Governor Carney, Chief Information Officer Announce Innovative Cybersecurity Partnership for Students

Online cybersecurity training offers scholarship opportunities for Delaware high school juniors and seniors, and college students

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney announced on Friday a new, innovative cybersecurity training partnership between the SANS Institute and the State of Delaware that provides Delaware high school juniors and seniors at least 16 years old, and college students interested in a cybersecurity career, the opportunity to learn basic cybersecurity skills and test their aptitude through a no-cost online game of discovery called CyberStart.

“Delaware’s future is an innovation economy where technology takes center stage, and our state needs a pipeline of talented cybersecurity professionals,” said Governor John Carney. “I am excited that Delaware is able to partner with an organization like the SANS Institute to engage our state’s high school and college students, and encourage them to explore the field of cybersecurity.”

An introductory practice version of CyberStart will be available online from July 14-28, 2017. Participants who complete five of the eight practice modules will be invited to compete in the full-scale program that will run from August 1-28, 2017. The practice round is mandatory for those who would like to compete.

Participants do not need prior cybersecurity knowledge. Students from Delaware who excel in the CyberStart game will have the opportunity to share in $150,000 in scholarships for further cyber-education, and ultimately for $500,000 in scholarships for college and graduate-level training in preparation for highly sought-after industry certifications.

Delaware students will be competing with students from Virginia, Michigan, Rhode Island, Iowa, Nevada, and Hawaii for scholarships sponsored by the SANS Institute.

“I applaud the SANS Institute for working to ensure the cyber workforce of tomorrow is available to protect our information and systems. The CyberStart program is an excellent and fun opportunity for students who think they may be interested in cybersecurity to determine if they have the passion and aptitude to pursue it as a career,” said Delaware Chief Information Officer James Collins. “I hope young people all across Delaware take advantage of this great opportunity.”

Each player in CyberStart begins as a “cyber protection agent” responsible for protecting an important operational base.  The student chooses and solves challenges, earning points along the way. A cyber protection agent field manual provides answers to questions that may arise and hints help when players get stuck. When the player has solved a sufficient number challenges at one level, a new level opens up and new challenges appear – for a total of 31 levels.

When asked why SANS is making this investment, SANS Director of Research, Alan Paller, said “Because the nation desperately needs more highly-skilled cyber professionals, and we have new evidence that CyberStart will radically improve the quality and preparation of people entering the cybersecurity field.  SANS trains more than 30,000 advanced cybersecurity professionals each year for military and intelligence organizations and for large high-tech companies in the U.S. and its allies. We discovered that those who have mastered the topics taught and measured in the CyberStart program do far better than others in the advanced cybersecurity courses that prepare the critically needed people. By opening CyberStart to hundreds of thousands of students we may be able to help the nation identify the next generation of talented people who will excel in this critical field.”

For more information and to get started playing CyberStart, please visit DigiKnow.DTI.Delaware.gov.


Future STEM professionals honored at national student conference

Students from across Delaware represented the First State as part of the Delaware Technology Student Association last week at the 39th annual National Technology Student Association Conference in Orlando, many bringing home awards for Top 10 finishes. In total, 172 students from Delaware competed in 127 individual and 115 team events that were focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Delaware students competed amongst 8,000 international finalists in events such as computer-aided design; dragster design; engineering, inventions & innovations; leadership strategies; manufacturing prototype; on-demand video; promotional graphics; structural engineering; system control technology; video game design; vex robotics website design and more. At the June 25 awards ceremony, Delaware students received national recognition in their respective events:

 

Conference Honors and Highlights

  • Brandywine School District’s P.S. duPont Middle School and Caesar Rodney School District’s Caesar Rodney High School were named for Chapter Excellence
  • John Singer of P.S. DuPont Middle School and Roger Seedorf of MOT Charter High School were named as Chapter Advisors of the Year

 

Gold Leadership Achievement Awards

Students from Delaware were recognized with the Gold Leadership Achievement Award.  Those honored included: Jonny Bui, Sherry Kumar and Thomas Canning from Caesar Rodney High School; Connor Wagaman from Brandywine’s Concord High School; Amrutha Veeramachineni, Anya Dougherty, Jemi Chan, Joshua Shasanmi and Shayla Modi from Red Clay Consolidated School District’s H.B. duPont Middle School; Alex Argo from Lake Forest School District’s Lake Forest High School; and Tyler Rouwhorst from MOT Charter School.

