A team from Franklin High School (Elk Grove USD) won the 5th Annual NorCalCyber Mayors Cup—an educational program and competition that helps middle school, high school, and community college students learn about cybersecurity. Following two months of learning and practice, the competition was held this April with Franklin’s “Team Half Dome” scoring the highest in the Greater Sacramento Region.
The students competed for the honor of bringing their award back to their city’s mayor. On June 20, the winning Franklin team did just that, presenting Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen with a perpetual trophy at the City Council meeting.
Franklin’s coach, Chris Shuping, joined team members, their families, and education officials at the meeting. This is the third year in a row that a team from Franklin High School won. Mayor Singh-Allen lauded the team’s understanding of this increasingly important field. “You are dedicating yourself to an amazing career in one of the most important and growing fields throughout the country,” she told them.
A team from Toby Johnson Middle School won first place in the middle school category, and a team from Sacramento City College won in the college category.
Exposure to cybersecurity education equips students with the knowledge and skills to protect themselves from online threats—identity theft, bullying, cyberattacks, and more—and can inspire and prepare them to pursue a career in the cybersecurity field.
The NorCalCyber Mayors Cup is made possible through funding from the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE). The program was designed, managed, and executed by synED, a non-profit organization that promotes technology-enabled learning and career readiness by arranging partnerships between education institutions, industry, and government.