Training Brevard's Next-Gen Cyber Experts: Celebrating Success & Summer Opportunities

2025-05-12

Cocoa, FL - Following a year of remarkable achievements in student cybersecurity training and competition, Codecraft Works is excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for rising 6th through 12th graders to start building their cyber skills. Keep reading to learn about our CyberPatriot and Cybersecurity Training program’s recent community celebration and upcoming summer camps!

Local, Low-Cost Cybersecurity Summer Camp

Codecraft Works is inviting rising 6th - 12th graders with little to no cybersecurity experience to join us at the Catherine Schweinsberg Rood Central Library for a Standard AFA CyberCamp. This isn’t just another summer activity; it’s an immersive learning experience that will empower your students with practical cybersecurity skills in a fun and supportive environment. Using curriculum from the Air & Space Force Association, students participate in hands-on cybersecurity activities and gain a taste of the U.S. CyberPatriot competition.

Can’t meet us at the Cocoa library? Keep reading for more about our recent cyber celebration. Plus, virtual camps with synchronous live instruction and peer interaction like AFA Cyber Safety, Roblox Game Development, and more ⎋!

CyberCamp provides a fantastic opportunity to:

• Spark Passion and Curiosity: The engaging curriculum can ignite a genuine interest in technology and cybersecurity.
• Enhance Problem-Solving Abilities: The hands-on activities and challenges encourage critical thinking and innovative solutions.
• Demystify Ethical Hacking: Students will learn the principles of identifying vulnerabilities and securing systems, fostering a proactive security mindset.
• Explore Digital Forensics: They’ll delve into the fascinating world of investigating cyber incidents, developing analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Examine Network Security: Campers will learn the fundamentals of network security and how to safeguard data.
• Interact with Team Cybersecurity Challenges: Through engaging activities and a team competition at the end of the week, students will apply their knowledge, build confidence, and practice teamwork.
• Have an Unforgettable Summer Experience: Learn, grow, and have fun in an engaging and supportive atmosphere.

Camp meetings will take place from 9:30am - 2pm from June 23rd - 27th at the Catherine Schweinsberg Rood Central Library in Cocoa, FL. Due to a limited number of physical camp seats, the AFA CyberCamp will be accepting students via brief application only.

Spaces are limited, so register soon! Learn more and apply now at code.cr/cybercamp ⎋.

Celebrating Cyber Awards and Success

This summer camp comes on the heels of a successful year for the CyberPatriot and Cybersecurity Training program, supported by Brevard County Public Libraries and Northrop Grumman. On May 1st, the Codecraft Foundation closed this year’s program with a celebration at the Catherine Schweinsberg Rood Central Library. Over the years, Codecraft Works has witnessed the incredible potential and enthusiasm that our local students have for the critical field of cybersecurity. And our most recent group of students is no exception!

This school year, the middle and high school students in our CyberPatriot and Cybersecurity Training program put in time on evenings and weekends to embrace complex technical concepts like virtual network configuration, identifying hackers from forensic data, pentesting and auditing vulnerable websites, and more. Through their dedicated training and challenging competitions, these students have developed essential skills in digital defense, problem-solving, and teamwork - with the competition results to prove it!

U.S. CyberPatriot Competition

Our students were trained to compete in the U.S. CyberPatriot competition in the fall and the National Cyber League (NCL) competition in the spring. In the Air and Space Force Association’s U.S. CyberPatriot competition, teams of 2 - 6 middle school and high school students across the nation aim to manage and secure virtual computer networks.

In the highly competitive high school division, our five students on Team “Wild Cats” scored in the top 80% in Round 1 and in the top 60% during Round 2.

In the middle school division, our five students on Team “Phish ‘n Chips” earned 2nd place in Florida in the State Round and advanced to the national Semifinals round. Also in the middle school division, our five students on Team “INSERT NAME HERE” earned 1st place in Florida in the State Round and 15th place in the nation in the Semifinals!

National Cyber League Competition

Much like CyberPatriot, the NCL competition tests a wide range of cybersecurity skills with challenge categories like cryptography, network traffic analysis, and wireless security. This highly competitive event is intended for high school and college students, and as such, all of our students got to experience greater challenges and more advanced opportunities for learning.

We are immensely proud of the commitment and achievements of all of our students this year. These experiences have not only provided them with a strong foundation for future academic and career paths in technology, but have also cultivated vital skills applicable across various disciplines. The mentorship that Codecraft Works coaches Gilberto Creque, Timothy Ferraro, and Emmanuel Richter have provided for the students while sharing their time and talents each week was key to the great success this year. But we couldn’t have done it alone!

Program Collaborators and Supporters

In running the CyberPatriot and Cybersecurity Training program, the Codecraft Foundation is honored to have the support of IT industry professionals in our community.

Kristin Colacchio from L3Harris speaking at the CyberPatriot and Cybersecurity Training program’s award ceremony.

At the awards celebration, students and other event attendees had the privilege of hearing from Kristin Colacchio, Vice President of Information Systems at L3Harris. With over 18 years of experience in IT leadership in the aerospace and defense industry, Colacchio addressed the students with her deep understanding of the field, discussing the power of technology, potential career paths, and the importance of cybersecurity in today’s increasingly digital world. Students and their families also had the chance to interact with program supporters and community leaders like Brian McKinney, Sr. Principal Talent Acquisition Business Partner at Northrop Grumman, and John Verdi, Founder of Hey, Blue!, an interactive approach to creating meaningful connections between police officers and the communities they serve.

Brian McKinney from Northrop Grumman presenting the 15th Place Semifinals Award, earned by Team “INSERT NAME HERE”.

And of course, the growth of the program would not be possible without Codecraft Works Founder & CEO Shannon Landin, the dedication of Codecraft coaches Gilberto and Timothy, the support of Northrop Grumman, and the ongoing efforts of Brevard County Public Libraries’ Joe Perryman, Tina Hare, Sean Rowan, Mary Beaumont, and Wendi Bost.

The Codecraft Foundation would like to thank our amazing students and their families and all of our incredible supporters across Brevard County. Thanks to everyone’s combined efforts, this year’s program was a resounding success with valuable skills developed, friendships forged, and a spark ignited in the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

The CyberPatriot and Cybersecurity Training program will resume in the fall. All students entering grades 6 through 12 are welcome to join - no experience required! Want to be notified when enrollment opens? Sign up to stay informed at the bottom of this page! Or, send us a message at hello@codecraftworks.com. Until then, Codecraft is keeping the learning going with summer camps, with a great opportunity for students to learn more before the fall program.

AFA Cyber Safety and More Hands-On Online Camps

There are more ways to learn this summer! Codecraft Works offers virtual camps ⎋ with synchronous live instruction and peer interaction. No boring lectures here! We specialize in fun, hands-on, project-based exploration into the world of computer science, cyber security, and web application programming from anywhere you can put a laptop down.

Looking for more cyber camps? Students ages 12 - 14 can learn more about cyber safety through the AFA Cyber Safety camp:

“In this course, you will skill up in preparation to earn the prestigious AFA US CyberPatriot Tech Caregiver certification. Hone your skills through relevant cybersecurity lessons and Codecraft’s hands-on activities! Through your mastery, you will be able to tackle cyber threats and become a champion for online safety in your community.” Learn more ⎋.

Or, choose from one of Codecraft’s many K-12 coding camps like Intro to JavaScript or Roblox Game Development, on sale for a limited time only! More great options are waiting at codecraftworks.com/camps ⎋!