Looking to Support STEM education? Join CyberPatriot, the Nation's Largest Youth Cyber Defense Competition

ARLINGTON, Va., June 19, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Registration for the premier National Youth Cyber Defense competition, CyberPatriot, is underway. Over 400 teams are already registered for CyberPatriot VII, representing 40 states, and including teams from Puerto Rico, Canada, and U.S. Department of Defense Dependent Schools in Germany. Check out the latest promo video from CyberPatriot to learn more about the program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_TbXri0XQ0.   

Established by the Air Force Association, CyberPatriot was created to excite, educate, and motivate the students who will become our country's next generation of cyber leaders. The program aims to inspire high school students to consider careers in cyber security and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines critical to our nation's future. CyberPatriot's unique structure provides students hands-on learning about technology, emphasizing teamwork and leadership, and exercising critical-thinking skills.

How the Competition Works

A CyberPatriot team consists of a Coach and two to six students enrolled in the same middle school, high school, or other approved educational organization. Neither Coaches nor Competitors need any special technical background. CyberPatriot provides the training materials needed to prepare a team for a competition and encourages Coaches to work with technical Mentors who register on the CyberPatriot website to volunteer to help train teams for competition.

Preliminary rounds are conducted online from the teams' home locations. The competition has a tournament-style tiered structure, so teams advance based on scores from each round until the top 28 teams are identified. Those top qualifying teams then receive all-expenses-paid trips to the CyberPatriot National Finals Competition held in the Washington, DC area, in March 2015.

Teams also benefit from the expertise of the competition's sponsors, including the Northrop Grumman Foundation, CyberPatriot's presenting sponsor, which has contributed mentors, internships, and scholarship money to the competition.

All U.S. high schools, middle schools, and approved home school programs are invited to participate. Teams register from public, private, parochial, charter, and home schools in the Open Division, while Junior ROTC units of all Services, US Naval Sea Cadet Corps squadrons, and Civil Air Patrol squadrons compete in the All Service Division. Teams consisting of middle school students compete in the Middle School Division, which does not distinguish between uniformed and non-uniformed teams.

Registration closes October 10, 2014. For more information on the program and to register visit www.uscyberpatriot.org!

Send inquiries to:
[email protected]

The Air Force Association is a non-profit, independent, professional military and aerospace education association. Our mission is to promote a dominant United States Air Force and a strong national defense, and to honor Airmen and our Air Force Heritage. To accomplish this, we:

• EDUCATE the public on the critical need for unmatched aerospace power and a technically superior workforce to ensure U.S. national security.
• ADVOCATE for aerospace power and STEM education.
• SUPPORT the Total Air Force family and promote aerospace education.

AFA has 200 chapters nationally and internationally representing more than 100,000 members.  Visit AFA at www.afa.org.

SOURCE Air Force Association