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Welcome to the GenCyber Grant Proposal Webpage

The GenCyber program seeks to ignite and sustain cybersecurity interest at the K-12 level in order to build a competent, diverse, and adaptable cybersecurity workforce pipeline through alignment with the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C). The GenCyber program strives to be a part of the solution to the Nation’s shortfall of skilled cybersecurity professionals. Ensuring that enough young people are inspired to utilize their talents in cybersecurity is critical to the future of our country’s national and economic security as we become even more reliant on cyber-based technology in every aspect of our daily lives. The program also increases cybersecurity hygiene practices for all participants therefore increasing the security posture of the nation.

The GenCyber program aligns with the NCAE-C program in order to provide awareness of college and career pathway opportunities for K12 students and educators. Program participants do not have to be designated NCAE-C institutions to apply to host a GenCyber program. The GenCyber program office works collaboratively with federal partners to ensure that the program continues to have a nation-wide impact on the K12 cybersecurity education ecosystem. To ensure a level playing field in developing cybersecurity career pathway opportunities, GenCyber camps and events are offered FREE to all student and teacher participants.

The goals of the GenCyber program include:

  • Igniting, sustaining, and increasing awareness of K12 cybersecurity content and cybersecurity postsecondary and career opportunities for participants through year-round engagement.
  • Increasing student diversity in cybersecurity college and career readiness pathways at the K-12 level.
  • Facilitating teacher readiness within a teacher learning community to learn, develop, and deliver cybersecurity content for the K-12 classroom in collaboration with other nationwide initiatives.

GenCyber Student Programs provide students with age-appropriate cybersecurity learning opportunities for in a standards-based and organized curriculum promoting the GenCyber Cybersecurity Concepts, ethics, cybersecurity careers, and online safety.

GenCyber Teacher Programs provide a comprehensive learning experience based on the GenCyber Cybersecurity Concepts, ethics, cybersecurity careers, and online safety. These programs should include helping teachers with the preparation of cybersecurity lesson plans designed for implementation in their classrooms.

GenCyber Combination Programs provide both students and teachers with the content needed; students will be engaged in hands-on learning, while teachers are taught both cybersecurity content and how to teach the cybersecurity content in the K-12 classroom.

GenCyber Student Language Programs deliver GenCyber concepts and cybersecurity curriculum taught using immersion in one of five critical languages (Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Korean, and Persian), Spanish, or another language. Institutions must have at least one year of experience hosting a GenCyber program and demonstrated expertise in foreign language education.

All GenCyber camps (Student, Teacher, Combination, and Language) are expected to run a minimum of five days to include at least 30 intensive instructional hours. Programs must also offer a specific miniumum number of hours of pre-camp and post-camp outreach. Instructional hours are defined as those blocks of time in which participants are actively engaged in learning (lecture, guest speakers, labs, hands-on activities, field trips, etc.).

The application process for GenCyber grants is currently closed.

Grant Authority: CFDA 12.903 GenCyber Grants Program