Earlier this week, State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) appeared on the “Cyber Focus” podcast with host Frank Cilluffo, the director of the McCrary Institute at Auburn University. Both are members of the Board of Trustees for the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering.
Orr and Cilluffo were joined by Matt Massey, the school’s president, to discuss the school’s innovative approach to solving one of our nation’s biggest workforce challenges: preparing students to compete in a global market for jobs critical for national defense and innovation.
According to their website, the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (ASCTE) is the nation’s only tuition-free high school focused on integrating cyber technology and engineering into all academic disciplines. ASCTE is a public, residential magnet high school serving students throughout Alabama.
The school and its mission have attracted national attention, earning a spotlight on NBC News Now’s “The Future of Everything.”
At the school, students finish their traditional high school curriculum in three years and spend their fourth year working with either a government agency (such as the DOD), defense contractors, or other partner companies.
Last month, WAFF 48 reported that the school had partnered with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). At an event on campus, Jared Mitchem, regional executive for TVA’s South Region, said, “TVA has a comprehensive cybersecurity program to predict, protect, detect, and respond to cyber threats. It’s essential to maintaining our power grid.”
He continued, “The innovative approach at the Alabama School of Cyber Technology & Engineering aligns seamlessly with TVA’s mission. We’re proud to partner with ASCTE to prepare students across Alabama to learn, lead, and build tomorrow together.”
The legislature passed the bill funding the school in 2018, with it opening in 2020. House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville) serves with Orr on the Board of Trustees.
According to the podcast discussion, the school graduated 17 in its first class, 65 in its second and will even out at about 90 a year now.
The student profile on its website shows a current enrollment of 367 students from 81 cities/towns across the state.
Apryl Marie Fogel is a Birmingham resident who frequently appears on and guest hosts radio programs around the state. She can be reached at aprylmarie.fogel@1819news.com or on X and Facebook at @aprylmarie.
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