AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION S CYBERPATRIOT NATIONAL YOUTH CYBER EDUCATION PROGRAM CyberPatriot Survey Results - CyberPatriot VI Post-Season Competitor Survey - CyberPatriot Student Alumni Survey www.uscyberpatriot.org
AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION S CYBERPATRIOT NATIONAL YOUTH CYBER EDUCATION PROGRAM CyberPatriot VI Post-Season Competitor Survey 2013-2014 www.uscyberpatriot.org
Table of Contents SURVEY DESIGN..3 KNOWLEDGE OF CYBERSECURITY PRINCIPLES.......4 KNOWLEDGE OF CYBERSECURITY CAREER OPPORTUNITIES..5 LIKELIHOOD OF PURSUING STEM EDUCATION OR CAREER.....6 LIKELIHOOD OF PURSUING CYBERSECURITY EDUCATION OR CAREER.....7 PERCEPTION OF CYBERSECURITY FIELD BEING WELCOMING TO FEMALES.8 PERCEPTION OF THE DEGREE TO WHICH CYBERPATRIOT IS ENGAGING..9 PERCEPTION OF THE DEGREE TO WHICH CYBERPATRIOT IS FUN 10 CyberPatriot Program Office 2
SURVEY DESIGN During May 2014, student participants in the CyberPatriot VI season of competition were surveyed in seven areas as follows: 1. Their knowledge of cybersecurity principles pre- and post- CyberPatriot participation 2. Their knowledge of cybersecurity career opportunities pre-and post- CyberPatriot participation 3. Their likelihood pre- and post- CyberPatriot participation of pursuing a STEM education or career 4. Their likelihood pre- and post-cyberpatriot participation of pursuing an education or career in cybersecurity 5. Their perception pre- and post-cyberpatriot participation of the degree to which they perceive females are welcomed to the cybersecurity career field 6. The degree to which they assessed the CyberPatriot competition as being engaging 7. The degree to which they assessed the CyberPatriot competition as being fun 641 students responded to the survey (n=641). CyberPatriot Program Office 3
KNOWLEDGE OF CYBERSECURITY PRINCIPLES The vast majority of the 641 respondents characterized their pre-cyberpatriot knowledge of cybersecurity principles as poor. 87% of respondents characterized their pre-cp experience as No knowledge, Limited knowledge, or Some knowledge. However, the students assessed their post-cp far stronger, with fully 93% assessing themselves as having an Advanced understanding of (20%), A lot of knowledge (50%), or Some knowledge (23%) of cybersecurity principles. Competitors' Knowledge of Basic Cybersecurity Principles 60% 50% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 14% 0% 36% 37% 7% 23% 10% No knowledge of Little knowledge of Some knowledge of A lot of knowledge of 4% 20% An advanced understanding of Before CyberPatriot After CyberPatriot CyberPatriot Program Office 4
KNOWLEDGE OF CYBERSECURITY CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Students assessed their knowledge of cybersecurity career opportunities as markedly improved by their CP experience. While 85% of respondents said their pre-cp-vi understanding represented No knowledge (15%), Very little knowledge (33%), or Some knowledge of cybersecurity career opportunities, post CP-VI the numbers skewed strongly in a favorable direction. After their season of CyberPatriot, fully 94% believed they now had Some, (37%) A lot (40%), or strong knowledge and understanding of cybersecurity careers (17%). Competitors' Knowledge of Cybersecurity Career Opportunities 45% 40% 35% 33% 37% 37% 40% 30% 25% 20% 15% 15% 12% 17% 10% 5% 0% 1% No knowledge of 5% Very little knowledge of Some knowledge of A lot of knowledge of 3% Knowledge of and and understanding of how to pursue Before CyberPatriot After CyberPatriot CyberPatriot Program Office 5
LIKELIHOOD TO PURSUE STEM EDUCATION OR CAREERS Students assessment of their likelihood to pursue STEM education and careers was dramatically increased by their CyberPatriot experience. Prior to their CP experience, 68% of respondents said they were either Somewhat likely (31%), Somewhat unlikely (17%) or Very unlikely (12%) to pursue education or careers in STEM. After their CyberPatriot experience, fully 88% said they were Somewhat likely (28%) or Very likely (60%) to do so. Most notably, the Very unlikely characterization to pursue a STEM education or career dropped from 12% pre-competition to just 1% after the competition. Equally dramatic was the increase of Very likely responses from 41% before the CyberPatriot experience to fully 60% after CyberPatriot. Competitors' Likelihood to Pursue Education or a Career in a STEM Field 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 60% 41% 31% 28% 17% 12% 11% 1% Very unlikely. Somewhat unlikely. Somewhat likely. Very likely. Before CyberPatriot After CyberPatriot CyberPatriot Program Office 6
LIKELIHOOD TO PURSUE CYBERSECURITY EDUCATION OR CAREERS Students were also asked to compare their propensity for a cybersecurity education or career. Their inclinations to do so were profoundly affected by their participation in CyberPatriot. Prior to the CyberPatriot experience, a significant majority of students said they were generally unlikely to pursue education or careers in cybersecurity. 25% said they were Very unlikely, 38% said they were Somewhat unlikely, and 30% said they were just Somewhat likely to do so. After their experience with CyberPatriot, however, fully 74% of respondents said they were either Somewhat likely (43%) or Very likely (31%). Notably, the percentage of students saying they were Very unlikely to pursue cybersecurity dropped from 25% to just 4% when measured from pre- to post- CyberPatriot, and the number of Very likely respondents increased from only 7% before their CyberPatriot experience to nearly one third of respondents afterward (31%). Competitors' Likelihood to Pursue Education or a Career in Cybersecurity 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 43% 38% 30% 31% 25% 22% 7% 4% Very unlikely Somewhat unlikely Somewhat likely Very likely Before CyberPatriot After CyberPatriot CyberPatriot Program Office 7
