Department of Ed Seeks Teacher Nominations for Cybersecurity Awards
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 11/17/20
The
U.S.
Department of Education
is seeking nominations for its annual Presidential
Cybersecurity Education Award,
one for elementary educators and another for secondary. Nominations
are due Jan. 31, 2021. The goal is to honor teachers who do an
amazing job in the cybersecurity education they deliver.
Cybersecurity doesn't have to be the sole subject they teach, and
nominations can come from parents, students, fellow educators,
community members or the teachers themselves.
Recipients
will receive acknowledgement by the President of the United States
and the U.S. Secretary of Education along with public recognition as
a leader in the field of cybersecurity education and professional
development opportunities, including attendance at events in which
policymakers are focused on improving cybersecurity education.
Last
year's recipients from among 43 nominations were Donna Woods from
Canyon
Springs High School
in Moreno Valley, CA, and Kara Four Bear, principal at New
Town Middle School
in New Town, ND.
Woods
has guided development of career and technical education programs at
her school, with an emphasis on cybersecurity, which included dual
enrollment with Moreno Valley College, internships and
apprenticeships along with classroom instruction. During her five
years of involvement with the district's Cyber
Academic Pathway,
97 percent of students have achieved industry certifications and have
since gone on to careers as network analysts, systems engineers and
IT network specialists, among other IT roles. She has also led
award-winning CyberPatriot
teams in competitions that challenge students to secure networks and
taken students to the state legislature to conduct cybersecurity
presentations.
Four
Bear spearheaded the adoption of North Dakota cybersecurity education
initiatives that teach digital literacy and safety skills to students
of all ages. Under her guidance, teachers at New Town MS have helped
students make connections to cybersecurity in the classroom and learn
about cybersecurity career paths. She has also expanded opportunities
for students to explore cybersecurity and STEM participation in
college programs.
"School
transformations are completely possible for all rural schools within
North Dakota and beyond, thanks to partners with purpose in evolving
education to include cybersecurity and the computer sciences,"
said Four Bear in a statement at the time of her award.
"Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing professions in the
world and we are doing our part to create pipelines of creativity and
innovation to inspire youth to consider these career pathways."
Details
of the award are available in a document on
the Education Department website.
About the Author
Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.