Windward Community College is part of a consortium of colleges that received more than $824,999 from the National Science Foundation Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) over five years to develop innovative cybersecurity programs to help Indigenous students become cybersecurity professionals.
The TCUP Cyber Consortium Advancing Computer Science Education (TCACSE) aims to improve computer science and cybersecurity training for regional workforces in the communities served by Windward CC, Turtle Mountain Community College, United Tribes Technical College, Sitting Bull College and Little Priest Tribal College.
“The goal of TCACSE is to empower institutions to deliver high-quality computer science and cybersecurity education to Indigenous students by promoting collaboration, expanding access to resources and strengthening student support and engagement,” said David Krupp, principal investigator for Windward CC.
The project is also building and enhancing computer science curricula that improve the fundamental skills of critical thinking, problem-solving, coding and collaboration used in academic or research activities, and building capacity to support education and research in computing related fields of national interest, such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data science and computer science education. It plans to bridge the gap between tribal education, workforce and U.S. cybersecurity needs by building a supportive model for cybereducation.
Windward CC’s opportunities
About 41% of Windward CC’s students claim Native Hawaiian or part Hawaiian ancestry. The college’s aims for TCACSE include:
- increasing overall enrollment in cybersecurity programs by at least three students each year
- establishing a one-year certificate of achievement in information security specialist
- having 10 students complete at least two CompTIA certification exams each year
- engaging up to 10 students in relevant internships each year
Windward CC is dedicated to enhancing educational pathways in high-demand fields, such as cybersecurity. With a $585,000 subaward from Alu Like, Inc., part of the Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education program, Windward CC established a program for a certificate of competence in information security specialist in 2021. Recognizing the need to expand and sustain this program, the campus also secured an additional $1.5 million over five years to support several strategic initiatives designed to boost enrollment and broaden access to cybersecurity education.
