The Indiana Department of Education this week announced a new initiative, facilitated through a partnership with several organizations including the College Board and the nonprofit Project Lead the Way (PLTW), to broaden access to high school cybersecurity classes. Currently, about 562 students across 69 public high schools in Indiana have access to cybersecurity courses, the news release said. Over the next three years, the state initiative aims to expand the AP Cybersecurity course and PLTW's cybersecurity curriculum to reach 200 high schools and approximately 4,000 students.
Indiana has more than 20,000 open cybersecurity roles statewide, according to the state's Cybersecurity Hub. The new initiative aims to create a direct pipeline from high schools to college, high-demand careers and the Indiana National Guard.
“Central to our mission in K-12 is helping our students to find their unique purpose, to thrive in life and in their career, and to tackle the greatest challenges of our time. By urgently expanding cybersecurity pathways, we can create stronger, more prepared citizens and better protect our state and homeland,” Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana’s secretary of education, said in a public statement.
In its own news release, PLTW said its curriculum gives students projects and role-playing experiences as cybersecurity experts to learn specific tasks like identifying suspicious data, defending personal data on devices and social media accounts, and securing firewalls and e-commerce sites. PLTW's classes will incorporate industry standards from the Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Principles and the National Cybersecurity Workforce (NICE) Framework, the latter being a standardized resource that helps promote, train and sustain a skilled cybersecurity workforce.
"Indiana is setting a national example for how states connect education, workforce and policy to prepare students for high-demand careers," PLTW President and CEO David Dimmett said in a public statement. "For decades, PLTW has partnered with Indiana schools to prepare students for careers and life. We are proud to support Indiana's effort to prepare the next generation of Hoosiers for college, career, military service, and the essential work of protecting our economic and national security interests."
To facilitate the delivery of this type of content, PLTW said it received grant funding that will provide professional learning to coach Indiana educators on crafting and delivering cybersecurity lessons in upcoming school years, at no cost to districts.
“Our country desperately needs cybersecurity talent, and our students are hungry for learning that gives them purpose and a path to their future,” College Board CEO David Coleman said in a public statement. “Indiana is setting the pace for other states to follow, engaging young people in defending our country and securing great jobs.”
