• Drone - 

    December 17 1903 was the first powered aircraft flight. Now 120 years later humans have aircraft that can fly unmanned and perform some incredible tasks. IHS JROTC cadets have the opportunity to see what the future of unmanned flight will entail. Cadets will be able to learn the basics of drone flight, aerodynamics, flight safety and FAA regulations regarding drone flying. This is the first year for the drone program at IHS so we are building the airplane as we are flying it!! 

    Cyber Patriot - 

    • What is CyberPatriot?

      ​CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Education Program created by the Air Force Association to inspire K-12 students toward careers in cybersecurity or other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines critical to our nation's future. ​At the core of the program is the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, the nation's largest cyber defense competition that puts high school and middle school students in charge of securing virtual networks. Other programs include AFA CyberCamps, an elementary school cyber education initiative, a children’s literature series, and CyberGenerations –a cyber safety initiative geared toward keeping senior citizens safe online.

      CyberPatriot's National Youth Cyber Defense Competition is the world's largest cybersecurity competition and is open to all schools and approved youth organizations. Before getting started with the registration process, review this competition overview to get a better understanding of the competition!

       

      Team Members

       

      • Coach: An adult (e.g. teacher, JROTC instructor, administrator, parent, etc.) approved by a participating organization to act as the administrative lead of a CyberPatriot team. The coach is the main point of contact for competition-related correspondence. A team can only have one coach. 

       

      • Competitors: Each CyberPatriot team must consist of between two and six competitors enrolled in the participating school or organization. While up to six students are permitted on each team's roster, a maximum of five students are permitted to compete at any one time during a competition round. A one-time substitution can be made each round.  

       

      • Technical Mentor(s): IT​​-experienced individuals who volunteer to assist in the cybersecurity training of CyberPatriot teams. Mentors must register on the CyberPatriot website and are required to successfully complete a background check before being eligible to officially join a team. (Minimum age: 18)

       

      • Team Assistant(s): Adult volunteers who provide non-technical support and encouragement to the team (assisting with scheduling, set-up, snacks, etc.). Team assistants must register on the CyberPatriot website and pass a background check. (Minimum age: 18)

              Divisions:
              Based on the competitive composition, a team is assigned to one of three divisions:

       

      • Open Division: High school students from schools, scouting units, Boys and Girls Clubs, home school programs, STEM programs, etc.

       

      • All Service Division: High school students in JROTC Programs / Civil Air Patrol units / Naval Sea Cadet Corps units

       

      • Middle School Division: Middle school students from schools, scouting units, boys and girls clubs, STEM programs, etc.

      CyberPatriot’s National Youth Cyber Defense Competition challenges teams of high school and middle school students to find and fix cybersecurity vulnerabilities in virtual operating systems. Using a proprietary competition system, teams are scored on how secure they make the system. Top teams advance through the online round of competition, and the best of the best advance to the in-person National Finals Competition. 
      Each team has two challenges during their six-hour competition period:

       

      • Network Security Challenge: involves finding and fixing security vulnerabilities in Windows and Linux operating systems.

       

      • Cisco Networking Challenge: consists of an online quiz and a virtual networking exercise based on specific training materials.

       

      CyberPatriot is designed for any student, regardless of prior cybersecurity knowledge. Training materials are available through the volunteer dashboard and through Cisco Networking Academy.  Instructions for competition round preparation are emailed directly to coaches prior to each round.

      All rounds of competition, except for the National Finals Competition, take place online. Teams may meet at and compete from any location – classroom, computer lab, public library, home, etc.


      Teams qualifying for the National Finals Competition travel all-expenses paid to Bethesda, MD in the spring. 

       

      ROBOTICS


      Overview
       
      JROTC and the REC Foundation are excited to team up and join the VEX Robotics Annual Competition Season. Students, with guidance from their teachers and mentors, build innovative robots, program autonomous code, and compete among other schools to advance to the JROTC VEX Robotics Competition National Championship at VEX Worlds.
       
      Robotics is not only the future, it is also the present. By familiarizing students with programming, sensors, and automation, they hone critical computational thinking skills needed to succeed in both the 21st century's workforce and in everyday life.
       
      The study of educational robotics affords a wide variety of learning opportunities because it has STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) as its prerequisites. Robotics is always interdisciplinary in ways that are tangible and applicable to students. Students gain an understanding and knowledge through the connecting of concepts from each of the STEM domains. Activities involving robotics necessitate that students collaborate, think computationally, troubleshoot, and innovate - all fundamental skills for 21st-century learners and, eventually, 21st-century professionals.
       
      Educational robotics:
       
      Has the potential to be used as the context for teaching fundamental scientific methods and practices, such as the scientific method, observation, experimentation, data collection and analysis. It also allows for investigations of applied physics and mechanical concepts, systems thinking, and of course artificial intelligence.
       
      Highlights the many ways in which technology impacts daily life in the 21st century. Students build, code, and manipulate their own technological designs to apply innovative ideas that improve existing processes. Robots are tangible examples of how technology is used to meet the needs of its users and the needs of society.
       
      Allows students to practice the engineering design process. They learn to work within constraints, identify multiple solutions to problems, and find the best possible solution through iteration. Students hone valuable skills with problem-solving, troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation.
       
      Is an excellent way to make math more meaningful for students. Robots provide the "hook" that enables students to connect with, and immerse themselves in, the world of mathematics by applying their skills to a real-world setting. Students are then able to learn to appreciate the value of mathematics in their daily lives.
       
      Competitions
       
      All students are natural scientists and engineers. They love to question, tinker, experiment and play. VEX competitions foster these skills and capitalize on the motivational effects of competitions and robotics to help all students create an identity as a STEM learner. VEX competitions are also a great way to expose students to valuable soft skills like communication, collaboration and time-management in a fun and authentic way. The VEX Robotics competition prepares students to become future innovators with 95% of participants reporting an increased interest in STEM subject areas and pursuing STEM-related careers. Tournaments are held year-round at the regional, state, and national levels and culminate at the VEX Robotics World Championship each April!