Dakota State University wants more students to join the cyber workforce.
With a unique hands-on workshop DSU faculty and students bring cyber skills to the classroom.
The Governors Cyber Academy Roadshow introduces high school students to cyber activities. The roadshow is organized by Dakota State University and introduces students to cyber topics during a one-day interactive event.
Fenecia Homan is the Dean of the Governors Cyber Academy and K-12 Initiatives. She said the program is funded by the legislature.
“We are supported with a generous appropriation right now from the legislature and so this is apart of our initiative to build up the cyber workforce. So, right now if they email [email protected] that comes into my inbox, and I will follow up and we will see what we can work out. Sometimes we do these all-day events like this where students get about five different activities," said Homan. "We can also just go into a teacher’s classroom and do one activity and different groups of students rotate through. So, we really customize to what works for the school and what we can make available to them.”
Homan said DSU faculty and students are the backbone behind the program. In Harrisburg - the team had more than eighty students sign up.
Jennifer Funke is an instructor at The Beacom College of Computer and Cyber Sciences. She said the program could be reaching more students.
“There’s not enough schools that do it. I think a lot more schools should be opening this door for students. Harrisburg does a really great job of bringing in so many career options for kids and I think a lot of other schools are missing that. I mean, we come here for free, they don’t have to pay for it at all. So, that’s huge for some of these kids who have never even looked at programing but love math, they’re not realizing what they are missing out on and it’s a career field that’s growing phenomenally,” said Funke.
The roadshow plans to visit Brandon Valley, Leola, and the CTE Academy in Sioux Falls.
