Upcoming events

    • August 06, 2018
    • December 31, 2030
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    Cybersecurity Skills Journal: Practice and Research: Fall 2018 Special Issue: 3CS Anniversary Special Issue – Five Years of Raising the Capability Maturity Bar

    The launch of the first issue, Cybersecurity Skills Journal: Practice and Research -  3CS Anniversary Special Issue - Five Years of Raising the Capability Maturity Bar - coincides with the 5th Annual Community College Cyber Summit (3CS). Besides some path-breaking articles from our Innovations in Cybersecurity Education award-winners, most of the special issue is dedicated to listings of the capability-enhancing presentations that have occurred over the past five years at the 3CS.

    Table of Contents

    EXECUTIVE LETTER 

    RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES

    Raising the BAR of Cybersecurity Capability Maturity

    PRACTICE PERSPECTIVES

    Meeting Industry Needs for Secure Software Development 

    Have My Smart Lightbulbs Been Weaponized?

    THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES 

    Competency is Not a Three Letter Word 

    3CS FIFTH ANNIVERSARY RESOURCE GUIDE Pathway Section: Fundamentals 

    Pathway Section: Specialty Areas

    RESOURCE GUIDE PRESENTER INDEX

    Click "Register" to request a free copy of the 3CS Anniversary Special Issue. Upon completion of the registration form a download link will be sent to your registered email address.


    • November 20, 2020
    • December 31, 2030
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    The Cybersecurity Skills Journal: Practice and Research - NICE Framework Special Issue: Investigating Framework Adoption, Adaptation, or Extension - examines the usefulness, benefits, and challenges associated with the adoption, adaptation, or extension of the NICE Framework in cybersecurity practice, to improve learning, and advance the state of cybersecurity capability maturity.

    Table of Contents

    EXECUTIVE LETTER 

    PRACTICE PERSPECTIVES

    The CYBER security - Competency Health and Maturity Progression

    RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES

    Exploring Non-Technical Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA)

    Exploring Cognitive Processes to Develop Cybersecurity Defender Proficiency

    TEACHING PERSPECTIVES 

    Wireless Security: Examining the next NICE Framework Iteration 

    RESEARCH NOTE

    Cybersecurity Intelligence: A Novel Information Security Threat Mitigation

    TEACHING NOTE

    Does Cybersecurity Education Focus on the Right Things?

    Click "Register" to request a free copy of the NICE Special Issue. Upon completion of the registration form a download link will be sent to your registered email address.


    • April 22, 2021
    • September 16, 2033
    • Online
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    This NSF-funded research project explored the viability of cybersecurity apprenticeships for federal agency pipeline support. During the 18-month effort – which ended in December 2020 – a Working Group of 15 federal, academic, and practitioner experts developed a strong dialog and presence in the apprenticeship space. Aided by close ties to the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Working Group on Apprenticeships, the project developed a deeper understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the apprenticeship model, and identified key ways to improve the adoption of apprenticeships.

    Primary Audience: Federal Cybersecurity human resources and hiring managers.

    Table of Contents

    1. Introduction to Apprenticeships
    2. What Do Current Apprenticeships Look Like?
    3. Current Apprenticeship Footprint
    4. Possible Barriers to Federal Adoption
    5. Available High-Level Models
    6. Engaging the Hiring Manager
    7. Aligning Academic and OJT Requirements
    8. The Value Proposition
    9. Seeding the Way: Pilot Proposals to Agencies
    10. Recommendations to NSF
    11. National CyberWatch Center Working Group Membership
    12. References
    • August 20, 2021
    • January 14, 2034
    • Online
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    The National CyberWatch Innovations in Cybersecurity Education program was launched in the winter of 2016, as part of National CyberWatch’s Awards & Recognition program.

    About the 2017 Innovations in Cybersecurity Education Publication

    The deadline for application submissions was March 15, 2017. Shortly after, a panel of cybersecurity educators and National CyberWatch partners reviewed these submissions, 44 in total (far exceeding previous year's submission totals), and selected 5 for recognition. This reference document was created listing all nominations and the 5 winners.



    • September 30, 2021
    • 9:00 AM
    • September 30, 2030
    • 11:59 PM
    • Online
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    The National CyberWatch Innovations in Cybersecurity Education program was launched in the winter of 2016, as part of National CyberWatch’s Awards & Recognition program.

    About the 2021 Innovations in Cybersecurity Education Publication

    With the forced transition to online learning across the education spectrum as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we decided to focus on the following theme for this year’s program:


    How can we best contribute to the needs and transformations that might occur for remote/online instruction in the post-COVID-19 world?


