While most University of Georgia students welcome a break from the classroom during the summer, CyberArch interns had the opportunity to step to the front of it.

This summer, UGA students led cybersecurity camps for middle and high school students through the Summer Academy at UGA, helping young learners strengthen their skills while exploring one of the nation’s fastest-growing career fields.

The experience mirrors the mission of UGA CyberArch, a program housed within the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, a unit of UGA Public Service and Outreach. CyberArch addresses cybersecurity challenges within Georgia’s businesses and communities by providing free cybersecurity risk reviews for partner organizations including local governments, nonprofit organizations, rural hospitals, school districts, and small businesses.

By preparing UGA students for careers in the field, CyberArch’s commitment to public service extends into the classroom each summer.

The Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel annually hosted the week-long cybersecurity camp where participants learned about cybersecurity industry standards, developed foundational skills in software like Python, and gained hands-on experience in strengthening security measures.

Rising UGA senior Swapnil Roy, a computer science major from Cumming, Georgia, said serving as a camp instructor was one of the most rewarding parts of his internship.

“I’ve built skills in teaching, creating documents, documentation, helping partner organizations, and soft skills—and most importantly, understanding all of the technical controls of the CIS (Center for Internet Security),” he said. “It’s the best resource for cybersecurity at UGA.”

Like Roy, fellow UGA rising senior Divesh Gupta, is from Cumming and majoring in computer science. He has seen his own experience strengthened by working with learners of varying backgrounds and skills.

“Handling people of different skill levels is a big thing,” said Gupta. “Everybody is at a different pace. Some people pick it up faster, some people pick it up slower.”

The field of cybersecurity is constantly evolving, and the camp gives participants a look at different parts of the profession.

“A lot of people think cybersecurity is just coding. For the camp, we try to cover basically every area of cybersecurity,” says Gupta. “It’s a really great career field, especially with the rise of AI.”

By developing leadership, communication, and technical skills, the CyberArch interns gain experience that reflects the work they complete during their internship. Through introducing students to future cybersecurity careers and helping Georgia organizations strengthen their own practices, the interns serve others through knowledge.

Throughout the week, campers learned both defensive and offensive cybersecurity through interactive activities, from navigating a simulated cyberattack to working in teams to solve security challenges.

For many campers, the collaborative environment and technical instruction were equally valuable.

“It’s fun,” said camper Gabe Rogers, a rising high school sophomore from Winder, Georgia. “You get to know everybody, you get to see everybody’s skills. They can critique you, and you can critique them. It’s a good learning environment.

“I’m thinking about going to do cybersecurity in the military, and maybe drones in the military. This has helped me understand the security policies.”

Attending the camp is also the first introduction to UGA’s campus for many students.

“UGA is definitely on the board of potential colleges,” said Rogers.

Through these experiential learning opportunities, everyone involved benefits.

UGA students gain skills that will carry them through their careers. Camp participants learn about the possibilities of careers in cybersecurity, as well as pathways for their future in higher education. Most importantly, communities throughout Georgia benefit from a growing number of cybersecurity professionals prepared to protect the businesses, organizations and institutions they serve.

Through programs like CyberArch and Summer Academy, UGA continues to prepare students not only for successful careers, but also to apply their knowledge in ways that strengthen Georgia’s communities.

Summer Academy is a series of over 60 camps focused on STEAM and career exploration fields hosted annually by the Georgia Center, a unit of Public Service and Outreach.