Every cyber warrior can be a cyber recruiter, according to panelists at the AFCEA TechNet Augusta Virtual Event Series.
The United States faces a severe shortage in cyber personnel and in students willing to enter the cyber workforce. That shortage is even more acute in the government and the military, where talented personnel are often recruited by industry for higher pay and other incentives.
STEM Education
May 18, 2021
June 1, 2020
The AFCEA Educational Foundation is committed to supporting STEM learning. The foundation strives for young learners to develop an early interest and background in STEM with the Gravely and Paige Grants for STEM Teachers. The grants provide elementary and middle school teachers with resources to help them provide early STEM learning experiences to engage, inspire and build confidence in students and set them on a path to success in STEM.
The Gravely Grants for elementary school STEM teachers are named after Vice Adm. Samuel L. Gravely Jr., USN (Ret.), who was the foundation’s first executive director and initiated AFCEA’s science and technology teaching tool grants programs.
May 13, 2020
Recently, I had the privilege of attending a ceremony and presenting an award to a local high school Junior Reserve Office Training Corps (JROTC) cadet on behalf of another organization for this cadet’s superior performance and leadership. Looking around the stage, I noticed representatives from multiple organizations all eager to recognize the efforts of these amazing young leaders with their respective groups’ awards.
January 1, 2020
From 5K Fun Runs, golf tournaments and cycling events, to luncheons and galas, AFCEA members came together with enthusiasm in 2019 in support of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. For example, the Lexington-Concord Chapter hosted a 5K Family Fun Run for STEM, and the Dayton-Wright Chapter hosted a golf tournament to benefit its scholarship funds. In addition, the San Diego Chapter held its Fifth Annual Cycle for STEM ride, and the Los Angeles Chapter introduced its inaugural Cycling for STEM ride to fund local scholarships.
May 1, 2019
The cybersecurity workforce gap is real, and it’s growing. Based on a state-by-state analysis on CompTIA’s cyberstates.org, there are currently 320,000 open cyber jobs in the United States. By 2022, the projected shortage of cybersecurity professionals worldwide will reach 1.8 million, according to the Center for Cyber Safety and Education.
January 1, 2019
The August-Ft. Gordon Chapter is dedicated to supporting STEM students through scholarships and teacher grants. Thanks to a $100,000 endowment from the Chestnut Family Foundation, the chapter will be able to fund a new scholarship for students from the Central Savannah River Area who are majoring in STEM. Ben Chestnut, one of the trustees of the Chestnut Family Foundation and co-founder and CEO of Mailchimp, received an AFCEA Educational Foundation scholarship in 1996 to pursue his college education.
December 1, 2018
When it comes to giving back to the community, AFCEA members excel in supporting STEM education. Whether it’s the Aberdeen Chapter’s Young AFCEANs getting thrown in “jail” to raise “bail” to send local students to a STEM summer camp or more extravagant fundraisers such as the Bethesda Chapter’s Roaring 20 Years of Giving Gala, AFCEA members consistently come out to support the students and teachers in their local communities. In fact, some AFCEA corporate members are devoted entirely to bringing STEM education to students who use it as a tool to change their lives and careers, such as Per Scholas, which offers computer training and certifications to low-income students free of charge.
October 31, 2018
In the information age, military operations are becoming more and more dependent on network-based capabilities. Meeting the rising communication technology challenges of the future means having a workforce versed in science, technology, engineering and math, leaders suggest.
Barbara Borgonovi, vice president, Integrated Communication Systems, Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, shared that talented workers are needed to fill employment gaps at defense companies as well as in the military. She refers to the challenge as the talent imperative.
To fill positions, industry and the government need to change how they identify, hire and retain talent, Borgonovi said.
November 1, 2018
Mounting evidence shows that hands-on experiences such as play-based activities, clubs and science fairs are extremely effective in improving engagement in STEM. Studies by the National Science Teachers Association demonstrate that young children learn through active exploration—and the drive to observe, interact and discover is inherent in their development. AFCEA’s Educational Foundation offers grants to teachers in elementary and middle schools as well as in high schools to provide the materials needed to make these activities possible. Even a few hundred dollars helps give teachers support to create positive STEM education experiences for children.
November 1, 2018
As I have said in previous articles, I believe it is important to national security and the success of the country that we consider how to get young people more involved in STEM. Diversity also is important. While nearly as many women hold undergraduate degrees as men overall, they make up only about 30 percent of all STEM degree holders.
I thought it would be interesting and educational to get the perspective of a young woman majoring in engineering at Vanderbilt University, where 31 percent of engineering students are women, slightly above the national average.
August 23, 2018
The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming math and science education, presented a check for $455,217 to the schools of Richmond County, Georgia, during the AFCEA TechNet Augusta 2018 conference in Augusta, Georgia.
May 16, 2018
Raising the bar for STEM education comes through practice, competition and a culture shift to help prepare the next generation of defense leaders. It’s less about how many hours of STEM courses or what is the right age to engage kids in STEM and more of a focus on how to create access to opportunities in a way that they can connect with for the long term.
