High School Students Visit the ICN

ICN provides students with the opportunity to engage in tech conversations and explore the Capitol Complex.

Iowa high school students from around Iowa were given the opportunity to engage with the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) leadership team, talk with subject matter experts regarding cybersecurity and coding, gain insights into ICN's Broadband Information Center, explore the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines, and witness government in action during an official bill signing in the Capitol rotunda. The high school student participants are part of the 2023-2024 Statewide Youth Broadband Advisory Council (SYBAC) sponsored by the ICN. 

Each month, the SYBAC students were introduced to new web development and coding tools, interacted with experts from Iowa-based technology companies, and worked their way through a cybersecurity training certification from Fortinet. In addition, some students completed a community service project where they would speak with elementary students and peers about cybersecurity or work with their school IT help desk.

The ICN developed the SYBAC program to introduce students to technology-related issues, offer them the chance to learn about state efforts, and provide them with the opportunity to hear from Iowa technology experts. The students meet monthly via video during the school year and learned about a variety of topics, such as:

• Automated driving from the Driving Safety Research Institute of the University of Iowa.
• Telehealth in Iowa from the Iowa Hospital Association.
• Cybersecurity, competitions, and certificates from Doug Jacobson, professor and director of the ISU Center for Cybersecurity Innovation and Outreach. 
• The importance of cybersecurity, protecting Iowa’s healthcare, government, public safety, and education customers from security incidents.
• ICN's robust and statewide infrastructure, including the ICN’s Firewall and DDoS Mitigation services.

In addition to the events on the Capitol Complex, the students were hosted by LightEdge Solutions in Altoona and toured their local datacenter.

The SYBAC high school students at the Iowa Capitol during their visit on April 9, 2024.

SYBAC students engaging with the ICN leadership team, talking with subject matter experts regarding cybersecurity and coding, gaining insights into ICN's Broadband Information Center.