Advancing GenCyber Education for North Georgia Teachers (AGENT)

Empowering Teachers for a More Secure Georgia

June 28 - July 1, 2022

The UNG GenCyber AGENTs of Change Initiative, also known as 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 four cyber lesson plans for their STEM classroom.
team teach a cyber mini lesson to GenCyber high school students.
create a brief professional development presentation about a cyber topic for your school.

agent initiative students in the classroom

agent initiative students in the computer lab

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 two 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

Five 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

Phase 1: January - May 2022: Cyber Foundations
AGENTs will participate in synchronous/asynchronous digital training sessions that last roughly one hour per week.

Phase 2: June 28 - July 1, 2022: In-Person AGENT Camp in Dahlonega
All AGENTs will need to attend the camp in-person, COVID restrictions permitting. Local teachers are permitted to commute, if desired. Otherwise, housing and two meals/day are provided.

Phase 3: July – December 2022: Cyber Capacity Building
AGENTs will participate in synchronous/asynchronous follow-up activities designed to support cyber instruction and pedagogy.

*If accepted to the AGENTs of Change Program, you will need to attend all portions of the three phases described above.

Travel

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).

Application Process

To be considered for the AGENT Initiative, you must complete the following:

The UNG GenCyber AGENTs of Change program application form by January 15, 2022 (priority) or January 24, 2022
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.

Have Questions?

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

Have any high school students interested in cybersecurity? There is a unique opportunity to participate in the GenCyer Warrior Academy over the summer.