The Indianapolis-based nonprofit will help the Hoosier State scale high-quality cybersecurity education, empowering high school students to build in-demand industry skills
INDIANAPOLIS – Project Lead The Way (PLTW), an Indiana-based leader in career-connected STEM learning, is partnering with the Indiana Department of Education on a first-of-its-kind statewide initiative to expand cybersecurity education and meet the state's growing demand for cybersecurity talent. With this launch, PLTW is helping Indiana become the first state to build a comprehensive, military-aligned cybersecurity pathway connecting high schools, two‑ and four‑year institutions, the National Guard, and employers.
The statewide initiative will scale access to PLTW’s hands-on Cybersecurity curriculum alongside the AP Cybersecurity course, giving students opportunities to earn high school and college credit, participate in work-based learning, and build industry-relevant skills and credentials. As Indiana faces more than 20,000 cybersecurity job openings statewide, the initiative addresses this critical talent pipeline gap by increasing cybersecurity course offerings from 69 public high schools to 200 and reaching approximately 4,000 students.
To support implementation and remove barriers for schools, PLTW has also secured grant funding to provide no-cost professional development for Indiana educators delivering the PLTW Cybersecurity curriculum in upcoming school years.
"Indiana is setting a national example for how states connect education, workforce, and policy to prepare students for high-demand careers," said David Dimmett, PLTW president and CEO. "For decades, PLTW has partnered with Indiana schools to prepare students for careers and life. We are proud to support Indiana’s effort to prepare the next generation of Hoosiers for college, careers, military service, and the essential work of protecting our economic and national security interests.”
PLTW Cybersecurity is a full 180-day curriculum that utilizes an activity-, project-, and problem-based (APB) instructional model where students role-play as cybersecurity experts. Throughout the curriculum, students establish an ethical code of conduct while learning to defend data in today’s complex digital world. Key components of the PLTW Cybersecurity curriculum include:
- Personal Security: Students examine their own digital footprints and learn to defend personal data, mobile devices and social media accounts.
- System and Network Security: Students learn to identify suspicious data, improve firewall security and secure e-commerce sites.
- Applied Cybersecurity: Students gain hands-on practice in realistic environments through cyber range labs and are introduced to advanced topics such as cryptography, digital forensics and criminal justice.
- Industry Standards: The curriculum is strongly connected to the National Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (NICE Framework) and incorporates big ideas addressed in AP Computer Science Principles and AP Cybersecurity.
Learn more about how PLTW is supporting Indiana in securing the future, here.
