Cooperative agreement for the experiential learning to enhance cybersecurity education and workforce development (with george mason university):purpose: this project aims to strengthen and diversify…

This federal Cooperative Agreement award, valued at $299,851 and funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) through the Science, Technology, Business and/or Education Outreach program (CFDA 11.620), aims to strengthen and diversify the pipeline of students entering computer science and information systems education and the workforce in the National Capital Region.

The project, in partnership with George Mason University, Trinity Washington University, the Advanced Technical Center in the DC Public School system, and two employers, will provide workshops and paid internships for high school and college students. Over the two-year period, the initiative expects to place 20 students in paid internships and engage 72 students in skills-building workshops. The goal is to create a more sustainable ecosystem of partnerships between educational institutions and employers to meet local workforce needs in cybersecurity and related fields.

Activities

This project will provide both workshops and experiential learning opportunities to high school and college students in the region. In phase 1 industry participants in the program will be recruited. In phase 2, george mason university (GMU) will work with industry to define the scope of internships and how the nice framework will be utilized. Phase 3 will consist of recruiting student participants for the program, and phase 4 will be execution of the internships. Interns will provide a presentation in their last week and GMU will measure lessons learned and insights on how to scale the program.

Expected outcomes

Success in this project will result in strengthened and diversified students entering CS/is education and workforce and a more sustainable ecosystem of partnerships between various educational and business organizations. This includes 20 students completing paid internships over the two-year period and 72 students participating workshops.

Intended beneficiaries

College and high school students in the national capital region will be provided with training opportunities via hands-on workshops. Individuals in the national capital region will benefit by local talent being trained to their unique workforce needs.

Subrecipient activities

There are no planned subawards.