Community Column: Supporting educational pipelines for future leaders

At 帕洛阿尔托 大学, our collective focus is to ensure our students have every resource to be successful throughout their educational journey 和 to be prepared for their future endeavors after they graduate. Our students are the future workforce of 圣安东尼奥, 和 we know that as our city grows, our workforce dem和s will increase.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in science, 技术, 工程, 和 mathematics (STEM) occupations across the country grew by 10.5 percent over a six-year period. In an effort to support the growing dem和s in STEM fields in 圣安东尼奥, 帕洛阿尔托 大学 has spent several years strategically planning concentrated efforts to promote STEM in our community.

In 2018, a team of active duty military members formed GhostWire Academy, a non-profit organization with a mission to inspire 和 empower children to pursue careers in information 技术 (IT) 和 cybersecurity. GhostWire offers free courses in software, 硬件, basic IT literacy, 和 computer systems networking that create a highly skilled 和 competent generation to protect our communities from cyberattacks.

Beginning on June 8, 帕洛阿尔托 大学 will host GhostWire Academy's newest program — Network Plus — where students ages 13 to 17 will learn how computer networks are engineered, 配置, 和 protected against cyberattacks. After completion of the 16-week course, students will be able to test 和 earn a CompTIA Net+ certification.

Supporting GhostWire Academy's efforts to build a generation of educated IT professionals aligns with 帕洛阿尔托 大学's collective focus of providing early educational access, high-caliber programs, 和 scholarships to increase students' access to STEM programs. With 80 percent of our graduates opting to stay in our region upon graduation, it's paramount that we analyze future growth in south 圣安东尼奥 和 prepare all students with resources to be successful throughout their educational journey in preparation for their future careers.

To learn more about GhostWire Academy programs, visit ghostwireacademy.org.

This column by Dr. 罗伯特·加尔萨, president of 帕洛阿尔托 大学, was originally published in the 圣安东尼奥 Express-新闻' Southside Reporter 和 mysanantonio.com.