A serious shortage of computer science, cybersecurity and other STEM instructors in public schools and community colleges is driving new efforts to find ways to augment teaching resources with cyber industry professionals.

“In computer science, it is very difficult to find instructors. We are barely getting by,” said Justin Serota, Computer Science Resource Teacher K-12 and DoDEA Cyber LAUNCH Grant Resource Teacher at Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS). Furthermore, that shortage is happening at a time when “our computer science program is growing rapidly, from just a couple of hundred students four or five years ago to about 4,000 this spring.”

The Fort Meade Alliance (FMA) has appointed two new members to its Board of Directors effective ­July 1, 2021.

The new Board members are Kathy Castellano Burk, Vice President/Executive Director of Baltimore Washington Medical Center Foundation and Kendra Parlock, Executive Director of NPower Maryland.

“We are so happy to add Kathy’s and Kendra’s talents and passion for the Fort Meade Community to our organization,” said FMA President Doreen Harwood. “We are looking forward to working with them as we continue our mission to serve the Fort Meade region.”

Each year, the Fort Meade Alliance works in partnership with three local community colleges and the California-based workforce development non-profit Growth Sector to provide students paid opportunities that help develop their professional skills through a program called STEM Core.

This summer’s STEM Core students are currently fulfilling internships with NASA Goddard, Baltimore Washington Medical Center, University of Maryland – College Park, and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, having also considered positions with PCI, a Big Bear.ai Company, M.C. Dean, FedData, Tower Federal Credit Union and Leidos.

A recap of our recent FMA Academy Meet & Greet is now available online for those unable to attend. Hear directly from our partners what they are offering through this new and exclusive FMA member benefit.

Founded in 2009, Project SCOPE (Security Clearance Overview and Preparation Education) provides students, transitioning workers and veterans with the tools they need to understand, navigate and master the security clearance process.

Check out the highlights from this past year of focus and determination through the online version of the 2021 Annual Report. 

August 30: Offering Work-Based Learning Opportunities

October 8: Inspiring the Next Generation of Cyber Workers

November 12: Recruiting (and Training) a Diverse Workforce

As the new fiscal year begins, our sister organization, the FMA Foundation, is proud to share how the Fort Meade community continued to shine with generosity the past 12 months in the face of unprecedented times. Together, we raised nearly $226,000!

BrainTrust

LG-TEK

Howard Community College

IndraSoft

KatzAbosch