CyberPatriot Survey Results Released

ARLINGTON, Va., August 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Air Force Association's CyberPatriot Program Office released today results of its second comprehensive assessment of  current education and career pursuits of past participants of AFA's CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Defense Competition.

Participants of the program were surveyed to determine whether they are now or plan to be in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) higher education programs or, if already in the workforce, if CyberPatriot had led them to STEM career paths. The poll determined there is a strong correlation between CyberPatriot competition experience and participant involvement in further STEM education and occupations.

Ninety-six percent of currently enrolled respondents indicated their intention to pursue a 4-year higher education program (89 percent) or a 2-year higher education program (7 percent) after receiving their high school diploma. By comparison, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 45.7 percent of American students who graduated high school in 2015 entered a 4-year degree program and 32.7 percent entered a 2-year degree program.

Additionally, 78 percent of the respondents indicated they will pursue a 2-year or 4-year education program plan to study cybersecurity, computer science, or another STEM field, whereas the national average is only 14 percent.

Survey results also revealed that a full 92 percent of the 2,871 survey respondents indicated that their participation in CyberPatriot somewhat (50%) or significantly (42%) impacted their career and educational goals.

The CyberPatriot program began in 2009 with a proof of concept competition among eight teams of Florida high school students. In the 2015-2016 competition season (CyberPatriot VIII), CyberPatriot registered 3379 teams in all 50 U.S. states and Canada.

To learn more about CyberPatriot, visit www.uscyberpatriot.org.

The Air Force Association is a non-profit, independent, professional military and aerospace education association. Our mission is to promote a dominant United States Air Force and a strong national defense, and to honor Airmen and our Air Force Heritage.

SOURCE Air Force Association

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