 

Competitive Contest Results

 

Brandywine School District

  • P.S. duPont Middle School
    • 2nd Place – Essays on Technology
    • 2nd Place – Tech Bowl, Written
    • 4th Place – Challenging Technology Issues
    • 6th Place – System Control Technology
    • 6th Place – Tech Bowl, Oral MS
    • 10th Place – Problem Solving
  • Concord High School
    • 4th Place – Technology Problem Solving

Caesar Rodney School District

  • Postlethwait Middle School
    • 1st Place – Website Design
    • 10th Place – Challenging Technology Issues
  • Caesar Rodney High School
    • 3rd Place – Digital Video Production

Red Clay Consolidated School District

  • H.B. duPont Middle School
    • 2nd Place – Problem Solving
  • Alexis I. du Pont High School
    • 10th Place – Promotional Design
  • Cab Calloway School Of The Arts
    • 5th Place – Website Design
    • 8th Place – Mass Production
  • Charter School of Wilmington
    • 3rd Place – Extemporaneous Speech
    • 8th Place – Future Technology Teacher
    • 9th Place – Flight Endurance

Newark Charter High School

  • 3rd Place – Technology Bowl, Written HS

 

Delaware schools that competed at the 39th Annual National Technology Student Association Conference in Orlando included:

  • Alexis I. Du Pont High School (Red Clay Consolidated)
  • Cab Calloway School of the Arts (Red Clay Consolidated)
  • Caesar Rodney High School (Caesar Rodney)
  • Charter School Of Wilmington (Red Clay Consolidated)
  • Concord High School (Brandywine)
  • Fifer Middle School (Caesar Rodney)
  • Gauger-Cobbs Middle School (Christina)
  • H.B. duPont Middle School (Red Clay Consolidated)
  • Henry C. Conrad Schools Of Science (Red Clay Consolidated)
  • Indian River High School (Indian River)
  • John Dickinson High School (Red Clay Consolidated)
  • Lake Forest High School (Lake Forest)
  • MOT Charter School
  • Newark Charter High School
  • P. S. duPont Middle School (Brandywine)
  • Postlethwait Middle School (Caesar Rodney)
  • Seaford Senior High School (Seaford)
  • Sussex Central High School (Indian River)

To learn more about Delaware TSA, please visit: www.detsa.org.


Libraries a Home for STEM in Delaware

Thanks Delaware STEM for featuring an Op-Ed by State Librarian Dr. Annie Norman. “Delaware Libraries juggle, proudly, to support all possible learning opportunities for our communities. Libraries have evolved over the past 115 years, and in turn, we support Delawareans in learning – and renewal – throughout life.”


Weekly Message: Expanding Educational Opportunities to Ensure Future Student Success

Wilmington, DE – In his weekly message, Governor Markell highlights the phenomenal work being done by educators in the STEM fields to better prepare their students for successful futures.

“Giving our students the best chance to thrive means exposing them to great educational opportunities in the STEM fields – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. STEM jobs are increasing much faster than average, from computer system analysts and software developers to medical scientists and biomedical engineers,” Gov. Markell said. “With quality STEM education, our young people are developing the skills to thrive in our high tech world, and they can make Delaware a hub for growing industries that require expertise in these fields. And that will keep Delaware moving forward.”

Every week, the Governor’s office releases a new Weekly Message in video, audio, and transcript form. The message is available on:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/RHm_QU3PVQE
Delaware.Gov: http://governor.delaware.gov/podcast_video.shtml
By email: Please contact our press team to subscribe to our press list
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/governormarkell
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/governormarkell

Transcript of the Governor’s Weekly Message: Expanding Educational Opportunities to Ensure Future Student Success


Delaware Libraries receive Innovation Award for Community Group of the Year

DELibrariesPhotoThe Delaware Division of Libraries (DDL) is pleased to announce that Delaware Libraries were voted Community Group of the Year in Technical.ly Delaware’s first annual Delaware Innovation Awards. These awards celebrate the innovators that make Delaware great. Delaware Libraries were recognized for their expansion of 3D printing and STEM literacy to many libraries throughout the state.

Technical.ly Delaware, a statewide online technology news network, announced the award winners at the closing reception celebrating Delaware Innovation Week (Nov. 13-21).

“This is a real testament to the Division’s efforts to ensure universal access to technology resources and leveraging that technology to inspire their patrons,” said Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock.

DDL has encouraged innovation statewide through the ever evolving Inspiration Space – mini-makerspaces in libraries where people can learn about and experiment with technology, entrepreneurship, and DIY activities. DDL has provided libraries with 3D printers, green screens, video cameras, software, and training for the public to use or attend. Libraries have also partnered with several organizations to present classes on computer coding, 3D modeling, and more.

“Libraries are making experiences come alive, off the page, for our communities,” said Dr. Annie Norman, State Librarian. “Libraries are a linchpin for discovery in all subject areas, and we are working with partners and experts to make available a greater array of experiences for our communities.  So Delawareans have the opportunity they might not have otherwise to discover a passion, to develop an expertise, and to make connections to support invention and innovation.”

Emerging Technologies Librarian Sarena Fletcher said, “We’re thrilled to be recognized as a leading contributor to Delaware’s innovative growth. We provide Delawareans opportunities to explore emerging technologies while working together to create a thriving community.”

Contact:
Beth-Ann Ryan, Deputy Director
Beth-ann.ryan@delaware.gov
302-257-3002

The Delaware Division of Libraries, a state agency dedicated to unleashing the potential in all Delawareans in partnership with Delaware Libraries, offers free access to the online catalog (delawarelibraries.org); Wi-Fi; computers/internet; eBooks, programs/classes, community partnerships, and more.

AwardPhoto