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Mehdi Mekni, Ph.D., believes in the importance of cybersecurity education and the significant role it can play in protecting the nation and promoting safety online. He recently received a grant 杏吧原版� his first at the University 杏吧原版� that will enable him to share his passion with local educators.

Funded by the and the , the grant will enable Dr. Mekni to take a unique approach to cybersecurity education by making high school teachers the students. He is creating Connecticut杏吧原版檚 first , training high school teachers to teach and promote cybersecurity.

杏吧原版淚f you teach the teacher, that teacher will shape, influence, and improve the preparedness of students year after year,杏吧原版� explains Dr. Mekni, an associate professor of computer science and cybersecurity. 杏吧原版淲hen you get into training teachers and give them the tools they need, such as teaching materials, lesson plans, and equipment to incorporate cybersecurity education into their programs, that杏吧原版檚 real value.杏吧原版�

杏吧原版業杏吧原版檓 a builder杏吧原版�

Dr. Mekni, who will oversee the program and deliver the content, will be joined by University of New Haven faculty such as Liberty Page, M.S., and Amir Esmailpour, Ph.D. The weeklong program will enable 25 teachers at public, private, or charter high schools in Connecticut to learn how to apply cybersecurity concepts in their classrooms.

Offered free of charge, the GenCyber Teacher Academy is geared toward teachers with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) backgrounds. Teachers are not required to have prior knowledge or experience in computer science or cybersecurity. The hands-on program will include lesson plan design, lectures, labs, and games. Participants will also receive a to take with them to their classroom, free of charge.

杏吧原版淚杏吧原版檓 a builder, and this program will build bridges with high schools,杏吧原版� he said. 杏吧原版淭eachers will interact with peers, horizontally sharing what they learned, and they will also teach it to countless students. I expect the investment of training teachers will impact future generations.杏吧原版�

杏吧原版業 hope the GenCyber Teaching-Learning Community will keep growing杏吧原版�

Dr. Mekni杏吧原版檚 goal is to help meet the rising need for highly skilled cybersecurity professionals to protect the nation and support its governmental workforce. The program will apply culturally-responsive teaching to cybersecurity education. It will cover important topics such as social engineering, , cybersecurity awareness, and network fundamentals. Teachers will leave the program with materials they can use in the classroom, such as lesson plans.

杏吧原版淪ince his arrival, Dr. Mekni has been a welcomed, positive force at the Connecticut Institute of Technology,杏吧原版� said Ibrahim 杏吧原版淎be杏吧原版� Baggili, Ph.D., founding director of the Connecticut Institute of Technology at the University of New Haven. 杏吧原版淗is new grant will allow us to give back in other ways to the state of Connecticut. We started with our student camp, now we will also help train teachers in the state. We thank NSA and NSF for their continued support.杏吧原版�

The program, which will include pre- and post-camp activities that will be offered online, will also build and foster a GenCyber Teaching-Learning Community, the program杏吧原版檚 legacy, of sorts. Teachers and program instructors will meet virtually after the camp for follow-up sessions. Teachers will report what has been successful and the challenges they have faced, and they will continue to have support as they apply what they learned.

Dr. Mekni looks forward to welcoming the inaugural cohort of teachers to the University in August, and he hopes to offer the program every summer.

杏吧原版淚 hope the GenCyber Teaching-Learning Community will keep growing as new cohorts join, and we keep building it,杏吧原版� he said. 杏吧原版淲e want to train them and make sure they can and will use what they learned.杏吧原版�

For more information about GenCyber Teacher Academy: .