Coding School

NATIONAL DEFENSE EDUCATION PROGRAM - TRAINING THE FUTURE DIVERSE AI WORKFORCE: TEACHING MACHINE LEARNING TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS

PURPOSE: THE Q-READY: DEVELOPING THE DMVS QUANTUM-READY CYBERSECURITY WORKFORCE PROJECT WILL TRAIN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY, POST-QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY (PQC), AND RELATED CAREER PATHWAYS ACROSS THE D.C.-MARYLAND-VIRGINIA METROPOLITAN REGION. THE PROJECT WILL ENGAGE 50 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, EXPANDING EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES IN QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY AND PQC, BY EQUIPPING PARTICIPANTS FOR CAREERS IN QUANTUM CYBERSECURITY THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL SKILLS AND WORKFORCE READINESS ALIGNED WITH INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT NEEDS.ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: Q-READY WILL IMPLEMENT A HYBRID, TWO-PHASE PROGRAM CONSISTING OF A THREE-WEEK TECHNICAL TRAINING IN QUANTUM COMPUTING AND CYBERSECURITY FOLLOWED BY A FIVE-WEEK MENTORED RESEARCH PROJECT OR INTERNSHIP WITH REGIONAL INDUSTRY PARTNERS. THE PROGRAM WILL ENGAGE ACADEMIC AND INDUSTRY COLLABORATORS TO DELIVER CURRICULUM ON QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY AND POST-QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY (PQC), ALIGNED WITH NICE FRAMEWORK STANDARDS, WHILE ALSO OFFERING CAREER PANELS, SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING, AND WORKFORCE READINESS COACHING.EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THE PROGRAM WILL TRAIN 50 UNDERGRADUATES IN 2026, WITH AT LEAST 80% ADVANCING TO APPLIED INTERNSHIP OR RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AND 75% SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THEM, DEMONSTRATING QUANTUM-SECURE COMPETENCIES. PARTICIPANTS ARE EXPECTED TO SHOW MEASURABLE INCREASES IN TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY, CAREER AWARENESS, CONFIDENCE, AND BELONGING IN STEM, WHILE Q-READY PARTNERS PUBLISH FINDINGS AND MODELS FOR REPLICATION THROUGH CONFERENCES, PUBLICATIONS, AND PUBLIC REPORTS.INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: COLLEGE STUDENTS FROM THE DMV REGION WILL GAIN EARLY ACCESS TO QUANTUM CYBERSECURITY SKILLS, MENTORSHIP, AND CAREER PATHWAYS IN EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES. REGIONAL EMPLOYERS, QUANTUM STARTUPS, AND NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCIES WILL BENEFIT FROM A GROWING PIPELINE OF QUANTUM-LITERATE CYBERSECURITY TALENT TRAINED TO MEET FUTURE-READY WORKFORCE DEMANDS.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE CODING SCHOOL HAS ALLOCATED $5,000 PER INTERNSHIP (5) AND $1,600 PER MENTORED RESEARCH POSITION (25) AS SUBAWARDS. SUBAWARD FOR CO-PI, JOHN SAWYER, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK IN THE AMOUNT OF $18,190.60.

PURPOSE: THE CODING SCHOOL (TCS), A NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, AIMS TO ADDRESS THE CYBERSECURITY TALENT SHORTAGE BY CREATING A REGIONAL NETWORK FOCUSED ON TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS IN QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY. TARGETING NEW YORK CITY AND WESTCHESTER COUNTY, TCS SEEKS TO LEVERAGE THE AREA'S EXISTING RESOURCES AND EXPERTISE IN QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES AND CYBERSECURITY. THIS INITIATIVE ALIGNS WITH THE RAMPS PROGRAM BY OFFERING A FORWARD-THINKING EDUCATION AND TRAINING SOLUTION TO MEET THE GROWING NEED FOR QUANTUM-RESILIENT CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS.ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: TCS WILL COORDINATE STAKEHOLDERS TO CREATE A PATHWAY FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO EXPLORE CAREERS IN QUANTUM CYBERSECURITY THROUGH THE EARLY QUANTUM CAREER IMMERSION (EQCI) PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM INCLUDES A FOUR-WEEK VIRTUAL TRAINING IN QUANTUM SOFTWARE AND CYBERSECURITY SKILLS, FOLLOWED BY A SEVEN-WEEK INTERNSHIP OR MENTORED PROJECT WITH INDUSTRY PARTNERS. TCS AIMS TO INCREASE DIVERSITY IN THE FIELD BY TARGETING UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS AND PARTNERING WITH INSTITUTIONS AND COMPANIES THAT SUPPORT INCLUSIVE PRACTICES.EXPECTED OUTCOMES:THE PROJECT AIMS TO ENGAGE KEY CYBERSECURITY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS TO ENHANCE REGIONAL COLLABORATION AND LEVERAGE EXISTING RESOURCES. IT SEEKS TO ENROLL UP TO 50 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN THE EQCI PROGRAM, WITH AT LEAST 12 PLACED IN INTERNSHIPS, WHILE TRACKING ENROLLMENT AND RETENTION METRICS FOR FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS. THE INITIATIVE ALSO FOCUSES ON INCREASING DIVERSITY, IMPROVING TECHNICAL SKILLS IN QUANTUM CYBERSECURITY, RAISING CAREER AWARENESS, AND BOOSTING INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH SURVEYS AND ASSESSMENTS. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THE PROJECT BENEFITS UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE FROM UNDERREPRESENTED BACKGROUNDS, BY PROVIDING TRAINING, MENTORSHIP, AND INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN QUANTUM CYBERSECURITY. IT ALSO SUPPORTS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS BY ENHANCING REGIONAL COLLABORATION AND INCREASING THE PIPELINE OF SKILLED TALENT IN THE CYBERSECURITY FIELD.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: SUBAWARDS TO INTERNS ($6,000.00 EACH) AND SUBAWARD FOR CO-PI: SUSAN MCGREGOR, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ($11,267).