Weeks one and two of the Classroom of the Future Foundation’s (CFF) Career Discovery Cybersecurity Experience are now in the books. Over the last two weeks, students at the Community Day School (CDS) in Sweetwater Union High School District and Health Sciences High & Middle College (HSHMC) in San Diego Unified School District have participated in this career exploration pilot program.
Students at both schools have had a blast learning about various career pathways that align with their interests, and specifically about the cybersecurity industry. Check out these videos from the program:
During week one, students focused on figuring out how much money they will need to make to support the lifestyle that they want to live. Students explored this using the California Career Zone “Choose Your Lifestyle” tool. They also started looking at technology careers using the INFORM Journeys map, which is designed to show different pathways toward a career while adjusting to a person’s interests and talents. Finally, they reflected on their learning by posting a collaborative Flipgrid video!
Here are a couple of testimonials from week one:
“I was interested to learn the difference between a college pathway and a certificate pathway. I didn’t know that I could work in IT by earning industry certifications and maybe not have to go to college right away; that I could possibly work in IT sooner than I thought.” – Student
“When the students finished the “Choose your Lifestyle” activity, a student said, “I had to go back into my budget and adjust my cell phone plan, it was just too expensive.” There are some life lessons being learned in this program!” – Teacher
During week two, students completed a close read of “Essential Skills for a Cyber Career” and used INFORM Journeys to map out the various pathways to get to a cybersecurity job, learning about the technical and essential skills needed to succeed in the industry. Students also reviewed other careers in Journeys that align with their strengths and interests survey results. Later in the week, students prepared for their upcoming visit to the USS Midway Museum by reviewing the history of communication security.
Here are a couple of testimonials from week two:
“Journeys helps me get to that spot I want to get to in my career.” – Student
“It’s really fun learning about cybersecurity, but I’m really interested in learning how to code now.” – Student
We are excited for this week’s lesson on the history of information security and visit to the USS Midway Museum!
Take Action!
If you are an educator that is interested in bringing this curriculum to your students, let us know.
If your company would like to get involved with a future cybersecurity curriculum, or help us develop another online curriculum on your growing industry sector, let us know.
Together, we can prepare our students for the jobs of the future.