    Given the narrow focus of this year’s theme, we are treating this year’s publication as a Special Issue, which combines the top two submissions (as ranked by a panel of judges) with the results of our National Cybersecurity Student Association COVID-19 Perceptions Survey. This year was like no other; so is this year’s Innovations program.

    • September 28, 2022
    • 9:00 AM
    • September 28, 2032
    • 11:59 PM
    • Online
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    The National CyberWatch Innovations in Cybersecurity Education program was launched in the winter of 2016, as part of National CyberWatch’s Awards & Recognition program.

    One of the major strengths of the National CyberWatch Center is its ability to aggregate and disseminate the capacity and creative experimentation found within our academic and workforce communities.


    The 2022 Innovations in Cybersecurity Education program (now in its 6th year), was built on the premise that our members are some of the best cybersecurity educational innovators, and that through our Center, they can share their innovations, accelerate their adoption, and receive proper recognition for their work. This publication is an example of this capacity and creativity in action.

    All National CyberWatch Center members received the online nomination form via various e-Blasts, the monthly e-Newsletter (NCC Communicator), social media campaigns, and dissemination/outreach via various partners. The deadline for submissions was May 10, 2022. Shortly after, a panel of cybersecurity educators and past Innovations winners reviewed the submissions and selected those for recognition in this publication.

    • October 01, 2022
    • 12:00 PM
    • September 30, 2025
    • 11:59 PM
    • Online
    Registration is closed

    National CyberWatch Center's

    Call for Cybersecurity Skills Development Workshop Proposals

    About

    Designed to develop capabilities that are essential to the effective performance of cybersecurity job roles, as well as helping to grow faculty and program capacity at 2/4-year schools. Proposals accepted on a rolling basis are evaluated in the order received.


    Compensation

    • Grant-supported advance stipend for workshop development
             - $2,500 per workshop upon acceptance of course learning materials
    • Facilitator pay for Workshop delivery  
             - $3,000 to 8,000 per full-day based on percentage of capacity sold
    • Royalties of Workshop content subscriptions after the first year
             - 10% of subscription fees for workshop content license renewals

      Differentiator

      Traditional workshops focus on exposure to new techniques, tools, and instructional materials (i.e., train-the-trainer) by conveying information about a topic. While valuable information is provided, workshop attendees don't usually have sufficient time to develop a deep understanding and to practice application of new knowledge necessary to develop skills. Assessments are often omitted or are limited to a summative test without a detailed review of errors or omissions. Workshop attendee are on their own to address any failed understanding or misapplications after the workshop ends. Consequently, traditional workshop attendees frequently fail to retain knowledge of workshop concepts and techniques or are unable to transfer the new learning to workplace/academic scenarios.

      By contrast, the Cybersecurity Skills Development Workshops (CSDWs) are designed to develop mastery in skillfully applying techniques, tactics, tools, protocols, or procedures through competency-based instructional designs. These workshops focus on developing deep understanding through continual, formative assessment of knowledge development designed to identify and eradicate misunderstanding and misconception. Furthermore, CSDW participants practice applying the newly-gained knowledge under varying conditions or scenarios to facilitate transfer to the workplace/academic setting. Finally, CSDW attendees receive a year's subscription to a self-paced instructional system to continue their development after the workshop ends. Consequently, CSDWs assist in raising the capability maturity and readiness of students, faculty, practitioners, or policymakers to adopt and adapt the latest effective practices for performing cybersecurity functions and roles.

      CSDWs apply advances in:

      • Formative assessments, which are designed to detail the areas of strengths and weaknesses of the learner, as continually applied, and guide the next learning path
      • Adaptive learning systems, to ensure the achievement of mastery in understanding, applying, and adapting cybersecurity practices
      • Micro-credentialing, to recognize the level of capability maturity exhibited by the workshop participant as Proficient, Competent, or a Master of the new capability

      Workshop Formats
      Ranging from half-, one-, or two-day workshops focused on a single capability, to multi-week virtual offerings.

      CSDW Facilitator Deliverables:

      • Concept Matrix (glossary)
      • Open-sourced or developed instructional materials
      • Open-sourced or developed hands-on exercises (e.g., procedures to be executed)
      • Scenario-based exercises (e.g., the way in which you administer a system depends on the operating system)

      Proposed Workshop Domains

      Like a textbook, a traditional workshop is divided into some number of topics/domains, with domains addressing several defined concepts. In contrast, a CSDW is organized by the responsibilities to be competently performed in the workplace, which is decomposed into the tasks to be executed and the concepts and techniques required to skillfully perform a task.


