We Educate
Our Airmen
And Their Families
Aerospace Education
The Alamo Chapter Air Force Association is apart of the greater Air Force Association program. Being entirely volunteer-led we are driven by one goal, to build and grow our Airmen community.
Our Programs
CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Education Program created by the Air Force Association (AFA) to inspire K-12 students toward careers in cybersecurity or other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines critical to our nation’s future.
The CyberPatriot Programs are:
CyberPatriot Program
At the center of CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, which puts teams of high school and middle school students in the position of newly hired IT professionals tasked with managing the network of a small company. Through a series of online competition rounds, teams are given a set of virtual operating systems and are tasked with finding and fixing cybersecurity vulnerabilities while maintaining critical services. The top teams in the nation earn all-expenses-paid trips to Maryland for the National Finals Competition where they can earn national recognition and scholarship money.
StellarXplorers
StellarXplorers is a challenging, space system design competition involving all aspects of system development and operation with a spacecraft and payload focus. Teams are given a scenario describing the system’s mission and constraints and they provide a solution to a typical space design problem, such as orbit determination, satellite component selection, and launch vehicle planning.
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StellarXplorers provides specific training in the use of system simulation software, Systems Tool Kit (STK) as well as an online textbook as a curriculum supplement and study resource for online “team” Quizzes given during the competition. The actual competition is accomplished from the team’s home location. Practice Rounds begin in October with Qualification Rounds beginning in November. Qualification Rounds determine which teams advance to the Semi-Finals in February. The top 10 teams from the Semi-Finals will receive an all-expense-paid trip to the National Finals.
Civil Air Patrol
Since Civil Air Patrol’s formation during the earliest days of World War II, this vigilant organization of citizen Airmen has been committed to service to America. Founded on Dec. 1, 1941, to mobilize the nation’s civilian aviation resources for national defense service, CAP has evolved into a premier public service organization that still carries out emergency service missions when needed — in the air and on the ground.
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Our Programs
Here at the chapter, we value education deeply and our programs impact several students’ lives. Our programs reach K-12 students and undergraduates. We focus on elements of cybersecurity, aerospace, and STEM in order to build an interest in the Air Force. We believe a stable future requires a stable education.
AFA Cybercamps
Held during the summer months, AFA CyberCamps emphasize fun, hands-on learning of cybersecurity principles that are relevant and applicable to everyday life. Though camps, students learn the importance of cyber safety and how to protect their personal devices and information from outside threats. Standard AFA CyberCamps teach beginner students the basics of cybersecurity, while Advanced AFA CyberCamps incorporate more complex concepts geared towards students who have previously participated in a camp or in the cyber defense competition.
CyberGenerations
CyberPatriot’s newest program, CyberGenerations, the Senior Citizen’s Cyber Safety Initiative, is designed to teach older individuals about password hygiene, malware and ransomware, marketing and fraud scam, and social media awareness. More importantly, CyberGenerations offers resources to victims of cyber scams. The program can be done as a self-paced guide, or it can be presented as a workshop in a group setting.
Elementary School Cyber Education Initiative
The CyberPatriot Elementary School Cyber Education Initiative (ESCEI) is a set of three interactive learning modules aimed at increasing the awareness of online safety and cybersecurity principles for K-6 students. The modules, which are available for download at no cost, can be presented in a classroom setting or at home. Supplemental activities are also available.
Cyber Education Literature Series
The Cyber Education Literature series was launched in December 2017 with the publishing of its first book, Sarah the Cyber Hero. The book is a pre-K reader for younger children that pioneers the topic of cybersecurity to early elementary youth. Digital and hard-copies of the book are available for purchase on Amazon and BookBaby.com.