UCCS Summer Camps Educate Middle Schoolers, Teachers On Cybersecurity -06/07/23

The Cybersecurity Programs Office at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs is hosting a series of cybersecurity camps for middle school students and middle and high school teachers. The camps, which will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday-Friday throughout a variety of weeks in June and July, offer middle schoolers and educators the opportunity to learn more about cybersecurity, networking, and general online safety.  

The camps filled up immediately, with demand so high that two additional student camps are being offered. Each student camp offers education, online activities and hands-on experience such as virtual reality, ciphers, lock-picking, industry speakers and more to help grow attendees’ understanding and education in cybersecurity concepts, topics and career opportunities.

The camp for educators prepares teachers to sit for a Cybersecurity Certification exam offered by the EC-Council, respected across industry to ensure a high standard of educational knowledge. In addition, teachers take away eight lesson plans that are classroom-ready, cybersecurity card games from CIAS that can be used to introduce concepts and engage students, and a classroom’s-worth of cybersecurity career guides that will help their students explore opportunities in the field of security, as well as earning CEUs (continuing education units). In addition, all teacher attendees will have the opportunity to practice their newfound cyber education skills at the middle school cyber camps prior to putting them to full use in their own classrooms in the fall.

“UCCS Cybersecurity Camps, funded either by a grant from the NSA (National Security Agency) or UCCS, offer a variety of resources that provide an engaging and memorable week in cybersecurity education,” said Mary Ann Tillman, Program Coordinator for Cybersecurity Programs. “The curricula provides a Watch One - Do One – Teach One approach that combines classroom teaching, hands-on exercises, and the ability to put the learned skills to use that drives greater retention and practical use.”  

Cybersecurity summer camps have been offered at UCCS since 2021, after the university was awarded its first grant to drive K-12 education. As of the summer of 2023, UCCS will have hosted almost a dozen summer camps for the Colorado K-12 community.  

The camps will be held at the UCCS Kevin W. O’Neil Cybersecurity Education & Research Center at 3650 N. Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80907.

For questions, please contact the UCCS Cybersecurity Programs Office at cyber@uccs.edu.