Cyber and AI education continues to be an important and growing program for the Air & Space Forces Association Palm Springs Chapter 134.

This past summer, students from schools across the Coachella Valley came together for our five-day Summer Cyber Camp at the College of the Desert Information Technology Center. A team of instructors and AFA members provided hands-on instruction and guidance in cybersecurity, computer technology and related subjects. The program also included presentations and discussions involving artificial intelligence, an increasingly important part of the technology skills young people will need for the future.

Now our attention has turned to CyberPatriot 19.

We are currently supporting three CyberPatriot teams with 15 students age 17 and younger. Two teams are from the Air Force JROTC program at La Quinta High School, and a third is from Civil Air Patrol Palm Springs.

Our involvement goes beyond financial support. Two AFA personnel are providing technical mentoring and general assistance. We have asked the teams to let us know about additional computer hardware, networking equipment or other technical resources they may need. We are also supporting activities that help build teamwork and cohesiveness as the students train and compete.

For the Civil Air Patrol team, we are prepared to assist with a meeting and training location if needed, including the networking capabilities necessary for the team to work together.

But CyberPatriot is only one part of where we are going.

We are looking beyond the schools and organizations that have traditionally participated in Cyber Education and exploring ways to reach more young people throughout the Coachella Valley. That includes potential partnerships with Boys & Girls Clubs and other youth organizations, particularly in communities of the eastern Coachella Valley where access to technology resources and specialized Cyber and AI instruction may be more limited.

One concept we are exploring is a portable Cyber and AI computer lab. Laptops, networking equipment and related technology could be assembled into a system that could be taken to Boys & Girls Clubs, community centers, libraries, after-school programs and other locations where young people already gather.

Instead of always asking students to come to the technology, we can bring the technology and instruction to them.

Such a capability could support introductory Cyber and AI programs, workshops, multi-day programs and future Cyber Camps. It could also introduce students to opportunities for continued involvement through programs such as CyberPatriot.

The Anderson Children’s Foundation has provided important financial support for our Cyber and AI Education efforts. That support has helped make our activities possible and gives us resources to continue developing these programs as we identify additional students, organizations and communities we can serve.

Our goal is sustainable growth. We want to reach more young people while making certain they have the instruction, equipment, facilities and resources necessary to make their participation meaningful.

CyberPatriot, Cyber Camps, AI education and community-based programs are not separate efforts. They can become different points of entry for young people to discover technology, develop skills and find educational and career opportunities they might not otherwise have considered.

There is much more we can do, and we are working to build the partnerships and resources to do it.

We would welcome any of you who would like to join our AFA team and help us grow these programs. You do not need to have computer or technical experience. There is a place for you to help with organization, logistics and general support.

If you would like to be part of what we are doing, please send me an email at Ian@AFAPalmSprings.org

Thank You!