Community Outreach
The UWF Center for Cybersecurity enhances cybersecurity awareness in the community through its Cybersecurity Ambassadors Program, hosting GenCyber camps and participating in outreach initiatives such as CyberPatriot and ITEN WIRED.
GenCyber Experience Camps
Our GenCyber Experience camps provide K-12 students and teachers with an introduction to cybersecurity educational programs and career paths utilizing engaging instruction and hands-on skills development.
Cybersecurity Ambassadors
University of West Florida cybersecurity students support school programs and generate interest in cybersecurity education and careers among K-12 students as part of the Center for Cybersecurity Ambassadors Program.
The ambassadors visit K-12 schools in Northwest Florida to share their cybersecurity expertise and increase students' cybersecurity awareness through engaging activities and demos. Students learn about binary code, router attacks, encryption, and other cybersecurity-related topics.
If interested in the ambassadors visiting your school to demo their capabilities and share educational and career opportunities, please contact us.
CyberPatriot
CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Education Program developed by the Air Force Association. The CyberPatriot competition places middle and high school students in the position of newly hired IT professionals tasked with managing the network of a small company.
The 502 Project, an effort to design, implement, and support a new community platform to connect local events to formal pathways to cybersecurity careers, providing access to local mentors, college advisors, and others who can inspire and guide future cybersecurity professionals. It is a national cybersecurity community for high school students that present them, with an opportunity to:
- Connect with professional mentors.
- Learn new skills.
- Participate in Capture the Flag challenges.
The 502 Project is led by the University of South Florida in partnership with the University of West Florida, Florida International University, Tennessee Tech University, Forsyth Technical College, St. Petersburg College, Cyversity, and the Florida Center for Cybersecurity (Cyber Florida).
To learn more, watch this video and visit the program's website.
ITEN WIRED
ITEN (Innovation Technology Entrepreneurship Network) WIRED Summit is the Southeast’s premier cybersecurity and IT conference to connect, collaborate and build a community with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and educators on innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship topics.
For more information, visit itenwired.com.
Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) Florida Affiliate
The UWF Center for Cybersecurity founded the Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) Florida Affiliate to support the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in cybersecurity across our state. Women in CyberSecurity is a non-profit organization that works on behalf of women everywhere to provide mentoring, professional development, and networking opportunities to help them enter or advance careers in cybersecurity. WiCyS’ extensive network across industry, academia, and government promotes diversity and broader participation in the field. To learn more, contact WiCySFlorida@wicys.org.
Florida and Southeast CyberUSA Affiliate
The UWF Center for Cybersecurity serves as the CyberUSA Affiliate for Florida and the Southeast U.S., which includes FL, AL, GA, MS, SC, and PR. CyberUSA is a collaboration of states focused on a common mission of enabling innovation, education, workforce development, enhanced cyber readiness, and resilience - all while connecting the cyber ecosystem of the United States and its Allies. This non-profit “community of communities” is governed by its members, established to enhance information sharing between states and improve cyber resilience at all levels of participation - local, regional and national.
For additional information or to get involved, please contact:
Jim Rhodes
Community and Public Relations Director
Center for Cybersecurity at the University of West Florida
Office: 850.474.3076
Email: jrhodes1@uwf.edu
