Youth Engagement
RFCA NI School Cyber Challenge
Cyber and the associated technologies are integral to our lives and especially so in terms of communications and social media. A culture has been developed surrounding cyber and the ensuing security which today 21st century communications demand. Indeed, Northern Ireland has quickly become a centre of excellence where cyber, cyber security and the digital world is concerned. The Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Northern Ireland (RFCA NI) also have an intense interest in ensuring that those skill-sets are developed to enhance the Northern Ireland economy and the ability to contribute to the cyber community. RFCA NI are a member fo the NI Cyber Skills Group which encompasses, Government, academia, industry and the Education sector as the group look to enhance the level of excellence that comes with broader awareness and skill development.
RFCA NI organised and delivered the RFCA NI Schools Cyber Competition, which was held in the Ballroom at Dunadry Hotel near Antrim. It was delivered by the Army Cyber unit, 13 Signal Regiment, supported by NI’s own Army Reservist unit 40 (North Irish Horse) Signal Squadron, based in Belfast, and delivered from a site in Estonia by cyber specialists. The ballroom was packed with almost 170 pupils, teachers, staff and Cyber experts, as well as CyberFirst organisers and advocates. The 64 teams of pupils came from 24 schools across every part of the education sector and the standard was superb, with pupils entering at every level (and age group) from novice to CyberFirst Gold schools, coming from as far afield as the North Coast, Mid-Ulster, South Down, Greater Belfast and across County Antrim.
In total, 10 prizes were awarded across four categories including Cyber First Gold (2 awards) and Bronze levels (2 awards), Novice (3 awards) and Overall (3 awards). For many winners it was their first foray into the world of a cyber-competition; which drew the comment from the Cyber specialists that the pupils had exceeded what they would have expected from seasoned adult specialists. The outcome from the pupils and a schools perspective was one of endorsing the curriculum and the skill-sets which the schools and education department are developing at this young age, preparing people for the future careers in a digital world.
The success of the competition was such that we will look to hold the same competition in the near future hopefully with 200 pupils, perhaps in Armagh but a location is yet to be determined.
Book Buzz programme 2024
The Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Northern Ireland (RFCA NI) have had a trusted partnership with The Book Trust for more than 6 years; the partnership sees us sponsor the addition of school books to a school library which RFCA NI will fund for them to enhance their reading skills and develop a thirst for knowledge. The BookBuzz programme allows the pupils to choose from a list of books which will be added to their library once, normally in the region of (depending upon school pupil size) 100-300 books.
This is obviously an attractive opportunity for schools, but funding, as the schools are experiencing in their day-to-day operations is tight everywhere, so we are unable to assist as many schools as we might like, however, with a total of 12 schools, from every part of the education sector, being supported from September 2024 then some 2000 pupils will have access to new reading books for the start of term. With these 12 schools, in addition to those we have already supported, RFCA NI support 33% of schools in the BookBuzz programme across Northern Ireland.