The application for student membership on the Delaware State Board of Education is currently open. Application requirements and information can be found below and in the application packet.

Applicants for the student Board member position must meet the following requirements:

• Delaware resident;
• 11th or 12th grade student during the 2022-23 school year;
•  Attend a public school located in the State of Delaware;
• Committed to ensuring quality education for Delaware students;
• In good academic and attendance standing and eligible to participate in extra-curricular activities within your school district;
• Recommended by school staff;
• Ability to provide your own transportation to and attend monthly State Board meetings held during this time period. Meetings are usually held at 5pm and last approximately 2-3 hours. Meeting locations rotate throughout the State of Delaware. A proposed schedule can be found here.

The student must submit a full application, including: an application form, confirmation of eligibility form, resume, and answers to essay prompts by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, June 24, 2022.

Questions about the application process should be directed to sbestudentapplication@delaware.gov. Information about the State Board of Education can be found on the Board’s website at: https://www.doe.k12.de.us/domain/170.

WILMINGTON, Del. — Governor John Carney on Wednesday announced Delaware’s first-ever Governor’s Summer Fellowship Program for Delaware high school students. The Governor’s Summer Fellowship Program provides paid camp counselor opportunities for Delaware high school seniors and juniors. Along with real-world experience, fellows will receive paid work opportunities at community-based summer camps in each county and the ability to network with state leaders and elected officials. 

“There’s nothing more important than making sure that all Delaware children have the chance to excel,” said Governor Carney. “The Summer Fellows will gain paid work opportunities and valuable life experiences. I’m looking forward to meeting with the inaugural class. Thanks to the Department of Education and the United Way of Delaware for their coordination on this project.”

Summer Fellows will gain real-world experience in education, community, and State Government as well as receive academic credit for their participation in the program.

“This program is a ‘win’ on so many levels,” said Dr. Mark Holodick, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Education. “It gives our high school students – and potential future educators – the opportunity to earn money gaining valuable work experience this summer while also helping our community-based organizations with a critical workforce challenge so they can provide quality summer experiences to our younger students.” 

“The Governor’s Fellowship Program is a compelling opportunity,” said Michelle Taylor, President and CEO of United Way of Delaware. “Young leaders learn how Delaware’s key decision makers drive change, while helping others close the academic achievement gap. For a young person eager to lift up their own community while gaining firsthand experience regarding public service, the Governor’s Fellowship Program is a doorway to opportunity, and a win-win for participants and the students they help. I can’t recommend the program enough and encourage all eligible students to apply.”

Applications for the Governor’s Summer Fellowship Program will be accepted on a rolling basis starting May 25^th. Prospective fellows must be committed to working for the duration of the program which runs from June 21, 2022 until August 12, 2022. 

Students interested can apply today at de.gov/summerfellow.

###

WILMINGTON, Del. –  Governor John Carney on Wednesday issued the following statement on the Wilmington Learning Collaborative:

“There is nothing more important than making sure our students get the education they need and deserve,” said Governor John Carney. “I want to thank members of the Christina, Brandywine, and Red Clay boards of education who unanimously voted to move forward with exploring the Wilmington Learning Collaborative – a partnership aimed at giving children, families and educators the support they need to be successful. Thank you to all who have come out to public meetings and other forums to discuss the Collaborative. We’ll only be successful if we continue to work together.”

Click here to learn more about the Wilmington Learning Collaborative.

###

Letter urges Christina, Red Clay, Brandywine board members to support schools partnership

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Friday sent a letter to members of the Christina, Red Clay, and Brandywine boards of education, urging them to support moving forward with negotiations to create the Wilmington Learning Collaborative. The following are excerpts from the letter:

“This letter is to request that, by your February board meetings, you vote to move forward with formally exploring this partnership. This vote would authorize your superintendents to begin formal negotiations to develop memoranda of understanding, with the goal of creating the Collaborative.”

“The Wilmington Learning Collaborative model is one that we’ve seen work in other states. It is a partnership among City schools to work together on behalf of our children in Wilmington – and to empower educators who know best what City students need. It will create a hyper focus on the challenges facing Wilmington students and educators.”

“Unfortunately, we know City students are not getting the education they need and deserve. We have much work to be done to ensure all of our third graders are reading on grade level, to set them up for future academic success. Wilmington children, families, and educators need additional support. I stand ready to offer that support – and I hope you’ll join me.”

“Thanks to the support of the General Assembly, advocates, and educators, significant new funding will be coming to schools across Delaware. Opportunity Funding, K-3 Basic Special Education funding, and additional mental health staff will all make an impact in schools across our state.”