      Proposals for Workshop domains might include, but are not limited to the following:

      • Analyze network traffic
      • Limit information system access to authorized users and processes
      • Authenticate (or verify) the identities of those users, processes, or devices, as a prerequisite to allowing access to organizational information systems
      • Monitor, control, and protect organizational communications (i.e., information transmitted or received by organizational information systems) at the external boundaries and key internal boundaries of the information systems
      • Update malicious code protection mechanisms when new releases are available

      Example CSDW

      Hands-On Cryptography


      • October 21, 2022
      • 9:00 AM
      • September 01, 2025
      • 12:00 AM
      • Online
      • 5658
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      National Cybersecurity Student Association

      Are you a student or faculty member who is interested in volunteering for our advisory board? The time commitment is a minimum of 1-hr per month. If interested, complete the application to start the process and someone will reach out to you. 

      • January 01, 2023
      • September 30, 2025
      Register

      Student Chapter invoicing for the National Cybersecurity Student Association. If you have any questions, contact us. 

      You can use your credit card or mail a check to; 

      National CyberWatch Center
      Prince George Community College Foundation
      Center for Advanced Technology (CAT), Room 129C
      301 LARGO ROAD
      LARGO, MD 20774


      Gus Hinojosa Jr. 
      Director, National Cybersecurity Student Association
      ghinojosa@nationalcyberwatch.org

      • May 23, 2023
      • January 21, 2025
      • online
      • 99987
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      Download the Chapter Bylaws for the National Cybersecurity Student Association. 
      • May 23, 2023
      • January 21, 2025
      • online
      • 99977
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Memberships & Chapters Information
      • May 24, 2023
      • May 25, 2033
      • Online
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      Cybersecurity Skills Journal: Practice & Research

      Diversifying the Cybersecurity Workforce Special Issue

      This special issue, published in April 2023, includes a collection of dialogues, which capture a discussion among stakeholders about dilemmas or previously insurmountable challenges related to diversifying the cybersecurity workforce, cybersecurity skill assessment, development, recruitment, or evaluation.

      CSJ Dialogues may be edited recordings of a focus group session, interviews with subject matter experts, or conversations between practitioners, scholars, or educators exploring the goals, success factors (objectives), and effective practices for successful mitigation or resolution of problems or taking full advantage of opportunities facing the cybersecurity community.

      Click the "Register" button (upper-left) to receive the link to download this  publication.

      • May 31, 2023
      • May 31, 2033
      • Online
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      2022 National CyberWatch Center's Annual Report

      This report highlights the tremendous impact that the CyberWatch Center has on increasing the readiness of workers, students, instructors, and researchers to meet the ever-growing threat to our nation’s security and prosperity. The CyberWatch Center’s many accomplishments would not be possible without the tremendous support and leadership provided by Dr. Corby Hovis, the ATE program director at the National Science Foundation, Dr. Falecia D. Williams, the president of Prince George’s Community College, our world-class program management team, and the hundreds of volunteers and dozens of alliance partners who guide and contribute their time, talent, and financial support of our programs.

      • June 14, 2023
      • February 12, 2025
      • online
      • 99960
      Register

      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Chapter Inquiry Checklist


      National Cybersecurity Student Association
      chapters@cyberstudents.org 

      • July 06, 2023
      • 2:00 PM
      • December 31, 2024
      • 11:00 PM
      • Online
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      Membership Updates

      In efforts to maintain an updated membership database, please update your membership status by answering the questions and ticket type. 


      Gus Hinojosa Jr, 
      Director, National Cybersecurity Student Association. 
      info@cyberstudents,org 


      • August 01, 2023
      • September 30, 2030
      • Online
      Register

      Thank you for inquiring about the National Cybersecurity Student Association, student chapters. Please fill out the form and we will get back to you soon. Go to https://www.cyberstudents.org/student-chapter-information/ to learn more about our student chapters. 


      National Cybersecurity Student Association
      Chapter Development Team
      chapters@cyberstudents.org 

      • September 04, 2023
      • January 24, 2025
      • online
      • 99998
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Chapter Technology Use

      • September 05, 2023
      • January 24, 2025
      • online
      • 99997
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Chapter Networking Guide

      • September 06, 2023
      • January 21, 2025
      • online
      • 99996
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      • September 07, 2023
      • May 08, 2025
      • online
      • 99997
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Chapter Event Hosting Guide
      • September 08, 2023
      • January 24, 2025
      • online
      • 99994
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Chapter Meetings Guide

      • September 14, 2023
      • 12:00 PM
      • September 15, 2033
      • Online
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      State of and Trends in Cybersecurity Capability Maturity
      Call for Working Papers

      These preliminary research papers explore various aspects of the state of and trends in cybersecurity capability; that is, the level of progressive improvement to perform, or the readiness to perform, critical activities or functions.

