The University of Montana has been awarded a grant from the National Security Agency (NSA) to lead a coalition of five western states in enhancing cybersecurity education for students and teachers.
Through the GenCyber program, the nearly $600,000 grant will enable UM to collaborate with other colleges to develop a regional initiative aimed at strengthening cybersecurity education.
“Our goal is to create a talent pipeline by training more teachers,” said Dianne Burke, director of CyberMontana and an associate professor at Missoula College. “As the hub for cybersecurity education in Montana, we are excited to lead this multi-state effort.”
The program will focus on training teachers to increase the number of qualified cybersecurity instructors in middle and high schools across the region. It will empower teachers to develop essential cybersecurity skills that they can then share with their students.
Established to address the nation’s growing cybersecurity needs, the GenCyber program aims to raise awareness, teach fundamental cybersecurity principles, and spark student interest in the field. Ultimately, the initiative seeks to close the gap in the availability of skilled cybersecurity professionals.
Missoula College will partner with five other universities across the U.S., including City University of Seattle, Eastern New Mexico University, Houston Community College, National University of San Diego, and North Dakota State University. The coalition will collaborate to share resources and host various GenCyber camps.
In addition to training teachers, the program will develop student camps designed to cultivate the next generation of cybersecurity experts. This effort comes at a crucial time, as Montana, a large rural state, currently faces a demand for cybersecurity professionals with over 1,300 open positions.
At UM, Missoula College plans to host a middle school GenCyber camp and a GenCyber teacher’s camp in 2025. This will mark the college’s third year hosting a student camp and its first year offering a teacher’s camp.