For the thirty-sixth year, Dabney S. Lancaster Community College has hosted a Summer Regional Governor’s School. Unlike previous years, this year’s program was conducted virtually. Eight students from five middle and high schools in the DSLCC service area studied the ins and outs of cyber security. Students met daily via Zoom and completed videos, readings, and assignments daily.
During the first week, participants learned about the need for cyber security and the types of attacks and vulnerabilities. In the second week, they learned techniques for detecting attacks, and how to keep computers and organizations safe. For the final week, students learned about the Linux operating system by using the Virginia Cyber Range.
Tamra Lipscomb, who was serving as the career and technical education teacher at Parry McCluer High School, and begins her new position as program head of Information Systems Technology at DSLCC on August 17, was the instructor.
“I am so proud of these students,” said Lipscomb. “They took three weeks out of their summer to learn about cyber security. They made the course fun and engaging. I surely hope to see these students again, in DSLCC’s Information Systems Technology program.”
The participants were enthusiastic about their experience. In their evaluations of the program, one student wrote, “It totally changed the way I think about protecting myself in the cyber world, and it taught me usually difficult topics in an easy, yet active learning pace and environment.” Another wrote, “This class helped me learn a lot about cybersecurity and gave me an introduction to a career that I might think about.”
Students were invited to participate in the Governor’s School based on their interest, maturity, and potential for excelling in computer science. To be considered, a participant had to be a high school student in the DSLCC area for the 2020-2021 school year. Science teachers, guidance counselors, local gifted education teachers and administrators, and community members encouraged qualified students to apply. Home-schooled and private-schooled students were welcome to apply provided that they are residents of Virginia. The Governor’s School is one of 21 Summer Regional Governor’s Schools sponsored by the Virginia Department of Education, local school divisions, and host schools, such as DSLCC.
To learn more about the Governor’s School or provide input on future activities, please contact your local gifted program administrator or Susan Rollinson at amrollinson@gmail.com.
To learn more about the Information Systems Technology programs at DSLCC, please contact Lipscomb at tlipscomb@dslcc.edu or visit the website at www.dslcc.edu.