On Wednesday 6th December, we had the pleasure of attending the Colyton Grammar School Cyber Day, where we introduced our platform, CyGamBIT to 162 year 8 students.
The event was part of the CyberFirst programme, which is designed to identify and nurture a diverse range of talented young people into a cyber security career. The event featured a variety of cyber security programmes, learning resources and activities, such as:
GCHQ Bude introduced the students to the fascinating world of classic codebreaking and cryptography, and how they are used to protect national security. They also had a chance to try their hand at cracking some codes and puzzles, and to see some of the equipment and tools used by GCHQ.CACI, a technology and innovation company that provides solutions for defence, intelligence, and civil government.
CACI showed the students how space weather and the solar system affect cyber security and communications, and how they monitor and mitigate these risks.Cognition Learning, a STEM education provider that uses LEGO to teach cyber security and other subjects.
Cognition Learning demonstrated how LEGO can be used to build cyber safe devices and networks, and how to apply cyber security principles in a fun and creative way.
James and the SW Cyber Prevent Team @swrccu, who delivered an amazing presentation on the ROCU Cyber Safe programme. ROCU Cyber Safe works with schools and colleges to promote cyber security education and careers, and to deter young people from engaging in cybercrime.
We had a blast showing the students our game, which covered topics such as phishing, passwords, cyber well-being, and online identity. They also learned about the cyber security and privacy, and why cyber security and privacy are so important in the digital age. The students enjoyed the game and showed great enthusiasm and aptitude for cyber security. They also gave us valuable feedback and suggestions for improving our platform and games.We are very grateful to Jonathan from GCHQ outreach for inviting us and Charlotte and the team at Cynam for introducing us to such brilliant collaborators and facilitating the day. We are also very impressed by the students’ enthusiasm, curiosity, and talent for cyber security. We hope that the event has inspired them to explore their passion for tech and to consider a career in cyber security. We look forward to seeing them again in future events and activities. Thank you for having us and for making the event a success.We would also like to thank Jenny from Colyton Grammar School for the superbly organised hosting of the event, and Jonathan for sharing some amazing statistics with us. From a baseline of 45 who said that they had considered a possible career in Cyber prior to the event, the total at the final Assembly was a spectacular 112 (a 150% increase due to all our efforts). This shows how much impact the event had on the students’ awareness and interest in cyber security. We are delighted to hear that Colyton School plans to continue the CyberFirst relationship in 2024. We wish them all the best in their endeavours, and we hope to get the opportunity to collaborate with them again in the future.