Cyber Education

STUDENT ALLIANCE

STUDENT ALLIANCE

The mission of the National Cybersecurity Center Student Alliance is to provide cybersecurity leadership, and one of our main pillars is K-12 education. As our nation addresses the critical gap in skilled cybersecurity talent, we address the importance of cyber education through programs and partnerships that invite students to participate in an ecosystem which encourages them to learn, explore, and build their skills. In our K-12 initiative, the NCCSA offers opportunities for middle and high school students to improve technical literacy through fun, interactive, and challenging camps, field trips, workshops, and events. We encourage STEM education for all students, with special attention towards creating inviting and collaborative opportunities for girls and other underrepresented groups in the cyber ecosystem.
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CYBER FORCE INITIATIVE

CYBER FORCE INITIATIVE

The National Cybersecurity Center’s Cyber Force Initiative prepares students for a career in cybersecurity by offering training courses that lead to industry-level CompTIA Certifications. The courses offered are: IT Fundamentals and Security+. All courses are instructor led and can be completed through in-person instruction or online streaming.
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SEMtech SCHOOL

SEMtech SCHOOL

In late 2023, the National Cybersecurity Center will be hosting The SEMtech School. SEMtech (Student Engagement and Mentoring in Technology) is a project-based program designed by our Education Department to increase students’ interest in and desire to pursue computer science.
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K-12
Cyber Education Initiatives
Meet Your Cyber Education Team

Adult Education

Cyber Force

The National Cybersecurity Center’s Cyber Force Initiative prepares students for a career in cybersecurity by offering training courses that lead to industry-level CompTIA Certifications. The courses offered are: IT Fundamentals and Security+. All courses are instructor led and can be completed through in-person instruction or online streaming.

K-12

Student Alliance

The mission of the National Cybersecurity Center Student Alliance is to provide cybersecurity leadership, and one of our main pillars is K-12 education. As our nation addresses the critical gap in skilled cybersecurity talent, we address the importance of cyber education through programs and partnerships that invite students to participate in an ecosystem which encourages them to learn, explore, and build their skills. This initiative offers opportunities for middle and high school students to improve technical literacy through fun, interactive, and challenging camps, field trips, workshops, and events.

CyberPatriot

The National Cybersecurity Center is designated a Center of Excellence for CyberPatriot, the world’s largest cybersecurity competition for middle and high school students. CyberPatriot is the Air Force Association’s National Youth Cyber Education Program, created to inspire K-12 students toward careers in cybersecurity or other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines critical to our nation’s future.

SEMtech School

In late 2023, the National Cybersecurity Center will be hosting The SEMtech School. SEMtech (Student Engagement and Mentoring in Technology) is a project-based program designed by our Education Department to increase students’ interest in and desire to pursue computer science.

Elementary School Cyber Education Initiative (ESCEI)

The National Cyber Security Center, in partnership with CyberPatriot, announced the launch of the CyberPatriot Elementary School Cyber Education Initiative (ESCEI). ESCEI is a great way to increase cyber safety awareness among our nation’s youth.

CYber Education Initiatives

CyberEd Community

Get connected with the Cyber Education Community, discover cyber audits, and more.

Capture the Flag

Sharpen your cybersecurity skills through competitive events. Expect to be challenged and compete against other schools across the nation.

K-12

K-12

NCC, believes in universal access to top-tier cybersecurity education. At the heart of our operations lies a steadfast commitment: to champion cybersecurity leadership, especially in the crucial K-12 education segment. Through thoughtfully crafted programs and strategic partnerships, we strive to immerse students in a rich learning ecosystem where curiosity meets capability. Our cybersecurity education push is not merely a program, but a movement for middle and high school students to dive into the world of cyber, offering them engaging camps, insightful field trips, dynamic workshops, and enlightening events.
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Adult Education

Adult Education

The National Cybersecurity Center’s Cyber Force Initiative prepares students for a career in cybersecurity by offering training courses that lead to industry-level CompTIA Certifications. The courses offered are: IT Fundamentals and Security+. All courses are instructor led and can be completed through in-person instruction or online streaming.
Learn More

Cyber Education Initiatives

Cyber Education Initiatives

The National Cyber Security Center has several ways to engage the community in cyber practices and events. Initiatives such as free cyber audits, capture the flag competitions, and our senior citizen initiative, all combine the many facets of the community we serve. The best part about our initiatives? They are open and free to the public. Join us in one of our programs.
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SEMtech School
Summer Camp
Capture the Flag

Meet Your Cyber Education Team

Thomas Russell

Thomas Russell is the Director of Cyber Education for the National Cybersecurity Center. He is an army veteran who worked in the signal corps. His background also includes a master’s degree in education for Applied Technology from the College of Saint Rose and a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Management, and an Associate degree in Network Security from Colorado Technical University.

As a teacher at Falcon High School, Thomas taught many classes such as Cybersecurity, Computer Applications, Networking, Technology Literacy, Health and Information Technology, Information Security, and Computer Forensics.

Thomas is a certified teacher for Career and Technical Education, Instructional Technology, and STEM, and has won the Boettcher Foundation Teacher Recognition Award, the Falcon Educational Foundation’s Outstanding Teacher Award, the District 49 Teacher of the Year Award, and has been nominated for Colorado Teacher of the Year. 

As the Cyber Education Program Manager for the Student Alliance, his responsibilities include: 

  • Running cybersecurity summer camps. 
  • Providing education and certification training for K-12 and adults. 
  • Organizing cyber events such as capture the flag competitions. 
  • Training teachers to teach cybersecurity. 
  • Forging relationships between businesses and educational institutions. 
  • Providing training and curriculum to teachers for K-12. 

In 2020, Thomas was awarded the Cyber Education Administrator of the Year by the EdCenter. He was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate for Cyber Education by the Denver Institute for Urban Studies. In 2021, Thomas won the National Center for Women in Computing (NCWIT) Educator Award and ten of Thomas’s girl students have won the Aspirations In Computing Award. His most recent book is Binary Society, a book of essays on the effects of technology on society. 

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