PERCEPTION OF CYBERSECURITY FIELD BEING WELCOMING TO FEMALES Student perceptions of how welcoming cybersecurity is to women were substantially shaped by CyberPatriot. While the majority of respondents believed the field was not welcoming, had barriers to entry for females, or was neutral to women before they experienced CyberPatriot, after the CyberPatriot experience, nearly all (93%) saw the field as neutral, easy to enter, or very easy to enter for women. Competitors' Perception of How Welcoming the Cybersecurity Field is to Women 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 3% 1% Women are not welcome at all 12% 6% It is very difficult for women to enter the field 47% 37% Women are neither especially welcomed nor discouraged from the field 20% 29% It is fairly easy for women to enter the field 18% 27% It is very easy for women to enter the field Before CyberPatriot After CyberPatriot CyberPatriot Program Office 8
PERCEPTION OF THE DEGREE TO WHICH CYBERPATRIOT IS ENGAGING Students were asked if CyberPatriot was engaging, that is, if it is an activity that draws and keeps their attention. 85% 0f respondents said it was Pretty engaging (34%) or Very engaging (51%). Only 4% found it boring. What our Competitors are Saying - CyberPatriot is Engaging 60% 50% 51% 40% 34% 30% 20% 10% 0% 1% CyberPatriot is incredible boring. 3% CyberPatriot is pretty boring. 11% CyberPatriot is about as engaging as other extracurricular activities. CyberPatriot is pretty engaging. CyberPatriot is very engaging and handson. CyberPatriot Program Office 9
PERCEPTION OF THE DEGREE TO WHICH CYBERPATRIOT IS FUN Students were asked whether CyberPatriot was enjoyable or fun. Remarkably, 49% said it was Very fun, and fully one third (33%) of the respondents said that when considering all the extracurricular activities in which they had participated, CyberPatriot was the most fun of all. What our Competitors are Saying - CyberPatriot is Fun 60% 50% 49% 40% 30% 33% 20% 10% 0% 1% 2% CyberPatriot is not at all fun. CyberPatriot is pretty boring. I only had fun once in a while. 16% CyberPatriot is about as fun as other extracurricular activities. CyberPatriot is very fun. Of all the extracurricular activities I do, CyberPatriot is the most fun. CyberPatriot Program Office 10
AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION S CYBERPATRIOT NATIONAL YOUTH CYBER EDUCATION PROGRAM CyberPatriot Student Alumni Survey Report 2014 www.uscyberpatriot.org
Table of Contents SURVEY DESIGN..13 RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS..... 14-15 CURRENTLY ENROLLED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. 16-17 HIGHER EDUCATION ENROLLMENT PLANS..16 HIGHER EDUCATION FIELD OF STUDY PLANS..... 17 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES....... 18-19 HIGHER EDUCATION ENROLLMENT 18 CURRENT EMPLOYMENT FIELD AND SECTOR.. 19 IMPACT OF CYBERPATRIOT ON EDUCATION AND CAREER GOALS..20 CyberPatriot Program Office 12
SURVEY DESIGN During, past student participants in the CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Defense Competition were surveyed in the following areas: 1. Their demographic information 2. Their current academic enrollment status 3. Their current or prospective higher education field of study 4. Their current or prospective field of employment 5. The degree to which they assessed their participation in CyberPatriot as affecting their career and academic goals 254 students responded to the survey (n=254). CyberPatriot Program Office 13
Number of Respondents Number of Respondents CP-VI POST-SEASON COMPETITOR SURVEY RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS: SEASON(S) OF PARTICIPATION IN CYBERPATRIOT Of the 254 respondents, 173 participated in more than one season of CyberPatriot. 29% of respondents indicated they will also compete in CyberPatriot VII. 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Respondents Participation in CyberPatriot Seasons 4 CyberPatriot I (2008-2009) 14 CyberPatriot II (2009-2010) 45 CyberPatriot III (2010-2011) 99 CyberPatriot IV (2011-2012) 186 CyberPatriot V (2012-2013) 131 CyberPatriot VI (2013-2014) 73 I will also compete in CyberPatriot VII (2014-2015) RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS: AGE The majority of survey respondents were 18 years old or younger. Respondents' Age 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 67 58 39 43 26 14 1 6 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Years Old CyberPatriot Program Office 14
RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS: GENDER The majority of the 254 survey respondents were male. Prefer not to answer 1% Respondents' Gender Female 13% Male 86% RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS: ETHNICITY 34% of the survey respondents were of minority ethnicity. Prefer not to answer 8% Respondents' Ethnicity Asian or Pacific Islander 13% Black or African American 3% Hispanic or Latino 9% White 66% American Indian or Alaskan Native 1% CyberPatriot Program Office 15
