There is a new avenue for schools interested in offering Computer Science opportuntities in Michigan.  Created by educators Dennis Klaas and Patrick Schultz, the Michigan Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (MICE) provides and promotes the necessary curriculum and resources to not only train students but train educators in order to be able to teach cybersecurity in schools.  The ever-increasing demand for cybersecurity experts is creating a severe lack of qualified instructors. Many skilled cybersecurity teachers have found the private sector more lucrative than the educational field. Through a "train the trainer" model, the MICE initiative aims to encourage current business/tech educators to be cross-trained in cybersecurity and play an integral role in training tomorrow’s cyber warriors.  

According to MICE cofounder, Patrick Schultz, “MICE is a platform that is developed for K-12 educators. The initiative specializes in training teachers on how to incorporate cybersecurity concepts into their current course offerings and focuses on preparing students for the workforce directly out of high school. The MICE learning management system utilizes TestOut’s complete library, combined with curriculum from Microsoft, Cisco Networking Academy, and EC-Council, to provide virtual hands-on simulations, teacher resources, state/national aligned standards, and industry-standard certification preparation to all students even those in remote rural areas interested in learning more about the cybersecurity industry.”

MICE was recently received from CISCO the 2018 Quarterly Regional Spotlight Award for achievements in the United States. This award recognizes the valuable contributions of academies and the impact they have on Networking Academy students and instructors. The efforts by the staff at MICE – Michigan Initiative for Cybersecurity Education have generated tremendous opportunities in Michigan: 

  • Innovative delivery of Networking Academy cybersecurity offerings 
  • Creation and cataloging of teacher resources for computer science
  • Train-the-trainer opportunities to expand industry certification 
  • Recruitment of 65 Cisco Networking academies and over 100 instructors 

To learn more about the MICE initiative, including how your school can benefit, visit www.micek12.com or view the flyer.


Written by Ryan Cayce, MASSP Director of Digital Learning