Military Magnet middle school students had an incredible opportunity to participate in Cyber-in-the-Middle (CITM), an annual hands-on STEM event designed specifically for 8th-grade students and held during the Palmetto Cyber Defense Competition (PCDC) at Trident Technical College. This engaging experience gives students an early introduction to cybersecurity careers through interactive, age-appropriate challenges and real-world exposure.

Thanks to Mr. Shorter’s (CS Teacher), 22 students were invited to attend and spent the day immersed in exciting cybersecurity learning experiences. One of the highlights of the day was touring the live PCDC Industry Day competition, where students observed industry professionals actively defending networks against threat actors. During this experience, they learned about the critical roles of the Blue Team, Red Team, Gold Team, and Orange Team, gaining insight into how each team contributes to cybersecurity operations.

Students also participated in a social engineering session, where they explored phishing scams and learned about the dangers of manipulation tactics used by cybercriminals. In a biometrics activity, they discovered how fingerprint and facial recognition technologies are used to strengthen cybersecurity systems. The cyber forensics challenge allowed them to examine fingerprints, handwriting, and facial recognition clues to solve a mock cybercrime case, bringing digital investigations to life. To top off the day, students created personalized fingerprint keychains, combining creativity with cybersecurity concepts.

This experience directly supports Military Magnet Academy’s goal to expand student interest in their Career Pathway in Computer and Information Assurance Systems Security/Information Assurance. By exposing students to authentic cybersecurity environments and career-focused, hands-on activities at the middle school level, they are intentionally building excitement, awareness, and a stronger pipeline of future students ready to pursue this pathway in high school and beyond.

Thank you TSgt. Carla Ferrette-Clark (Ret.) | Computer & Information Assurance System Security / Information Assurance Instructor, for sharing this wonderful experience with us!