When the world was practically shut down because of the pandemic in 2020, something exciting was happening in Huntsville: the opening of the nation’s first high school focused on teaching the implementation of cyber protections in the engineering life cycle.

The Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (ASCTE) is the state’s only public, residential and commuter magnet high school for students seeking advanced studies in math, science, engineering and cyber technology.

“You can imagine the challenges we faced,” said PeggyLee Wright, executive director of the ASCTE Foundation. “In 2020, we were a new school on a temporary campus, and we were opening a residential program in a region that doesn’t typically send our children to boarding school. Yet, we were the only public school in the nation that opened on time, in person and with no virtual option.”

Gov. Kay Ivey signed legislation creating the school in 2018. When it opened two years later, there were 80 freshmen and sophomores. Now ASCTE has grown to include more than 250 students from across the state – among them the school’s first graduating senior class.

Engineering and cyber technology are integrated into the curricula of every class, even English, literature and history, Wright said.

“Anything that gets built involves engineering, whether it’s a car, a computer, a missile or the electronic doors at a grocery store. Anything that can be engineered can be hacked,” Wright said. “Our students are learning how to build cyber protections into the engineering life cycle to help prevent that.”

That means the learning goes beyond reading books, calculating equations and remembering facts. Hands-on projects are included in every lesson plan.

For instance, in language arts, ninth graders recently built a functioning wind turbine after reading the book “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” by William Kamkwamba. Using principles of engineering, math and physics, they built the turbine based on the experiences of the central character in the book.

“When the kids are in their English class, yes, they are learning to write. But their writing class is engineering-focused, meaning they learn to write technically and read technically,” Wright said. “In their history classes, they learn about everything from ancient civilization to current events, but they are looking at it through the lens of engineering and cryptography, and how they have shaped the way we live.”

Along with these hands-on projects, students attend lunch-and-learn programs, take part in off-site visits to area industries and engage with mentors in the engineering and cyber field. Seniors at the school get real-world experience by taking part in internships.

“We want to expose our students early on to the opportunities that are available to them,” Wright said. “They don’t just go to class. They are truly getting hands-on, real-life experiences for the jobs they will be undertaking in the future.”

Inside the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering in Huntsville. (contributed)

From the beginning, the Alabama Power Foundation has provided support for the school. Thanks to grants from the foundation and other corporate and community donors, ASCTE moved into its state-of-the-art school building earlier than expected. ASCTE, which was temporarily located at Oakwood University, welcomed students this past fall to the new 26-acre campus in the heart of Cummings Research Park in Huntsville.

Funding from the Alabama Power Foundation also helped support construction of a manufacturing lab, which provides hands-on experiences in technical skills, such as welding.

“We’re thankful to the Alabama Power Foundation for being our partner in education,” Wright said. “Having a partner like the Alabama Power Foundation come on board from the very beginning has enabled us to reach out and recruit students from all four corners of Alabama who otherwise would not have been able to attend a school like this. For folks to see that the Alabama Power Foundation is working with us as a partner has also helped us gain other partners in the industry.”

To show its appreciation, ASCTE has dedicated one of the main engineering labs to Alabama Power.

“Having the Alabama Power Foundation step up and sponsor our programs is incredible,” said Matt Massey, president of ASCTE. “I really think our mission aligns with that of the Alabama Power Foundation. It believes the future of Alabama is in giving our kids an elite-level education, and that’s what we’re doing here.”

ASCTE is reaching students beyond its campus. As a start, it has hosted cyber camps for middle school students in Jackson, Bullock and Clarke counties.

“Our job is not only to educate the kids at our school, but we also work to bring cyber education to other schools and teachers across the state,” said Massey. “Gov. Ivey has made cyber education a priority, and we are helping to fulfill that vision.”

The state-of-the-art campus at the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering is drawing high-achieving students from across the state. (contributed)

State Sen. Arthur Orr, chairman of the ASCTE Board of Trustees, said more and more students are learning about the school and the opportunities it offers, due in part to the support it has received from the Alabama Power Foundation and others across the state.

“ASCTE is growing and quickly gaining a national reputation in the emerging field of cyber,” Orr said. “We are grateful for the Alabama Power Foundation’s statewide focus in supporting important efforts like ASCTE. Students from across Alabama will benefit from the foundation’s support.”

Hallie Bradley said the Alabama Power Foundation is proud to have played a role in helping introduce cyber technology and engineering to high school students.

“The Alabama Power Foundation is committed to serving the students of Alabama and their educational advancement,” said Bradley, the foundation’s manager of Strategic Initiatives. “Through our partnership with the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering, we are creating more opportunities for students, no matter their financial circumstances, to achieve high levels of learning in math, science, engineering and cyber technology. We see this as an investment not only for the students of Alabama today, but also for the future workforce in the area of cybersecurity.”

For more information about the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering, click here.