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About the Statewide Youth Broadband Advisory Council (SYBAC)

The Statewide Youth Broadband Advisory Council (SYBAC) brings together Iowa high school students (grades 10–12) to research and discuss critical topics related to broadband, Internet, and technology careers across the state. Members meet monthly to identify effective strategies for improving connectivity, gain access to specialized cybersecurity curriculum, and provide youth input that directly shapes efforts to create a more connected Iowa.

Lineup of Industry Experts
The main goal of the SYBAC program is to connect students with careers and industry leaders through valuable networking opportunities at the monthly meetings. As a key part of the meetings, Iowa's leading experts and business leaders are invited to speak. These guests share knowledge about their industries, discuss how they contribute to Iowa, and talk about their own career paths. They give helpful guidance on important abilities like working well on a team and having strong soft skills, as well as offering practical advice for job interviews and finding employment in technology.

September: ICN Executive Director Ryan Mulhall kicked off the first session of the year by providing an overview of the ICN's mission, work, and exciting goals for the coming year. He praised the students for their impressive accomplishments, including earning certifications, completing pentests, and securing internships, and urged them to continue their learning and growth. Highlighting his own career journey, and sharing that curiosity and an openness to new opportunities are key staples for all the students to keep in mind as they begin their technology path.

October: Guests included Keegan Paisley of Procircular and Michael Van Haaften of ICN. They provided essential career and security advice, emphasizing the importance of effective communication and actively networking to put oneself out there in the industry. They highlighted that success involves more than technical skill; it requires understanding the needs of the business and the people who use the networks, and then tailoring solutions to the organization. A core part of their role is identifying and communicating risk, offering clear recommendations to mitigate it. They both highlighted the shift in security threats, noting that failure to patch has surpassed phishing as a major risk due to unaddressed vulnerabilities.

November: Iowa Department of Management, Division of Information Technology

December: ISU Engineering and Cybersecurity

January: ICN's Network Design

February: University of Iowa, Autonomous Vehicle Transportation, Driving Safety Research Institute

March: John Deere

April: In-person session

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Highlighted SYBAC Resources

Flexbox Froggy

Flexbox Froggy is a fun, browser-based game with no login required. It teaches CSS Flexbox fundamentals through interactive puzzles, allowing students to visually grasp how layout properties work.

TryHackMe

TryHackMe is an online platform that helps you learn cybersecurity and ethical hacking. It provides  interactive hands on 'rooms' where you can practice real world skills in a safe environment. It's an engaging way to build a strong skill set for a thrilling career path.

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Project Status Updates

The students are currently in the process of selecting their projects. Look for further updates shortly.

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