The UNG GenCyber AGENT Initiative, Advancing GenCyber Education for North Georgia Teachers (AGENT), 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. Additionally, due to a new collaborative partnership with the Georgia Institute for Technology’s Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC), participants who do not have their Computer Science Endorsement can complete their course work through the AGENT program for free!
Participants without their Computer Science Endorsement will take the following online for Professional Learning Unit credit offered through the UNG College of Education and endorsed by the Professional Standards Commission:
Participants who already hold a Computer Science Endorsement will:
Unendorsed applicants must be teaching in a middle or high school and have an interest in becoming a computer science teacher. They should also have a basic understanding of computers and technology. This opportunity is intended for teachers who want to further their teaching abilities in computer science, so it is not intended for those with extensive computer science industry experience who could pass a CS GACE test without the above coursework.
Applicants who currently hold a CS Endorsement 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 intermediate understanding of computers/technology
Although all qualified applications will be considered, the following applicants are preferred:
Additionally, due to the high need for computer science teachers around the state, those without Computer Science Endorsement credentials will be admitted first.
High school:
Middle School:
Phase 1: January - May 2023: CS and Cyber Foundations
Phase 2: June 5 - June 9, 2023: In-Person AGENT Camp in Dahlonega
Phase 3: Improving CS Teaching Pedagogy: June 12 – 30, 2023 (online, exact dates vary by selected courses)
Note: See CAPACiTY website above for June schedule options and to select your two pedagogy trainings. If you are unable to participate in one or more of the CAPACiTY courses, please contact Lindsay.
Phase 4: July - Cyber Continued Learning – July 1 – August 1, 2023 (online)
Phase 5: Capacity Building – August 21 – December 8, 2023 (online)
Commitment Required:
Participation in this program includes a sizeable investment from the federal government in Georgia teachers (about $4000 per person). Due to the four-course nature of the program, if an accepted AGENT participant drops out, a replacement would not be able to benefit from the full program. For example, if an AGENT drops out in May, his or her replacement would have missed the entire first course. Therefore, please apply ONLY if you are willing to commit to the program from January 2023 – December 2023. Also, applicants are accepted as an endorsed or unendorsed AGENT, they cannot switch to the other. AGENT participants must commit to either the full CS Endorsement pathway or the cyber-only pathway.
Travel:
Participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from Dahlonega and dinner each day during the in-person camp. Participants will have the option to stay on campus. 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 $4000+/person value).
To be considered for the AGENT Initiative, you must complete the following:
Note: Application Due Date: November 15, 2022. AGENTs will be notified of acceptance: December 15, 2022
For more information, contact:
Kimberly Bruner at kimberly.bruner@ung.edu or 706-867-2189
Have any high school students interested in cybersecurity? There is a unique opportunity to participate in the GenCyer Warrior Academy over the summer.