Gateway Drive
Columbia, MD 21046
WHAT IS IT?: The Maryland NSA Day of Cyber School Challenge is a state-wide program geared toward Middle and high school students designed to help ignite interest in cybersecurity careers among the state’s youth. This program enables students to test drive cyber careers with a fully-funded online cybersecurity program called the NSA Day of Cyber. The Day of Cyber exploration was developed and is sponsored by the NSA and is powered by LifeJourney technology.
The NSA Day of Cyber is an interactive web-based platform that enables students to take a seat beside the NSA Cyber Threat Director. Students will virtually participate in challenging, real-world scenarios that allow them to discover the skills and tools used by NSA cyber professionals, as well as explore the vast number of careers in cybersecurity. Upon completion, each student receives a “Cyber Resume” and NSA Certificate of Completion.
The State Superintendent of Schools, NSA, and the Maryland Department of Commerce will kick-off the challenge at the Maryland STEM Festival’s “Night of Cybersecurity” on November 7th in Columbia.
“Challenging our students to think ahead and consider career choices in cybersecurity and related fields ensures they have the solid foundation they need to compete in an increasingly globalized workforce,” said Dr. Salmon. “The ‘Day of Cyber’ Challenge provides an exciting opportunity for Maryland students to become inspired and interested in one of Maryland’s fastest growing fields.”
HOW IT WORKS: The challenge will kick-off on November 7, 2017 with the Maryland STEM Festival’s Night of Cybersecurity and will culminate on February 28, 2018. Educators from across the state are encouraged to select a day during that time period to run the NSA Day of Cyber experience. The program can be utilized in a classroom setting or educators can choose to have students participate at home. No teacher training is required and students only need a computer with internet access.
The schools and teachers with the highest student participation in the program will be recognized by the Maryland State Department of Education. The schools with the highest student participation will be based on the number of students who have completed the introductory portion of the NSA Day of Cyber platform and have generated their “Cyber Resume.”
Helpful Tips for running the NSA Day of Cyber in the classroom are available in the Instructor Resource Guide found on the NSA Day of Cyber website, https://www.nsadayofcyber.com/.
Your school can register for the Maryland Day of Cyber School Challenge by follow this link, http://bit.ly/MDDayofCyberChallenge. For additional information, please contact Kimberly Paradise at kim@lifejourney.us. Please share your Day of Cyber experiences with us on Social Media by using #DayofCyber.