“Additionally, at the end of January, I will be proposing to add $14 million in additional resources to help low-income students, much of which stems from recommendations from the Redding Consortium. Half of that funding will go towards putting the Redding Consortium recommendations into the operating budget, and the other half will go specifically to schools that join the Wilmington Learning Collaborative.”

“I believe City educators are doing everything within their power to help our children succeed. They need our support. I know you feel the same way. That’s what this plan is about: empowering educators on the ground and giving them support they need to improve outcomes for our children who need our help the most.”

Click here to read the full letter to Christina, Red Clay, and Brandywine board members. 

Visit de.gov/wlc to learn more about the Wilmington Learning Collaborative. 

###

CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack offer free, fun games for high school and college students to discover their talent and enter the field of cybersecurity. Registration is open now.

Dover, Delaware — Today, Delaware’s Governor John Carney and Chief Information Officer (CIO) Jason Clarke announced that high school and college students across the First State can now register for CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack — innovative, online cybersecurity talent searches and competitions sponsored by the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation and the SANS Institute. Building on the success of last year’s National Cyber Scholarship Competition and the previous Girls Go CyberStart program, CyberStart America is open to all high school students to explore their aptitude for cybersecurity and computer science. Delaware students in grades nine through twelve will have the chance to win prizes and recognition for their schools, as well as scholarships for advanced training for themselves.  Cyber FastTrack is available for college students, where they too have a chance to win accolades and scholarship awards.

“Cybersecurity is a critical issue facing every state across the country and the future of our innovation economy depends on having a skilled pipeline of cybersecurity talent available,” said Governor John Carney. “Careers in cybersecurity are open across nearly every industry and we want to encourage high school and college students to explore these occupations. The CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack programs give students the chance to discover skills and career paths that can ultimately lead them to success within the cybersecurity field.”

The CyberStart and Cyber FastTrack programs both offer a series of online challenges that allow participants to act as cyber protection agents solving cybersecurity-related puzzles and explore related topics such as code-breaking, programming, networking, and digital forensics. For the high school level, the program can be assigned as part of homework, form the basis of an extracurricular club, or students can simply try it on their own. Participating students and their teachers do not need knowledge or experience in information technology or cybersecurity to take part. Everything they need can be learned in the game; however, support and communication about the program to students are needed. Both programs are free for schools and students.

Students who do well in the program can earn access to scholarships and advanced training. Last year, 416 Delaware students participated in CyberStart America — four of whom earned scholarships — while two Cyber FastTrack winners won over $12,000 in training and scholarship awards.

“It’s estimated that there are more than 20 billion devices connected to the Internet and that number is only going to increase exponentially. This past year has proven how ingrained technology is in our personal and professional lives — as well as how imperative it is that we protect all the systems that connect us. Cybercriminals are evolving and becoming more sophisticated, so we must continue to seek out and cultivate the next generation of experts who will defend Delaware and the nation against these cyber threats,” said CIO Jason Clarke.

“Thank you to Governor Carney for his leadership in training the next generation of Cyber Stars,” said Alan Paller, President, National Cyber Scholarship Foundation. “Delaware is paving the way in urgently addressing the country’s significant gap in our cyber talent pipeline. We look forward to partnering with the Governor’s office to recruit thousands of Delaware’s students to this effort.”

To learn more about CyberStart America or to register, visit cyberstartamerica.org. College students can view the program details and register to participate at cyber-fasttrack.org.

###

About the Delaware Department of Technology and Information
The Department of Technology and Information (DTI) is the state’s central IT organization, chartered to deliver core services to other state organizations and exercise governance over the technology direction and investments of the state. DTI provides enterprise services that enable other organizations to effectively fulfill their missions. DTI.delaware.gov

About CyberStart America
CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack are free national programs for high school and college-level students, aiming to uncover hidden cyber talents and to identify and develop the next generation of cyber superstars. The immersive gamified learning platforms can take students from zero cybersecurity knowledge to possessing the skills necessary to compete in a national-level Capture the Flag challenge in a matter of weeks. Students new to the field with a strong aptitude, as well as students with existing interest in the field, can use the platform to train and qualify for the National Cyber Scholarship Competition, allowing them to compete for life-changing college scholarship opportunities.

About The National Cyber Scholarship Foundation (NCSF)
The National Cyber Scholarship Foundation (NCSF) is a national nonprofit whose mission is to identify, nurture and empower the next generation of cybersecurity experts and eliminate the cybersecurity skills gap in the United States. NCSF aims to support the entry of thousands of highly talented students to the cybersecurity industry by providing enrichment opportunities, world-class training, and scholarships to fund advanced skills training.