GenCyber Camp
GenCyber Camp
I was nominated by my undergraduate research professor, Dr. Timothy Wood, to assist as an academic assistant and camp counselor for the National Security Agency (NSA) and National Science Foundation (NSF) funded school cybersecurity camp, GenCyber.
The GenCyber summer camp, which took place in August of 2020, works to increase younger students’ interest in cybersecurity careers and diversity in the cybersecurity workforce of the nation. As one of 4 counselors, I taught 30 middle school girls all about correct and safe on-line behavior and how they can be good digital citizens. More over, I was blessed with the opportunity to teach them about several cybersecurity careers and concepts, such as cryptography, networking and secure radio communication, and to share my passion for computer science and coding with them. I spent each afternoon completing a variety of fun micro:bit projects and career research activities with these enthusiastic and eager students.
As camps are limited, few counselors are needed and fewer are selected to assist. Having been one of those few counselors who was selected to assist, it felt incredible. It was an amazing experience teaching these young girls more about this field and getting them into a field that’s lacking in the number of women. Being able to educate them about the importance of diversity and the power of women in the field was empowering to say the least.
Personally, being a part of this camp was an impactful experience and one I wished I had at their age. Being so young and just starting to learn about the overwhelmingly large world in which they live, having a safe-space where these young girls could grow and learn is critical and extremely meaningful. As someone who hopes to work in cybersecurity and/or for the government, being recognized and nominated as a counselor for this NSA and NSF funded camp was a huge stepping stone for me.
Check out some of the fun projects I created to teach these younger girls applications of programming in cybersecurity and also how to code!
Our Projects!
Morse Code
Cryptography is one of the most popular and important (in my opinion, also one of the coolest) aspects of cybersecurity. We coded this simple morse code program where pressing A or B allows you to communicate in morse code! Slight improvements were made by implementing radio signal transmissions. Send your morse code message to those with micro:bits nearby.
Random Password Generator
Keep yourself safe! Being safe online means being able to protect yourself and your information. Without a strong, unique password, anyone could hack your accounts. We implemented this fun random password generator, where clicking A each time generates a random character for your password.
Mood Radio
A fun little project to tell your friends with micro:bits how you’re feeling today. Pressing A, B or shaking your micro:bit produces a unique response and transmits it to your friends through radio signals.
Languages: JavaScript, Python
Additional Skills + Tools: BBC Micro:bit, MakeCode
The Virtual Experience
