CYBERCAMP AT MGCC Making plans for CyberCamp for area high school students at Mountain Gateway Community College this summer are Alex Morrow (left) and Tamra Lipscomb, who will serve as instructors. The camp is scheduled July 24-28 on the MGCC Clifton Forge campus.

MGCC Hosts CyberCamp July 24-28 for Area High School Students   Clifton Forge, VA (June 1, 2023) - Mountain Gateway Community College is one of the distinguished organizations selected to host an AFA (Air Force Association) CyberCamp this summer, Monday through Friday, July 24-28, on the MGCC Clifton Forge campus, for area high school students. The week-long camp will introduce students to cybersecurity principles, online safety, cyber ethics, virtual machines and cyber threats, among many other topics. As an AFA CyberCamp host, MGCC will receive software and a hands-on curriculum kit designed to teach students about cyber safety, cyber ethics, and critical network security skills and tools. Each AFA CyberCamp culminates in an exciting team-based competition that puts the campers in the role of IT administrators tasked with finding and addressing cybersecurity vulnerabilities in simulated network environments. The local AFA CyberCamp competitions will closely mimic AFA’s annual CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, which will enter its fifteenth season in October. MGCC’s AFA CyberCamp will be taught by Tamra Lipscomb, MGCC Assistant Professor and Information Systems Technology Program Head, and Alex Morrow, MGCC adjunct instructor. The camp is open to all rising 9th to 12th graders in the MGCC service area, which includes Alleghany, Bath, Rockbridge and northern Botetourt counties, as well as the cities of Covington, Lexington and Buena Vista. "I am thrilled that Mountain Gateway Community College is hosting a CyberPatriot camp for high school students in our service region,” said Lipscomb. “This immersive experience will equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills in cybersecurity, preparing them for a rapidly evolving digital landscape. By fostering a culture of innovation, critical thinking, and problem-solving, the camp empowers students to become future leaders in their field.” “In today's world, cybersecurity is an essential aspect of our daily lives,” said Morrow. “By participating in the CyberPatriot camp, students from all fields will not only develop skills that are highly sought-after in the workforce, but they will also learn how to protect their personal information and ensure their own safety in a digital world. This knowledge is crucial for their future success and well-being, regardless of their chosen career path." Attendees do not have to have any prior knowledge of cybersecurity to participate. Basic knowledge of computer hardware is helpful but not necessary. Campers will need to bring a lunch each day, with pizza provided the last day, when campers will compete against each other on Windows 10 and Ubuntu 18 competition images. The Air Force Association created the CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Education Program in 2009 to excite K-12 students about cybersecurity and other STEM disciplines critical to our nation's future. In addition to the summer CyberCamp program, CyberPatriot offers a variety of programs aimed at educating the public about the importance of cybersecurity. These programs include the nation’s largest youth cyber defense competition for high school and middle school students, an Elementary School Cyber Education Initiative (ESCEI), a children’s literature series, CyberGenerations –a senior citizen cyber safety initiative, and a Tech Caregivers program designed to encourage cyber- savvy volunteers to give back to their communities. CyberPatriot greatly benefits from the support and technical expertise of the program’s presenting sponsor, Northrop Grumman Foundation, along with Cyber Diamond sponsors AT&T and the AT&T Foundation, Boeing, Cisco, Microsoft, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Cyber Gold sponsors Air Force Reserve, BNY Mellon, Facebook, Symantec, and the USAA Foundation; and Cyber Silver sponsors the Air Force STEM, American Military University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Gannon University, Leidos, Mastercard, and University of Maryland Global Campus. For more information about CyberPatriot, visit www.uscyberpatriot.org. To register for CyberCamp at MGCC, please visit www.mgcc.edu/cyberpatriot-campus-2023. For more information, contact Lipscomb at (540) 863-2896 or email tlipscomb@mgcc.edu.

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