Home-schooled student Euwain Sheard and Sravya Nallapareddy from California were seen testing their robot for hand-gesture recognition during the GenCyber Camp at Grand Canyon University’s Cyber Center of Excellence. The camp, which is designed to inspire high school students to pursue careers in cybersecurity, featured a range of activities aimed at engaging young minds.
The event began with a team-building exercise involving stacking cups labeled with terms like “application,” “transport,” and “network.” Dr. Vanessa Curley-Ward, an instructor at the camp, provided updates on the progress of teams such as Team The People and Team Twinkies. Dr. Cori Araza emphasized the importance of having strong defensive answers when explaining the cup-stacking activity.
Antonio Laurel Perez, a recent graduate of Phoenix Coding Academy, shared his experience with understanding the seven layers of the Open Systems Interconnection model through this exercise. Students also explored how emails are transmitted from one person to another, simulating email delivery by moving packets of information through routers represented by camp participants.
Graham Coleman from Tucson’s Tanque Verde High School worked on programming a Sphero Bolt coding robot ball to follow a designated track. His teammate Sheard encouraged another robot to complete its course through a jolt interaction between two robots.
This marks the fifth year that GCU has hosted a GenCyber Camp site. The program receives financial support from organizations such as the National Security Agency and the National Science Foundation and aligns closely with the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity program.
Dr. Curley-Ward noted her surprise at how quickly students grasped complex content. Antonio Laurel Perez plans to major in cybersecurity at GCU next year after attending this camp.
Viviana Pacheco, a student worker in GCU’s Cyber Center of Excellence, expressed her amazement at the eagerness shown by campers to learn new skills. Graham Coleman mentioned learning about Wireshark as part of his takeaway from the camp activities.
Riley Famania, who will be entering 10th grade at Paradise Valley High School, found his knowledge greatly expanded beyond what he had taught himself at home before attending GenCyber Camp.
Internal Communications Manager Lana Sweeten-Shults can be contacted for more information regarding these programs.
