Apply now for virtual GenCyber Summer Camp at College of DuPage

Applications are open for student and teacher GenCyber virtual summer camps at College of DuPage. The deadline to apply is Thursday, April 15.

Funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Security Agency, the camps are free and open to all kindergarten to 12th-grade student and teacher participants.

The GenCyber program is aimed at helping students understand safe online behavior, increasing interest in cybersecurity careers, increasing diversity in the cybersecurity workforce in the U.S. and improving teaching methods for cybersecurity content in K-12 computer science education.

Curricula include cryptography, cybercrime and cybersecurity awareness, digital forensics, ethics, networking fundamentals and common vulnerabilities.

Participating students also receive an Arduino project kit to keep. Teachers will receive a Chromebook and a $300 stipend.

To learn more or to apply, visit www.cod.edu/academics/programs/cyber_defense/gencyber/.

• COD will offer two sessions of the student basic camp Monday through Friday, June 21 to July 2. Sessions include a morning session for students entering grades six to nine from 8 to 11:30 a.m., and an afternoon session for students entering grades seven to 10 from 1 to 4:30 p.m.

• An advanced camp aimed at students entering eighth to 12th grade interested in a more comprehensive cybersecurity learning experience will be held 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays from Tuesday, July 6, to Friday, July 16.

• Designed for educators interested in promoting cybersecurity and online safety, the teacher camp will provide a session for teachers of grades three to eight from 8 to 11:30 a.m. and a session for teachers of grades seven to 12 from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, June 7 to 18.

Designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Two-Year Education by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, College of DuPage's Center for Defense Education is dedicated to the growth, promotion and support of education, collaboration and innovation in security technologies and management, information security assurance and digital forensics across multiple academic and professional disciplines.

Learn more about the Center for Defense Education at www.cod.edu/academics/programs/cyber_defense/.