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Advancing GenCyber Education for North Georgia Teachers (AGENT)

What is the AGENT Initiative?

The Advancing GenCyber Education for North Georgia Teachers (AGENT) Initiative is a professional development program designed for middle and high school STEM teachers/administrators who are interested in cybersecurity and improving computer science instructional practices.

It is fully funded through a grant from the National Security Agency (NSA). This grant provides 24 teachers with 30+ hours of cyber and computer science professional development at absolutely no cost to the participants. Participants will:

  • gain knowledge and skills in cybersecurity from the leading experts in the field.
  • develop 4 cyber lesson plans for their STEM classroom.
  • team teach a cyber mini lesson on June 11 to GenCyber high school students.
  • create a brief professional development presentation about a cyber topic for your school.

Virtual or In-Person Instruction?

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the AGENT Initiative will be offered fully at-a-distance. However, if restrictions permit, we will also offer an in-person option for participants that select that form of instruction.

Both versions of the program will be offered June 7-11, 2021.

Qualifications

All participants must be teaching in a middle or high school STEM or computer science classroom (public or private), have an interest in teaching cybersecurity, and have a basic understanding of computers/technology. There is no requirement for coding or cyber experience. Although all qualified applications will be considered, the following applicants are preferred:

  • Teachers from the UNG College of Education’s Professional Development Schools
  • Teachers from Title I schools
  • Teams of 2 or more teachers from the same school
  • Administrators and their teams

Approved Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) Courses Compatible with this Program

High school:

  • Introduction to Digital Technology
  • Introduction to Cybersecurity
  • Advanced Cybersecurity
  • Computer Science Principles
  • AP Computer Science Principles

Middle School:

  • Foundations of Secure Information Systems
  • Foundations of Computer Programming

What You Will Receive In this Program

Participants will receive the following:
  • 30 hours of tuition-free professional development from expert professors and cyber leaders from agencies such as the GBI, NSA, etc.
  • A $300 stipend (received upon completion of the entire program sequence)
  • Rasberry Pi Cana Kits
  • USB flash drive with all AGENT lesson materials, virtual machines, and related classroom software
  • An AGENT Initiative T-Shirt and AGENT Initiative Challenge Coin
  • Admission to the annual Hacker Halted Conference in Atlanta, GA
  • 5 Professional Learning Unit Credits (pending district approval)
  • For in-person participants
    • Free lodging in Dahlonega or a small gas stipend for local teachers (under 20 miles)
    • Free breakfast and lunch daily during the program
  • For virtual participants
    • In lieu of travel funding, you will receive certain hardware/software to improve your virtual experience (not including computers or internet access)

Consider the Following Before Applying

Please do not apply unless you are willing to participate in the entire program sequence.

  1. Pre-program meetings
  2. The full program from June 7-11 including a team-taught lesson
  3. In-person/virtual follow up meeting at the annual Hacker Halted Conference in October
  4. Implementation of AGENT lesson plans for Fall 2021

Travel

In-Person participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from Dahlonega and dinner each day. Participants will have the option to stay on campus or at local hotels. Participants that live less than 20 miles away from the Dahlonega campus have the option to commute. Once the program begins, all on-campus lodging, travel, and activities are paid for by the GenCyber grant (a $2900+/person value).  

Virtual

Participants who are remote are expected to provide their own computer and internet access. You are expected to remain active participants throughout the entire program. Failure to participate in scheduled activities could result in the loss of the participation stipend and other materials.

Application Process

To be considered for the AGENT Initiative, you must complete the following:
  1. The AGENT Initiative Program application form by April 1, 2021
    1. You will need to you to provide a link to a 2-5 minute YouTube video containing:
      1. A brief introduction about you
      2. Why are you interested in becoming a GenCyber AGENT?
      3. How will cyber/computer science be used in the classroom?
    2. You will need the name and email of a supervisor (principal preferred) who will receive a recommendation form to fill out as part of the application process.
    3. The form will have instructions on taking the Cyber Aptitude and Talent Assessment (CATA) to show potential for cyber skills (Note: no cyber knowledge is necessary for this assessment). 
      • This is a requirement for the application process and needs to be completed before the application deadline.

Have Questions?

For more information, contact:
Kimberly Bruner at kimberly.bruner@ung.edu or 707-867-2189

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