News for Immediate Release

CyberStart America 2021-22 Season Kicks off October 27

Scholarship Opportunities for CA Students

Media Contact CDT: Newsroom@state.ca.gov

 

SACRAMENTO (October 27, 2021)– CyberStart America is kicking off its new season of games and challenges to expose high school kids to cybersecurity skills while they compete for scholarship money.  California came in second place in the competition last year, but we can create even more opportunity for our students if more schools get involved.

CyberStart America gives high school students in the US free access to cybersecurity learning resources written and developed by industry professionals that can be used to train and qualify for a National Cyber Scholarship. Focused competitions for girls and the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) expand exposure to the CyberStart program to a diverse range of youth.

“California’s high school students proved they have the talent and drive to excel in the CyberStart competition,” said Amy Tong, State Chief Information Officer and Director of the California Department of Technology. “I’d personally like to challenge every school district and every eligible high school student in California to take part, and expand their cybersecurity knowledge.”

Over 30,000 high school students across the country sought to qualify for the 2021 competition, and only 5,000 advanced to the first round. Of those students, only 600 students nationwide performed well enough to earn the title “National Cyber Scholars.” These students each won a $2,500 scholarship and an invitation to participate in the Cyber Foundations Academy, a multi-week training and certification course.

California students performed extremely well last year, and ranked third in the nation for total number of registrations, and second in the nation for scholarship and prize winnings. Seventy California high school students received training and scholarships worth more than $500,000 in 2021.

The next registration cycle for the 2021-22 season begins on October 27, 2021. Teachers and students can visit cyberstartamerica.org for more information.

 

About The National Cyber Scholarship Foundation (NCSF)

CyberStart America is a free national program for high school students to master cybersecurity as a gateway to the industry, improve their digital skills, and compete for college scholarships.

 The National Cyber Scholarship Foundation (NCSF) is a national nonprofit whose mission is to identify, nurture and empower the next generation of cybersecurity experts; and eliminate the cybersecurity skills gap in the United States. NCSF aims to support the entry of thousands of talented students to the cybersecurity industry by providing enrichment opportunities, world-class training, and scholarships to fund degree-level study.