"The San Antonio area is second only to Washington, D.C. in the cybersecurity jobs landscape," said Josh Beck, iCSI instructor. "This program is going to prepare students for a career or college major in the field of cybersecurity."
The first line of cyber defense begins at North East ISD's Institute of CyberSecurity & Innovation (iCSI), and the possibilities are endless. Current eighth-grade students interested in learning more about the District's brand-new cybersecurity program are invited to attend one of two in-person magnet nights on Tuesday, Dec. 1, and Thursday, Dec. 3. The information session will take place at the future home of iCSI at 3175 Nacogdoches Rd., San Antonio, TX 78217, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Josh Beck will teach iCSI's inaugural freshman class when it opens in the 2021-2022 school year. Beck has a track record for success in the cybersecurity world. He's a member of San Antonio's Cyber Hall of Honor and played a crucial role in turning the Engineering and Technology Academy's (ETA) CyberPatriot program at Roosevelt High School into one of the nation's best.
Beck believes iCSI is the perfect fit for an industry that's growing in and around San Antonio.
"With the number one college program for cybersecurity right down the road at UTSA, we feel we are very well positioned to address what is an important need right now," said Beck. "The only thing you need to be successful at iCSI is an interest in learning more about cybersecurity. Your teachers will be able to help you take the next step and master key skills."
iCSI is a program unlike any other. One-hundred-fifty students will spend two periods a day perfecting their network security, engineering and robotics skills through hands-on activities. After attending their courses at iCSI, they'll be shuttled back to their home high school.
"We are building state-of-the-art classrooms modeled on what you would find in a corporate security operations center," said Beck. "Our partnerships with industry experts and extensive hands-on curriculum are built with real-world scenarios and challenges in mind. In this environment, students will gain the skills they need to succeed and have a lot of fun at the same time."
The deadline to apply for iCSI is Feb. 12, 2021. Click here to fill out your application.
