Champlain College’s CyberStart Program Gains National Recognition in Inside Higher Ed
Champlain College’s CyberStart Program recently earned recognition from Inside Higher Ed for its innovative approach to dual enrollment and cybersecurity education.
Dual Enrollment
The program offers Vermont high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to earn a 12-credit cybersecurity certificate before graduation, providing both career exploration and workforce development in this rapidly growing field.
“Champlain¡¯s program is intentionally structured as an on-ramp for students who want to launch into a career or postsecondary education, allowing them to build professional skills in an emerging field or kick-start their college education,” reported Inside Higher Ed. “Students who complete the certificate are also given conditional acceptance to Champlain, and high-performing students may be eligible for scholarships.”
The program expands cybersecurity education beyond the more populated areas of Vermont and into small rural towns, giving all Vermont students the opportunity to learn about the careers available, both locally and remotely.
¡°I think it can open up students¡¯ eyes to the possibilities that maybe they weren¡¯t initially thinking of,” says Adam Goldstein, Interim Dean of our Information Technology & Sciences majors and the academic director of our Leahy Center for Digital Forensics & Cybersecurity.
Champlain College and Employer Partnerships
CyberStart is structured as a partnership between Champlain and cybersecurity group NuHarbor Security. The dual enrollment program consists of both introductory courses and internship experiences. The program uses a flipped classroom model and is supported by current student mentors, making it accessible to students with no prior cybersecurity experience.
Since launching in 2024, Champlain has established relationships with dozens of teachers and high schools across Vermont, with many students from the first cohort continuing into a second year or pursuing STEM disciplines in higher education.
The program’s success may serve as a model for similar initiatives in other fields, including computer science and data or digital humanities.
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