James_Nov-Dec_2025_web - Flipbook - Page 30
Fort Gordon is naturally dependent on recruiting and
retaining a highly skilled experienced and technologically competent workforce steeped in advanced
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM). The fort’s STEM workforce needs are also
mirrored throughout the Greater Augusta region and
across the state. The tools of collaboration are communication, ranging from public address to social
media, and empowerment by awareness of education
opportunities and high-demand career opportunities
of today and tomorrow. The target audience is K-12
students. They will become tomorrow’s STEM workforce, the educators who are empowered to develop
that workforce and military and industry partners
who actively engage today in preparing tomorrow’s
STEM workforce supply chain.
The Youth Cyber Education Program
One of the Alliances many accomplishments are
its work with our region’s youth in the CyberPatriot
program. In fact, the Air Force Association’s CyberPatriot Program Office announced that the Fort Gordon/
Eisenhower Cyber District (Alliance for Cyber Education) is the CyberPatriot Center of Excellence of the
Year for the entire nation for the second year in a row.
CyberPatriot, the nation’s largest youth cyber
education program, is a STEM initiative dedicated to
strengthening cyber skills among American youth.
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The Center of Excellence designation is awarded to
communities and institutions that provide leadership and support to further the educational experiences of their students. The exceptional level of
involvement across all areas of CyberPatriot made
Fort Gordon stand out from other outstanding Centers of Excellence.
Consider that, with the help of the Fort Gordon
Adopt-a-School program, the number of registered
CyberPatriot teams in the area has increased from
six teams to over 120 teams. In 2020, the Alliance for
Cyber Education team conducted free CyberPatriot
training for over 70 regional teachers held by and at
the Georgia Cyber Center. It also held teacher and
mentor training sessions prior to its two AFA CyberCamps. Students from 40 different schools participated in the camps, with over 60 percent of campers
coming from middle school and an impressive 24
percent of registered campers being female. Its most
innovative achievement for the year was the filming
and animation of both books in the CyberPatriot
Literature Series. The Alliance for Cyber Education
completely funded both book readings, which are
now available on YouTube.
The Fort Gordon Cyber District/ Alliance for
Cyber STEM Alliance has positively impacted the
community. It created a forum to bring the Greater
Augusta community together for collaboration on
joint projects. Consider that it is responsible for providing STEM Resource Kits funding, computers for
use by the Augusta Boys and Girls Club, computers
for educators and helping create cyber educational
programs across the area. Over the last six years
167 middle and high school students increased their
cyber skills via a free summer camp, paid for by this
organization.
This is just a short list of their accomplishments
to date, and more projects are in works. By the way,
membership in the Alliance for Cyber Education is
open to any community, government or private organization, and any STEM-interested individuals willing
to contribute time and effort to advance and elevate
STEM across the region. All participation is on a voluntary basis. Founding members include the Alliance
for Fort Gordon/Eisenhower, Augusta University,
Augusta Technical College, and the school districts
from all seven counties in the MSA.
Georgia’s vision for the future is focused clearly
on economic prosperity. A rising tide of invigorated STEM workers will attract industry and in turn
boost the local economy in an exponential cycle of
growth. And there’s no question the Fort Gordon
STEM Alliance is well positioned to help build this
future workforce.
Dr. Tom Clark is the executive director of the Central Savannah
River Alliance for Fort Gordon. For additional information,
you can email him at tom.clark@fortgordonalliance.com