April 1, 2018
The Alamo Chapter recently awarded a $1,000 STEM Teaching Tools Grant to Amanda Pelletier of Boerne-Samuel V. Champion High School in Texas. She began the school year with a brand-new class and curriculum, Earth and science, but budget restraints meant that Pelletier had to spend her own money to build the program. She believes in sharing science with young people, so she set aside funds for the new class.
“Teachers don’t make a whole lot of money, but I really do believe in this program and getting the students interested in STEM,” Pelletier said.
November 1, 2017
Entering its sixth year, Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving in the United States. Last year, Giving Tuesday broke a record with $168 million in charitable donations worldwide. The day dedicated to philanthropy is quickly emerging as a national ritual after the well-recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
September 1, 2017
It was through a scholarship awarded by AFCEA International that some California elementary school students got up close and personal with the intricate workmanship of the intrepid Albert Tangemann.
In 1922, Tangemann used scrap metal from World War II battleships to create a first-of-its-kind spiral staircase that provided access to the bottom of California’s Moaning Cavern. Ninety-two years later, one teacher’s AFCEA scholarship meant that 84 students from Sonora Elementary School could glean insights into how far construction technology has come and what allows speleologists to study deep, dark cavern secrets.
May 9, 2017
I wrote about STEM—science, technology, engineering and mathematics—being a critical element of national security (CENS) in July 2015. At the time, 8.5 million STEM jobs already were on the market, with the number growing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects more than 9 million additional STEM graduates will be needed by 2022.
So, how is the nation going to meet this CENS need that crosses nominal disciplines such as the economy, power, water, transportation and defense?
May 1, 2017
Shopping for good is made easy by the AFCEA Educational Foundation and the CauseNetwork, which offer consumers access to discounts at more than 1,000 retailers that donate a portion of each purchase to support science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Shop for STEM allows anyone to register and shop from a range of retailers, from small businesses to giants such as Amazon.com, Target and Wal-Mart. Simply visit shopforstem.org, and sign up quickly and easily with your email address.
January 24, 2017
Northrop Grumman Corporation is now accepting applications for its engineering scholars competition, which will provide $192,000 in college scholarships this year to promising high school seniors graduating from Maryland schools interested in studying engineering, according to a news release. Additionally, the company will award 26 scholarships to students who live near company campuses in Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Utah and Virginia.
January 1, 2017
It can be easy to forget that AFCEA is more than a professional association—AFCEA is a community. When the southeastern United States was pummeled by Hurricane Matthew in October, the AFCEA Educational Foundation and the North Carolina and South Carolina Low Country chapters were able to provide assistance to local schools in the hardest-hit areas.
November 18, 2016
For many people in the U.S., the end of Thanksgiving marks the start of a whirlwind shopping season. From Black Friday to Cyber Monday, the search is on for the perfect gifts. But the holidays also bring about a season of charitable giving and a day known as Giving Tuesday.
Giving Tuesday, celebrated on Tuesday, November 29, is a global movement fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Using the hashtag #GivingTuesday, nonprofits around the world will raise funds and awareness for their causes. The event encourages participants to find a way to give back with their time, donations or the power of their voices.
November 1, 2016
Notes from scholarship and grant recipients are constant reminders of the importance of corporate, member and chapter contributions to the individuals the AFCEA Educational Foundation serves. The foundation provides potential benefactors with the facts; the beneficiaries of their generosity tell the story.
July 27, 2016
Much attention has been focused on recent achievements by women who crack or break traditional glass ceilings. In its recent series on Women in STEM, SIGNAL has highlighted many of these achievements.
We’re keeping this momentum of women in power going—and next week in Georgia, AFCEA International will host its first Women in STEM panel at TechNet Augusta.
July 12, 2016
For 10 weeks, we have addressed the issue of women in STEM and why many leave the field after working so hard to earn their college degrees. For 10 weeks, we've run features on prominent women who stuck with their careers in science, technology, engineering and math, despite some hurdles. For 10 weeks, salient points have reverberated as leaders talk about the sexual harassment, the pay gap, waning student interest and the need for mentors. But we're not done talking about it. Next month, AFCEA International hosts its first Women in STEM panel at TechNet Augusta to tackle the issue. You should join us.
July 1, 2016
Employers today face a scarcity of qualified candidates for coveted jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM—jobs widely regarded as vital to U.S. economic and military strength. One key reason for the lack of skilled workers is gender inequities, which share as much of the blame for the dearth of diversity in these fields.
July 1, 2016
For some women, following the dream of a computer-programming career takes a pretty indirect route. Consider Mylene Frances Lee, who landed at ASM Research despite earning a seemingly unrelated degree in family life and child development. But maybe that is not such a bad background for someone who ended up working with a bunch of screen junkies.
Lee considered many careers. A native of the Philippines, she always was interested in computers. But when the time came to choose a major, she discovered that the University of the Philippines’ engineering college, although open to all, was entirely male. Instead, she decided to major in accounting.
