Congressman Marc Veasey of District 33 has introduced the Cybersecurity Clinics Grant Program Act, which would create a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant program to fund higher education-based cybersecurity at community colleges and minority-serving institutions. In addition, the legislation would require DHS to develop an experiential cybersecurity curriculum for grantees.
“Building the next generation of young Americans in the cyber workforce requires strategic investments in opportunities that offer a high-potential path to help increase the number of experienced cybersecurity professionals,” said Congressman Veasey in a news release. “Research shows the potential for the cyber clinic model to educate young people about cybersecurity effectively. These clinics will provide students with a pathway to enter the cyber workforce with practical experience, which will only benefit our country’s national security in the long run.”
Cybersecurity clinics are interactive, personalized workshops that provide education on the importance of protecting devices, data and identity from physical and digital compromise.
The bill is intended to set a framework for a robust and strategic model that can help the U.S. shore up national security defenses domestically and globally. As leaders in cyber policy, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is in a unique position to help create a vigorous curriculum for community colleges and minority-serving institutions, the news release says.
The newly created Congressional District 33 includes areas of Tarrant and Dallas counties, including several Fort Worth neighborhoods, Arlington, South Irving, Grand Prairie and portions of the city of Dallas, according to the congressman’s website.