CURRENT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: POST-HIGH SCHOOL PLANS 95 of the 254 respondents were still enrolled in high school or an equivalent program at the time of the survey. A full 95% of those currently enrolled respondents indicated their intention to pursue a 4-year higher education program (94%) or a 2-year higher education program (1%) after receiving their high school diploma. By comparison, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 1, only 65.9% of American students who graduated high school in 2013 entered college. Additionally, of the 2013 high school graduates who entered college the following fall, only 60% enrolled in 4- year institutions. All five of the respondents who indicated they would enter the workforce immediately plan to pursue a career in a non-stem field. 100.0% 90.0% Post-High School Higher Education Enrollment Rates 1 93.7% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 34.1% 39.5% 26.4% CyberPatriot High School Respondents' Post-Graduation Plans National Class of 2013 Average Post-Graduation Activities 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% 1.1% 2-year degree program 4-year degree program 5.3% Workforce 1 U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. College Enrollment and Work Activity of 2013 High School Graduates, Bureau of Labor Statistics Press Release, April 22, 2014, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/hsgec.nr0.htm CyberPatriot Program Office 16
CURRENT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: HIGHER EDUCATION ACADEMIC PLANS 72 of the 90 high school students who indicated they will pursue a 2-year or 4-year education program plan to study cybersecurity, computer science, or another STEM field. The remaining 20% of those respondents were undecided (11%) or plan to study a nonstem field (9%). According to the most recent National Center for Education Statistics report 2, computer and information sciences degrees only represented 4.1% of associate s degrees and 2.7% of bachelor s degrees awarded nationally in 2012. Including computer and information sciences degrees, degrees in STEM fields accounted for only 9.1% of associate s degrees and 16.0% of bachelor s degrees conferred nationally in 2012. Respondents' Prospective Field of Higher Education Study Undecided 11% A non-stem field 9% Another science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) field 29% A cybersecurity or computer science field 51% 100.0% 90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Bachelor's and Associate's Degree Average Fields of Study 2 80.0% 13.5% 86.5% 8.9% 11.1% STEM Fields Non-STEM Fields Undecided CyberPatriot High School Respondents' Prospective Degree Fields Associate's and Bachelor's Decrees Conferred Nationwide in 2012 2 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. 2013 Digest of Education Statistics, 2013, http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/2013menu_tables.asp CyberPatriot Program Office 17
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES: HIGHER EDUCATION ENROLLMENT Of the survey s 254 respondents, 159 have already obtained their high school diploma, GED, or equivalent home school education. Of those graduates, 78.6% are currently pursuing a higher education degree and 18.2% have already obtained a higher education degree. Reflecting the goals of those survey respondents not yet graduated from high school (pg. 5), a full 90% of the alumni respondents currently pursuing higher education degrees are doing so in a STEM field. Currently Enrolled Students Higher Education Field of Study A non-stem field 9% Undecided 1% Another science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) field 30% A cybersecurity or computer science field 60% 100.00% 90.00% 80.00% 70.00% 60.00% 50.00% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% Bachelor's and Associate's Degree Fields of Study 2 89.60% 13.5% 9.60% 86.5% 0.80% STEM Fields Non-STEM Fields Undecided 0 CyberPatriot Currently Enrolled Respondents' Fields of Study Associate's and Bachelor's Decrees Conferred Nationwide in 2012 CyberPatriot Program Office 18
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES: CURRENT CAREER FIELD Only 26 of the 34 high school graduates who entered the work force immediately after receiving their diploma or who have already obtained a higher education degree are currently employed. Of those 26 respondents, 18 are employed in a cybersecurity, computer science, or other STEM field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2013, only 2.6% of the total employed workforce was occupied in computer science and cybersecurity fields. Currently Employed Respondents' Career Field A non-stem field 31% Another science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) field 27% A cybersecurity or computer science field 42% HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES: CURRENT EMPLOYMENT SECTOR 19 of the 26 currently employed students work for companies in the private sector. 12% work for federal, state, or local government agencies or non-profit organizations. Nationally, 15.1% of employed Americans worked for federal, state, or local government agencies in 2013 4. Currently Employed Respondents' Sector of Employment Non-military public sector 12% Military service 15% Private sector 73% 3 U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment by major industry sector, 2013, http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_201.htm CyberPatriot Program Office 19
RESPONDENTS PERCEPTION OF THE DEGREE TO WHICH CYBERPATRIOT IMPACTED THEIR CAREER OR EDUCATION GOALS A full 86.8% of the 254 survey respondents indicated that their participation in CyberPatriot somewhat (49.8%) or significantly (37.0%) impacted their career and educational goals. Degree to which Participation in CyberPatriot Impacted Respondents' Education and Career Goals Significantly 37% Somewhat 50% Not at all 13% CyberPatriot Program Office 20