SiLICON-Y
Service Learning to Increase Computing Opportunities for Nebraska Youth
Matt Hale
Associate Professor of Cybersecurity
Father, Dog Father, Husband, Software Engineer, STEM Evangelist, Researcher, Teacher, Web Developer, Board Gamer, Philosopher, Artist
(roughly in that order)
For those that don't know me...
Today's mini Talk: Four Questions
Why this FDF?
What did I say I would do?
What did I actually do?
Why should you care?
Why This FDF?
Student SafetY
and Privacy
Nebraska GenCyber
k-12 Outreach goals
CYBERCrime PRevention
Great Career Opportunities
AWareness
Career Preparation
GAP: 769,000 UNFilled Jobs in CYBER
(up >300k in past 5 years) **
GAP: 10% year-over-year increase in attacks targeting young people
<25 Age group is #1 most vulnerable Population*
* Cybercrime report finds young adults and adults over 75 most vulnerable to fraud attacks. Security Magazine, BNP Media, 2021.
** National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), Cyberseek.org
*** Panhans, D. et. al. Empowering Women to Work in Cybersecurity Is a Win-Win, Global Cybersecurity Forum, BCG Research, 2022.
GAP: Women are significantly Underrepresented in CYBR (25% in 2021)***
scaffolding to develop situational interest into Individual interest Is Hard
Triggered
Situational
Interest
Maintained
Situational
Interest
Emerging
Individual
Interest
Well-developed
Individual
Interest
Suzanne Hidi & K. Ann Renninger (2006) The Four-Phase Model of Interest Development, Educational Psychologist, 41:2, 111-127.
2019-2023 Data
(all girls, n=195)
(2019 national avg, all genders, n=3035)
2019-2022 Data
(all girls, n=195)
our data takeaway -> our camps serve the intended audience (no or little situational interest) and [at worst] dont hinder more advanced participants (with individual interest)
OuTreach Camps are great, but we can do better through sustained engagement
What did I say I would Do?
FDF Objectives
- Embed myself in community organizations
- Identify, differentiate, and cluster community needs for outreach
- Mentor kids in high need schools and tough situations
- Co-design new initiatives authentically with community leaders
What did I actually Do?
Broadly:
Listen, Practice Humility, Help Where I could
FDF Activity & Outcomes
- Engaged KidsCan, P4k, Westside, and Girls Inc
- Group mentored 73 kids and observed their curriculum in after school clubs at P4k across ~30 afterschool gatherings
- McMillian Magnet School (North Omaha)
- Central High School (Downtown)
- Omaha North HS (Benson/North Omaha)
- Omaha South HS
- Met with P4K leadership numerous times and co-designed two new initiatives
- UNO Tech day (Ran our first iteration in April'23, thanks to Dario, Christine, Brian D., and Deanna for presenting)
- STEM Curriculum review and feedback loops
FDF ACtivity & Outcomes
- Learned about existing structural challenges at Girls Inc and their (largely daycare) mission
- Met with KidsCan leadership and refined our involvement mechanisms for GenCyber and other STEM programs
- Co-designed a new camp structure with Westside teachers
Why should you care?
(a few observations)
Authentic COmmunity Partnership Is Impact
Ask and Observe, dont Dictate
CO-Design Don't Recruit
Meet people where they are At, Not where you want them to be
Questions?
©2023 Matthew L. Hale
Matt Hale, PHD
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Associate Professor, Cybersecurity
mlhale@unomaha.edu
twitter: X @mhale
Slides available at: slides.com/matthale/fdf23