Franklin and Center Grove high schools are going to start training students in cybersecurity so that eventually they will be on the forefront of making sure your credit card information isn’t stolen when you shop online.
At both high schools, teachers are going to train high school students to eventually have jobs as security analysts, cryptographers and similar positions that aim to shield companies and individuals from electronic theft of information.
Center Grove is adding a cybersecurity class through Project Lead the Way in the fall, while Franklin is adding the same course in 2022. The two school districts each received $8,000 grants through the Indiana Department of Education to allow teachers to receive training to teach the course and cover the cost of required materials.
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“Ultimately we will try and introduce (students) to techniques and skills to give them knowledge of firewalls, encryption, databases, types of knowledge they’ll need to make sure computers run smoothly for businesses at various levels, keeping computer systems running smoothly to block intruders from getting information,” Franklin computer science teacher Jon Kowalczyk said.
At Franklin, cybersecurity will be the fourth in a series of courses for students who take computer science classes. Starting in the fall, students will take the introductory Computer Science Essentials, then two additional classes, getting progressively more in-depth with programming and coding. Seniors will then have the opportunity to take cybersecurity.
Computer science classes are electives, and although they don’t carry certification, they can be used to meet new graduation requirements that will be in effect for the class of 2023 and beyond, Franklin Community High School Assistant Principal Laura Mattox said. Those new requirements will place increased emphasis on career readiness.
At Center Grove, students will be able to take cybersecurity as early as this fall. High school juniors Sam Rasmussen and Chase Rivas are interested in computer science careers and plan to take the class before they graduate.
Rasmussen said she took a computer science class as a sophomore which captivated her due to its hands-on nature and wide array of career options. She also plans to take computer science classes in college. For Rivas, the interest was spurned by his involvement in extracurricular activities.
“I’m on the robotics team,” Rivas said. “I’m always around programmers and I like to learn off them. As a freshman I knew people taking the classes and that got me interested in one of Ms. Ehresman’s courses.”
Summer Ehresman, a business teacher at the high school, teaches most of the school’s computer science classes. She said in the cybersecurity class, students will be able to practice ethical hacking through a special software that won’t compromise the school’s electronic database.
“This really started with students pushing for different things, inquiring (about) when we would offer it,” Ehresman said of the class. “When the grant came it was the perfect opportunity to get the software for the course.”
Kowalczyk said computer science is key for students, even if they don’t pursue careers strictly in the field.
“Today in my class I gave (students) a project about big data and researching different innovations and tools used today to sort through data and figure out trends,” Kowalczyk said. “I gave the example of a video where basketball teams are hiring computer people with computer knowledge to analyze how often a basket can be made from a certain distance on the floor, which could show which players to draft or to sign through free agency. Analytics gives companies the ability to sift through data, to help them make better decisions.”