April 1, 2016
As the U.S. Cyber Command recruits 6,200 cyber warriors for teams positioned around the world, it must deliberately work to develop a new generation of cyber-minded warfighters rather than simply repurpose existing service members to meet its goal. The nation may not be prepared to defend cyberspace unless it emphasizes key skills early in students’ educational development. Many of these efforts must begin locally, and some military forces already are working in that direction.
March 1, 2016
Many people received cellphones, video games, computers and a wide variety of electronic devices during the holidays. Rather than stockpile your old electronics, consider donating them to benefit the AFCEA Educational Foundation. Not only is this an easy way to clear your e-clutter, but you also can reap a tax benefit.
November 1, 2015
BridgePhase LLC, a small business provider of information technology consulting and professional services, will sponsor an annual scholarship for one science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduate student, beginning in 2016. The $3,000 award will recognize a student enrolled or enrolling in a STEM graduate degree program at an accredited U.S. academic institution. Selection for this program will be competitive and based on a candidate’s overall undergraduate and/or graduate academic performance.
August 1, 2015
As dependence on technology grows, the need for experts in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) increases. Equally important are ongoing discussions on whether academic institutions in the United States are turning out enough qualified graduates in the STEM disciplines. According to the most recent report from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic and Statistics Administration, STEM workers drive innovation and competitiveness by generating new ideas, companies and industries. However, U.S. businesses continually voice concerns about the quality and availability of STEM workers.
May 1, 2015
Avaya Government Solutions is committed to helping the next generation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals with a $25,000 gift to the AFCEA Educational Foundation’s STEM scholarships and grants programs for 2015.
March 1, 2015
If you’re like most consumers, shopping on the Internet has become a common occurrence. In 2014, more than 1.12 billion people worldwide shopped online; in the U.S. alone, 196.6 million shoppers took to the Web, according to online statistics portal Statista. Internet shopping is expected to continue its exponential rise during the next five years. As Dr. Vince Patton, executive director for the AFCEA Educational Foundation, puts it, “Online shopping is no longer the wave of the future. It’s here now and has become a new normal.”
December 19, 2014
The Advantage Business Media Young Mind Awards challenges middle school, high school and college students to design, build and present an innovative solution that solves a problem utilizing a wireless technology. Applicants must identify and describe a problem or process that needs improvement, build the product solution and demonstrate how their solution helped resolve the problem or improve the process.
Students are required to submit their designs and a short video demonstrating their finished product. A panel of judges comprising industry-recognized professionals will review the submissions based on four principles: creativity, comprehensiveness, clarity of expression and demonstration.
December 2, 2014
On the heels of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping frenzy, a new tradition is making its way into the headlines: #GivingTuesday. The global initiative, celebrated today, December 2, encourages people to celebrate generosity and give back—with time, money or support—to a cause, organization or individual.
January 10, 2014
Florida State University (FSU) has received more than $14 million in grants to create a program that will provide focused training, resources and support to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers.
November 8, 2012
The U.S. Department of State is hosting its first-ever Youth TechCamp in the Pacific region later this month. Coordinated in conjunction with Pasifika Nexus and the University of the South Pacific, Youth TechCamp Fiji will offer six days of training to as many as 300 youths from various Pacific islands. Local and international technology experts from the fields of digital content creation, mobile applications and social activism will participate as well. Organizers aim to enable future leaders from the region to contribute to policy development, encourage local content creation and leverage connection technologies in positive ways.
November 30, 2011
A new app from the U.S. Air Force Recruiting Service challenges users to see if they have what it takes to design the next generation of military aircraft. The Make It Fly app for the iPhone hit the Apple store in November and already has positive reviews. The free program lets you build and fly your own aircraft-from fighter jets to remotely piloted bombers. The program includes a series of nine mission objectives, and users choose from different wings, engines, weapons and fuselages to create the best plane. Pick the correct parts and fly on to the next mission.
October 6, 2010
In less than 30 days, the U.S. Defense Department will dish out 11 prizes for innovative solutions to real-world challenges facing digital forensics examiners. And it's not too late to join the fight against cyber crime. Submissions for the 2010 Defense Department Cyber Crime Center (DC3) Digital Forensics Challenge will be accepted until November 2.
September 1, 2010
We own the night. It's the U.S. Army's slogan that encapsulates their strength when it comes to night-vision technology. And as part of the Army's push to encourage the next generation of engineers and designers, a group of local teachers got to see first hand through the eyes of a soldier.
Five science teachers from Fort Belvoir Elementary School attended Knowledge Day at Fort Belvoir. The event aimed to engage educators in Science, Technology, Mathematics and Engineering (STEM) programs in the hopes that they would take the knowledge and excitement back to the classroom. But this group quickly learned they wouldn't just be playing with high-tech toys-they were "investigating and experimenting" with some serious equipment.
August 18, 2010
Apply Now for CyberPatriot III
The Air Force Association (AFA) is now collecting applications for CyberPatriot III-a nationwide competition that aims to educate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and to foster the next generation of national security professionals in the United States.