      Want to disseminate progress made in grant-funded work, presentations of research findings at conferences, or other systematic investigations? If so, consider publishing working papers of your own.

      Click the Register button in the middle-left of this window to get started.

      • September 30, 2023
      • May 08, 2025
      • online
      • 99993
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Chapter Overview PowerPoint
      • December 13, 2023
      • September 30, 2025
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      SUBMIT A BLOG POST

      Student and chapter members. Interested in free marketing and branding? Submit your blog today and we will post it on our website, include it in our marketing email and and place it in the National CyberWatch bi-monthly newsletter, the Communicator. 

      The minimum word count is 500 words and the maximum word count is 1200. Please list all references cited to avoid plagiarism. If you have any further questions, please email info@cyberstudents.org.

      • December 30, 2023
      • January 24, 2025
      • online
      • 99999
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      • December 30, 2023
      • January 24, 2025
      • online
      • 99996
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Chapter Programs & Resource Links

      • January 01, 2024
      • December 29, 2025
      • Eastern Time
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      CyberWatch Digital Press Call for Peer Reviewers!

      The Cybersecurity Skills Journal (CSJ) and the associated Cybersecurity Capabilities and Careers Symposia (3CS) are seeking members of the broader cybersecurity stakeholder community--including graduate students, educators, researchers, tech innovators, and practitioners from government and industry--to join our growing community of peer reviewers and mentors for proposers of conference sessions and journal manuscripts. Peer reviewers are essential to publishing research that integrates and expands the methods, processes, and evidence of effective practices for skillful performance of cybersecurity job functions and roles. 

      For the 2024-25 academic year, after completing at least two reviews, Peer Reviewers are eligible to apply for a travel stipend up to $650 to attend regional 3CS events and up to $2,100 to attend the National 3CS based on distance from the workshop venue. All reviewers who complete at least one review are recognized as a Fellow of the Cyber Ready G-Force -- the generating force raising cybersecurity capabilities and career readiness. Cyber Ready G-Force Fellows are eligible for free registration to the 3CS events for which they reviewed submissions.

      The CSJ Overview Briefing describes the types of manuscripts published in the Cybersecurity Skills Journal and our iterative manuscript development process. The 3CS Overview is especially valuable for students, faculty, or professionals who do have substantial experience presenting at conferences or publishing articles.  

      We periodically conduct a one-hour workshop to help prospective peer reviewers understand our mission and the details of the iterative peer review process before making a commitment to become a peer reviewer. If you are interested in learning more or becoming a peer reviewer, please click the Register button. Your confirmation email will provide a link to a page where you can select the date to attend a Peer Reviewer Workshop.

      • January 01, 2024
      • 12:00 PM
      • January 28, 2025
      • 11:59 PM
      • Various locations
      Register


      The National CyberWatch Center is seeking 2023-24 Cybersecurity Capabilities and Careers Symposia proposals. Please watch this page for additional announcements of the 3CS regions accepting proposals. You may submit a proposal for a region that is not listed below, and your proposal will be considered an early-bird submission that is eligible for stipends and registration discounts. Each 3CS begins with an invitation-only event for session organizers. The first 3CS session Proposal Development Workshop (PDW) for a 3CS event will be followed by the public event four to six months later.

      COMING SOON
      • Region 3: Mid-Atlantic (March 2025)
      • Region 1 & 2: Northeast (April 2025)
      • Region 4: Southeast (May 2025)
      • Region 7 & 8: Midwest
      • Region 10: Northwest

      Proposers of sessions for upcoming regional or national 3CS are encouraged to submit a brief abstract of their session idea. The lead author of an accepted session proposal will receive a $200 participation stipend and a travel stipend of up to $650 for regional 3CS events and up to  $2,100 for the National 3CS based on distance from the workshop venue. 

      The session leader for accepted proposals will be invited to attend a 3CS Session Proposal Development Workshop. Cybersecurity Capabilities and Careers Symposia (3CS) sessions explore or document innovative ideas, evidence-based practices, and demonstration of techniques and technologies for raising the capability maturity of the cybersecurity workforce.  Please refer to the Call for Session Proposals for further details on the dates, times, and locations.

      Session leaders receive guidance from experienced session presenters and facilitators during a one-day 3CS Session Proposal Development Workshop. Workshop mentors receive a travel stipend up to $650 for regional events and up to $2,100 for the National 3CS based on distance from the workshop venue. All workshop mentors are recognized as a Fellow of the Cyber Ready G-Force -- the generating force raising cybersecurity capabilities and career readiness.

