Local youth discover career paths in cybersecurity through hands-on programming, Arduino lights, and real-world threat scenarios at Colorado State University Pueblo Extended Studies’ summer camp.
The numbers stagger the imagination. Arduino lights create 16 million possible color combinations. That’s what one 12-year-old rattled off during day two of CSU Pueblo Extended Studies Computer Information Systems summer camp. But the real magic doesn’t lie in the millions of light patterns these kids program. It reveals itself when elementary and middle schoolers discover they might want to defend the nation’s digital infrastructure.
“I like just helping people,” one student explained when asked about cybersecurity. “You want to stop people from doing the bad stuff.”
The bad stuff, he learned, includes protecting water supply systems and preventing attacks on critical infrastructure. In March, according to a report from the Center for Strategic & International Studies, a network of front companies linked to a Chinese tech firm targeted recently laid-off U.S. federal workers using recruitment ads on job sites. The operation utilized fake consulting firms with non-functional contact details and addresses, mirroring methods the FBI identified as potential foreign intelligence recruitment tactics.
These concepts no longer remain abstract for these 9- to 13-year-olds. They represent potential career paths.
Another camper, a 12-year-old returning for her second year, already mapped out her future. She wants to work at Colorado Springs Utilities, where her father works.
“There’s something that they do where the company will send them faulty emails to test them to see if they know the procedures,” she explained with the confidence of someone who already thinks strategically about cybersecurity protocols.
The camp runs all week through CSU Pueblo Extended Studies, packing each day with hands-on activities that blur the line between learning and play. Students dive into password hacking and cryptography, receive an overview of cybersecurity threats from Roberto Mejias, and learn Python programming with Scott Walker, both faculty at the Hasan School of Business. But perhaps the most popular activity involves Arduino lights with Kelley Stone, instructional designer and staff member at CSU Pueblo Extended Studies, who brought the materials on her own dime and volunteers her time each afternoon.
Arduino boards function as small programmable computers that students can code to control LED lights, creating complex patterns and sequences. Stone has the campers working in teams, programming these boards to produce elaborate light shows. They learn fundamental programming concepts while creating something visually stunning. On Friday, the teams will compete for prizes in what promises to be a high-tech light battle.
“We were doing something with somebody who was, it was coding, not coding, but crypting,” one student tried to explain, searching for the right words to describe decryption exercises. The struggle to find precise terminology doesn’t diminish their enthusiasm. If anything, it highlights how these complex concepts become accessible to young minds.
The camp represents more than just summer enrichment. It serves as CSU Pueblo’s response to a critical national need. As Dana Perino, a Fox News Channel’s host and former White House Press Secretary, noted in an op-ed in the Pueblo Chieftain, “the computer science department has an emphasis in cybersecurity. In fact, the Cyber Wolves, led by dynamo professor Dr. Robert Mejias, just led his team to the top 10 at a national competition. They even beat MIT.”
That’s the same Mejias introducing the campers to cybersecurity threats. The connection between the university’s nationally recognized program and this summer camp isn’t coincidental. CSU Pueblo Extended Studies deliberately cultivates the next generation of cyber defenders by starting them young.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects cybersecurity as one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States, expecting at least 17,000 cybersecurity-related job openings each year through 2033. CSU Pueblo positions itself at the forefront of meeting this demand.
The university’s cybersecurity program has earned recognition as one of the best in the nation based on National Cyber League rankings. The National Security Agency also designated it a Center for Academic Excellence. The program partners with the NSA, FBI, CIA, and Secret Service, constantly updating curriculum based on emerging threats.
“We partner with the NSA, FBI, CIA and Secret Service, and say, ‘Hey, what kind of threats are out there? What do you want our students to start learning?’” University officials explain. At least 40 students complete their cybersecurity program each year, but the pipeline starts at STEM camps held in the summer.
During the camp interview, when asked how many students might pursue cybersecurity careers, three hands shot up immediately. One student clarified he’s more interested in programming than cybersecurity specifically, but another explained he wants both. The career awareness proves remarkable for kids who should theoretically focus on summer vacation.
“You can learn more job opportunities if you don’t know what job you want to do,” one student advised potential future campers.
The camp provides lunch and snacks. Students mentioned granola bars and water as snack choices, leading to some discussion about gushers and the challenges of eating sticky candy with braces. These moments of typical kid behavior provide a necessary balance to the serious technical learning happening throughout the day.
Stone’s Arduino competition will determine Friday’s winners, with teams of boys versus girls both impressing instructors. The prize? Arduino kits the children can take home, extending the learning beyond camp week.
CSU Pueblo Extended Studies has the right idea. Not just a summer camp, but a pipeline to connect elementary and middle school students directly to one of the nation’s top cybersecurity programs. They learn now that protecting our digital world isn’t just about technology. It’s about helping people and stopping bad actors from doing harm.
The camp continues through Friday, with more Arduino programming, cryptography challenges, and Python lessons ahead. But the real education may have already happened. These students have glimpsed their future selves, and many like what they see.
