At NEISD's Institute of Cybersecurity and Innovation, we have been working with our more than 160 students enrolled in the first ever cohort at iCSI, primarily focusing on configuration and hardening of operating systems and network services and Base-2, Base-10, and Base-16 proficiency. We also rolled out District-wide Cyber Patriot competition for grades 6-12 for the first time! Students from across NEISD competed in 77 teams (49 middle school and 28 high school), with 23 advancing to the semi-final round. We are currently recruiting students and excited for our second cohort, which will begin at the start of the 2022-2023 school year.
We are so excited to have this much success in the first full year at our new facility! We are now looking to enhance that impact and would like to offer you two opportunities to help make that happen:
Attached is a brochure offering ongoing partnership opportunities at iCSI. We are looking for speakers in the industry and partners to help us with ongoing supply, technology, student events, and scholarships.
North East Educational Foundation (NEEF) has created a $75,000 community match challenge to build a new computer lab here at iCSI. NEEF will match dollar-for-dollar every designated gift up to $75,000 to fund construction of the new lab. This match challenge will be rolled out at their Gala coming up on February 18th as a “Fund-a-Need”.
At the event, one of our outstanding student leaders who won the National Cyber Patriot competition will speak, then our video will be shown: https://youtu.be/-OuyTDv6FbM. The auctioneer will then announce the $75,000 match challenge and ask the attendees to help fund the new lab. He will start with the larger asks ($10,000, $5,000, then $2,500, on down) striving to reach the $75,000 that will be matched to fund the new $150,000 classroom.
We anticipate 650 in attendance at the Witte Museum’s Mays event center, including Superintendent Maika, much of his leadership team, many of the Board of Trustees, numerous business sponsors, and supporters of NEISD. We hope to raise the entire $75,000 that night but can extend the challenge through the summer if needed.
We are now seeking “pre-arranged donors” to prime attendees to support the Fund-a-Need. If the attendees know there are nice-sized commitments being made and that their commitments will be matched by the NEEF Board, they will be much more likely to give.
We currently have $15,000 in pre-arranged donors! Would you please support this Fund-a-Need for $2,500 or $5,000? We would love to have you attend the Gala, but you are not required to do so. Your commitment can be stated at the event by proxy. For event tickets, click HERE or go to www.northeastfoundation.org
If you are interested in becoming an iCSI Partner, or contributing to the Fund-a-Need, please email us back. We appreciate your support to grow the program and enhance our students’ experiences at iCSI.
Thank you,
Justin Missildine Jim Barshop
Senior Director Executive Director
Career & Technical Education North East Educational Foundation
and NEISD Partnerships
210.407.0555
“Your NEISD Public Education Innovation Foundation”