Central Texas Cyber Initiative Summer Camp 2023
For students who have completed (in Spring 2023) 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th grades and Spring 2023 high school graduates
Dates: July 10-14, 2023, 8 am to 5 pm
Location: Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC) - 100 Research Pkwy. Waco, TX 76704
Cost: Free. All materials for the camp will be provided.
Extended Application Deadline: May 31, 2023, or when camp fills, whichever comes first (see Additional Camp Details below for more information)
Our digital lives need the protection provided by cybersecurity professionals. Accessing email, using smart devices, and driving cars all rely on networks and are potentially open to cyber attack. There is a massive shortage of qualified individuals to protect society from this increasing threat. As of June 2021, there were 42,000 job openings in TX for cybersecurity and 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs worldwide[1,2]. Texas has been identified as having the most cybersecurity job growth potential in the US [3]
Baylor University and McLennan Community College (MCC) are jointly hosting a camp this summer for high school students with the aptitude and interest to explore what a career in cybersecurity might involve. This will be a hands-on camp introducing various elements of cybersecurity and cyber career options. We will have guest speakers from the industry, lectures from faculty at Baylor and MCC, and hands-on exercises, all culminating in a competition on the last day of camp!
Additional Camp Details
This will be a day camp and campers will need their own transportation to and from the camp each day. Drop-off must occur between 7:30 am - 8:00 am each day and pick-up time will be 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm.
Camp participants must apply and be accepted to attend. All application materials must be submitted to cybercamp@baylor.edu. The application review process begins May 15, 2023. Applications will be accepted up until May 31, 2023 or until the camp fills, whichever comes first. We encourage you to apply early so you don't miss an open spot. Only complete applications (this includes all recommendation letters) will be considered. The following instructions should be followed for submitting applications or other materials to the camp:
- When submitting application – Email subject line should be: “Application 2023: [LastName, FirstName MiddleInitial.]” (no quotation marks)
- When submitting questions – Email subject line should be: “Questions Regarding Summer Camp 2023” (no quotation marks)
- When submitting references – Email subject line should be: “Reference 2023: [LastName, FirstName MiddleInitial.]” (no quotation marks). Please be sure to inform those submitting references for you to follow this format.
Camp admission decisions will be announced starting May 19, 2023. Accepted applicants must complete a separate registration process after they have been notified of acceptance. Instructions for registration will be provided to accepted applicants via email. This separate registration must be completed by the applicant within 5 business days of notification. It is the applicant's responsibility to check email in a sufficiently timely manner. Failure to register by the deadline could result in loss of spot for the camp and could go to another applicant.
All the costs for developing this camp at Baylor and all accepted camper costs have been provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education (Grant Award: P116Z220034).
Camp Director: Mr. Shaun Hutton, Clinical Associate Professor, Baylor University Department of Computer Science
Contact cybercamp@baylor.edu with any questions.