Air Force Association and Riverside Research Roll Out New CyberPatriot Program
DAYTON, OH – Riverside Research and the Air Force Association (AFA) are proud to introduce a new cyber education program for students grades K–6—the CyberPatriot Elementary School Cyber Education Initiative (ESCEI).
Developed specifically for elementary school children, the ESCEI program kit consists of three interactive learning modules that will increase students’ awareness of online safety and cybersecurity principles.
Because of the constantly growing presence of the Internet in daily life and increasing online threats to national security, it is critical that children begin learning best practices as early as possible. The ESCEI provides children with the knowledge and skills needed to be safe online and exposes them to important science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) principles. This early exposure to and application of STEM principles encourages further pursuit of STEM education and is the first step in cultivating the technical skills needed in many careers today.
“The Elementary School Cyber Education Initiative will equip educators and parents to teach students about cybersecurity at a young age,” says Bernie Skoch, CyberPatriot National Commissioner. “Students are active online at increasingly younger ages, and AFA sees a need to equip them with the skills critical to their online safety. We are delighted to offer this opportunity at no cost to the schools and other organizations.”
Parents, guardians, teachers, and volunteers can request a free ESCEI program kit by visiting http://uscyberpatriot.org/special-initiatives/elementary-school-cyber-education-initiative/escei-overview and completing a short request form. All program kits include a digital copy of materials in a zipped folder, but individuals may request a physical copy of the kit as well. Click here to learn more about the included materials or to request your free kit.
During the initial roll-out, 5,000 ESCEI kits will be distributed to elementary schools in the following locations: Los Angeles, CA; San Antonio, TX; Oklahoma City, OK; Spokane, WA; the National Capitol Region; and the state of Ohio.
“Riverside Research is honored to support AFA’s newest cyber education program,” said Dr. Rusty Baldwin, Director of Research for the company’s Cyber Center of Excellence. “We are chartered to advance scientific research and are dedicated to supporting future generations of STEM professionals. Opportunities to expose students to STEM disciplines, including cybersecurity, ultimately safeguard national security and ensure that the US will have a robust pool of technical talent for years to come.”
About CyberPatriot
CyberPatriot is the nation's largest and fastest growing youth cyber education program and is the Air Force Association’s (AFA) flagship STEM initiative dedicated to strengthening cyber skills among American youth. AFA is a non-profit, independent, professional military and aerospace education association. AFA’s mission is to promote a dominant US Air Force and a strong national defense and to honor Airmen and Air Force heritage.