High school students in an East Valley district can now participate in an innovative cybersecurity clinic supported by Google and the University of Arizona.
The clinic is being offered at Basha and Arizona College Preparatory high schools, supplementing Chandler Unified School District’s existing four-year cybersecurity programs at Basha and Chandler high schools. Chandler Unified students were already able to earn college credits from Chandler Gilbert Community College as they learned about this rapidly developing field.
For students looking to get cybersecurity training, the district has provided them a “pathway from the high school to the community college and then to the university to reduce costs, provide access and early career engagement,” said Paul Wagner, a University of Arizona professor who helped launch the Chandler Unified clinic.
Dr. Paul Wagner of University of Arizona speaks at Chandler Unified’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.
In June 2024, UA was awarded a $1 million grant from Google’s Cybersecurity Clinics Fund to help the university establish its own cybersecurity clinic. Wagner thought it would be a good idea to offer Google’s online cybersecurity certification to high school students as well, building the country’s first high school cybersecurity clinic.
“Since it affects students so closely, I think it’s important for everyone to understand and know the bare minimum,” said Sumedha Balwadgi, an Arizona College Prep senior who completed the certificate program.
“This is a skill that is applicable in all sectors,” Badgalwi said. “I’m planning on going into engineering at college, and I am confident that it’s going to come up and be useful.”
What are cybersecurity clinics?
Modeled after legal clinics, where law students get work experience in their field, cybersecurity clinics are meant to bridge the experience gap that graduating students face when applying for entry-level jobs.
“We thought maybe 10 or so students would join this opportunity, and then we had almost 100 people registered for the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate,” Wagner said.
Chandler Unified students were able to complete Google’s course free of charge outside of class. On March 25, 59 students received their certification at a ceremony in Arizona College Prep’s auditorium.
Over 50 students from Basha and Arizona College Prep High School received their Google Cybersecurity Professional Certification.
The school district hopes the clinic will provide opportunities for its students to market themselves to future employers and build connections within an industry that continues to grow in Arizona.
“We have over 50 semiconductor companies just in Chandler alone,” between the supply chain and fabrication plants, said Janet Hartkopf, Chandler Unified’s coordinator for emerging technologies. She oversaw the creation of the cybersecurity clinics with the goal of preparing students “for all aspects of those types of jobs.”
While no credential guarantees a job, the clinic’s certification could help students land internships or entry-level jobs. Students are encouraged to post their certification as a digital badge and connect with their cybersecurity instructor via LinkedIn to start building a professional network.
Chandler Unified held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its student that completed Google’s Cybersecurity Professional Certification.
What’s next after the Google cybersecurity certification?
For students who want to continue their cybersecurity training in the fall semester, the University of Arizona is offering Chandler Unified students its micro-credential in cybersecurity risk and vulnerability assessment.
Teachers will have access to course material from the University of Arizona’s cybersecurity program to adapt for high school students. After acquiring their micro-credential, students will then be tasked with completing risk-assessment surveys for schools across the district to apply what they have learned.
“Employers want to see that you have hands-on experience, and they want to see that you had the initiative as a high schooler to get the certificate and give back in your community with a real-world organization,” said Anne Cleaveland, co-chair of the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics.
Chandler Unified is also offering six internships to students who have completed both Google’s certification and the University of Arizona’s micro-credential to work alongside district IT professionals.
These internships will be completed on students’ own free time and will not be paid, but they will offer a rare opportunity for high school students looking to complete internships before the age of 18. To protect critical and private information, students will not have access to any sensitive data throughout the internship.
The district also plans to add courses on “cyber hygiene” that will introduce students to protecting themselves and businesses from phishing scams and malware, and offer students the chance to pitch themselves to complete cyber-hygiene assessments for local companies.
There are currently no plans to expand the clinics to other high schools, so Chandler Unified encourages interested incoming ninth graders to apply to either Basha or Arizona College Prep.
“I think being able to complete this was the highlight of my senior year,” Balwadgi said. “I was involved in a lot of things related to this, and it was a new skill that I’ll definitely take away in college and future career.”
Coverage of education solutions on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is partially supported by a grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Chandler Unified students can now receive cybersecurity experience