Context
The ICT–Digital Media sector of the California Community Colleges' Doing What Matters framework set out to bring the Air Force Association's CyberPatriot competition to high schools and community colleges across California, feeding students into IT technician pathways.
Engagement
Working with the Sector Navigator, we proposed and built a statewide resource portal with two audiences: a "CyberPatriot in a Box" kit so faculty and administrators could start teams and host events, and a smartphone-first "find a team near you" search for students and parents, with a "tell my parents" feature in the family's language. In 2017 we were contracted to run a three-phase statewide product-development effort: an environment scan of CyberPatriot activity, convening stakeholders, and designing a package colleges could use to become local CyberPatriot hubs — coach mentoring, student mentoring, weekend CyberCamps, IT guidelines, and cost of ownership.
What we delivered
- Statewide portal proposals (fixed bids, 2015–16) for Hartnell College and State Center Community College District.
- A communication package: mentor-recruitment flyers for (ISC)² and ISACA chapters, student flyers, and outreach emails.
- CCCAOE conference flyers, CyberCamp event support and photography.
- A statewide product-development statement of work (2017).
Outcome
CyberCamps and competitions were held and documented (a 2015 competition and an August 2016 camp), and the program drew local television coverage (KOVR-CBS13 Sacramento, July 22, 2016). The hub package gave colleges a repeatable way to stand up teams without starting from zero.