AZ Cyber Initiative

That’s a wrap on our Intro to Cyber Bootcamp at Sunnyside High School, and what a week it was.

A packed room of students spent five days getting their first real, hands-on look at cybersecurity, and watching them lean in never gets old.

This one happened because Sunnyside believed in its own students. Thank you to SunnysideUnifiedSchoolDistrict Sunnyside Unified School District, Sunnyside High School, and the Sunnyside Foundation Sunnyside Foundation for opening your doors and making room for this. And a heartfelt thank you to the champions who made it real: Mario Castro, David Rodriguez, Joel Palomarez, and Elizabeth Soltero. We could not do this work without people like you in our corner.

Thank you as well to our incredible speakers, Janet McIllece of WWT and Consuelo Goicoechea of South32, for sharing your stories and showing these students what a future in this field can actually look like.

And to the students of Sunnyside, you showed up ready and you made the week what it was. We’re proud of you, and we can’t wait to see where you take this.

That’s a wrap on our Nogales Intro to Cyber Bootcamp, and what a week it was. 💙🧡🎉

None of it happens without our partners. Thank you to the Santa Cruz County School Superintendent’s Office, South32, and the Santa Cruz County Provisional Community College District for standing behind these students and helping make sure this program was a success right here at home.

A special thank you to our speakers, all Santa Cruz County natives doing great things in their careers and making Nogales proud: Alexandra Gomez, Jonathan Bejarano, and Anastried Morales. Seeing students learn from people who grew up where they did, walking the same streets and now thriving in this field, is exactly what this is about.

This is just the beginning. We’ll be back in a few weeks for our Intermediate Cyber Bootcamp and even more cyber learning, growth, and fun with these students.

Thank you Nogales. We’re proud to do this work in our community.

Two weeks, back to back, and a first we’ll never forget.

We just wrapped our Intro to Cyber Bootcamp and our very first Intermediate Cyber Bootcamp in Chinle, two straight weeks of learning, growth, and watching students rise to every challenge we put in front of them. Bringing this experience to Chinle, and reaching this milestone here, means the world to us.

None of it happens without Chinle Unified School District. Thank you to Superintendent Quincey Natay, Sheila Betz, Ray Andrade, and the entire support system Chinle brought for their students. You made room for this, and your students showed up ready.

A huge thank you to our speakers, who gave students a real look at what’s possible: Austin Tsosie, Kayla Bahe, Deborah Ann Begay, Jennifer Richards, Brandon Benallie, and Ben Smith. And a special thank you to the Chinle Unified District IT team for hosting our Intermediate students and showing them everything that goes into keeping a school and its students safe every single day. We may have met some future IT and cyber defenders in that group.

Last but not least, a major shoutout to our instructor Kenji Lebbon for leading these students through the week and turning tough cyber concepts into hands-on learning that was fun, engaging, and real. Thank you for making this happen.

To Chinle, thank you for an incredible two weeks. We look forward to many more years and to building this together. 💙🧡

Our Yuma Intro to Cyber Bootcamp kicks off today, and we’ve got a packed house!

There’s nothing quite like day one, a room full of students ready to dig into cybersecurity for the very first time. We’re so excited for the week ahead with this group.

None of it happens without our partners. Thank you to STEDY and the Center for the Future of Arizona for making this possible and for helping bring this opportunity to students in Yuma.

Here’s to a great week of learning, growth, and a whole lot of cyber fun. Let’s get to it!

Learn more about our work at azcyber.org

Another week, another group of students who dove into learning about cyber and careers headfirst, this time at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. They came in curious and left with real skills and a clearer view of where different career paths could take them.

None of it happens without the partners who open their doors and stand behind this work.

A major shoutout to Barbara Gonzalez and Theresa Whitney. Your partnership over the past few years, and your leadership in bringing programs like this to youth and future students at CGCC, is exactly what makes this possible. Thank you for being champions for these kids.

To every student who showed up and put in the work this week, you’re the reason we do this. Excited to see where you take it from here.

Chandler-Gilbert Comm College

That’s a wrap on another bootcamp, this one at the University of Arizona. A room full of students who showed up curious about cyber and left with real skills and a clearer sense of what’s possible for them.

None of it happens without the partners who open their doors and stand behind this work.

Thank you to the Eller MIS department, and to John Moeller and Sue Brown, for welcoming our program and our students onto campus. And to Arlett Perez and the Upward Bound team, along with the College of Education, thank you for the partnership and support over these past few years. You’ve helped us put these students in seats they might not have pictured themselves in yet.

To every student who spent the week with us, you’re the reason we do this. Looking forward to seeing where you take it next.

arletty143 Eller College of Management The University of Arizona The University of Arizona.ub

Our first Cyber Bootcamp of our summer series wrapped at Glendale Community College.

Big thanks to Rachelle, Amy, Gladys, Brent, and Keely. You opened your whole campus to a group of high school students from across the Valley and made them feel like they belonged there, and one day, we’re sure many of them will! The success of this bootcamp would not have been possible without all of you. Thank you for your partnership over the years.

Our summer Cyber Bootcamp also wrapped this week at Cochise College.

Big thanks to Brenda and her team. You welcomed our students onto campus, made them feel at home all week, and gave us a partner we could count on. The Early College Programs you’re building are doing real work for students across southern Arizona, and bringing our cohort into that environment mattered.

The success of this bootcamp would not have been possible without you. Thank you for the partnership.

Last minute on your taxes this weekend? Same. But before you hit submit, read this.

If you’re an Arizona taxpayer, you can make a donation to AZ Cyber Initiative and get every single dollar back as a state tax credit. Not a deduction. A credit. Dollar for dollar.

$506 if you’re filing single. $1,009 if you’re filing jointly.

That money goes toward students across rural, urban, and tribal Arizona communities who had zero access to the cybersecurity industry before we showed up. Kids who came for a free bootcamp and walked out with career paths they didn’t know existed.

You lose nothing. They gain everything.

QCO Code: 22936 | Deadline: April 15 | azcyber.org/donate