      OBSERVERS WELCOME: Want to learn how to develop a successful conference, grant, or publication proposal?  If you do not have a session idea ready to present, you can attend the workshop as an observer for only $25.

      SESSION TYPES

      Dialogues (Focus Groups): A Dialogue is an exchange of ideas between experts and stakeholders, facilitated by the session moderator, highlighting different points of view, experiences, and expertise on a problem or area related to cybersecurity practices, including designing, developing, evaluating, learning, teaching, or performing cybersecurity roles and functions. The goal of a Dialogue is to discover common themes and ideas for a future systematic study that will provide evidence related to the opinions expressed by a contributor to the Dialogue. These proposals should discuss specific challenges and persistent problems related to cybersecurity education and issues of raising the capability maturity in the cybersecurity workforce. The proposal for a Dialogue session must include a list of questions the moderator will pose to the attendees.

      Evidence-Based Practices: Refers to methods or interventions that data shows to be effective or ineffective in achieving a specific outcome. The goal is to improve outcomes by using interventions that have been proven to be effective through rigorous research and avoid those that evidence suggests are ineffective, rather than relying on intuition or tradition. Example proposals could include:

      • How the project/program impacts individual competence development or organizational effectiveness.
      • Evidence that teaching or the cybersecurity practices included in a curriculum actually work.
      The Evidence-Based Practice Session proposal should list which of the following types of evidence will be presented:
      • Theory or Essay: Make claims and supporting statements without conducting a study
      • Expert opinion or (selective) qualitative literature review: A narrative listing/evaluation of information (opinion or publication) backing a claim.
      • Case study or uncontrolled observation: A narrative description of evidence to back a claim from a detailed study in one setting.
      • Case comparison or meta-synthesis (systematic review): A narrative synthesis of evidence from multiple settings that backs a claim.
      • Retrospective (cross-sectional) cohort study: One-time measure of others’ opinions using a survey or other observation to obtain correlations.
      • Prospective (longitudinal) cohort study: Repeated measure of others’ opinions using a survey or other observation to obtain correlations.
      • Quasi- or non-randomized experiment: Selectively sampled measure of predictive relationships in a natural setting using statistical controls to obtain direct and indirect effects from a model comparison.
      • Randomized controlled experimental study: Randomly sampled measure of predictive relationships in a controlled experimental setting to obtain difference scores.
      • Meta-analysis: A quantitative synthesis of evidence to produce corrected correlations (p) of predicted relationships.
      • Demonstrations: Technical demonstrations are events or activities where a product, technology, technique, or system is demonstrated to the Symposia attendees. These demonstrations are usually used to showcase the capabilities and features of the technology or technique, and to provide a hands-on experience for the audience.

      Demonstrations: Technical demonstrations are events or activities where a product, technology, technique, or system is demonstrated to the Symposia attendees. These demonstrations are usually used to showcase the capabilities and features of the technology or technique, and to provide a hands-on experience for the audience.

      Talent Fair Booth: Students or transitioning workers who wish to participate in the Talent Fair may submit a rough draft or outline of the materials they would like to present to employers in a Talent Fair booth. During a 3CS Talent Fair, job candidates are provided a trifold poster board where they display artifacts that demonstrate their job readiness. One of these artifacts is the results of the Raise the BAR assessment that the student will complete at the 3CS event. 

      Have questions? Contact us at info@nationalcyberwatch.org.

      • March 30, 2024
      • September 01, 2025
      • Online
      Register

      CYBER ARCADE INTEREST

      Student and chapter members. Do you like puzzles and games? Fill out this form to get notified when we host our Cyber Arcade games. If you have a student chapter, we can host a few games for your chapter members and/or go head to head with other student chapters. For more information, contact us at info@cyberstudents.org 

      • April 03, 2024
      • December 03, 2025
      • online
      • 99991
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Membership Flyer
      • April 03, 2024
      • December 03, 2025
      • online
      • 99990
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association Chapter Flyer
      • June 04, 2024
      • February 03, 2026
      • online
      • 100000
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      Download the National Cybersecurity Student Association PGCC student flyer with student membership promo code. 
      • June 04, 2024
      • February 03, 2026
      • online
      • 99996
      Download the Southwest 3CS Symposium Fall 2024 Student Chapter Flyer. 
      • June 17, 2024
      • September 30, 2026
      • online
      • 99997
      Download the Southwest 3CS Symposium Fall 2024 Student Chapter Flyer for discounted registration. 
      • June 25, 2024
      • February 04, 2025
      Register