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Project-Based Learning Program

As part of our mission to boost Virginia’s digital workforce, CCI is seeking corporate, government, and NGO partners for the CCI Project-Based Learning Program.

This program is designed to provide experiential learning opportunities to cyber and cyber-adjacent students attending a college or university within the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative’s network. 

CCI partners will not only gain access to a talent pool of highly skilled future employees from across Virginia, but will receive full-service recruitment assistance for any projects. 

Partners act as project sponsors providing projects for students as well as mentors to guide the project. 

CCI will advertise, recruit, and pre-select candidates for the sponsor, presenting a competitive pool of choices. In accordance with CCI’s equitable access principles, CCI will provide stipends to students.

Our initial collaboration with Northern Virginia Community College and CACI International launched in the fall of 2023, accepting seven NVCC students.

Building on that success, we have since partnered with Microsoft and are currently running a second cohort with both CACI and Microsoft, expanding recruitment to students across Virginia.

We look forward to expanding our partnerships with GuidePoint Security and more industry partners in the near future.

Participate in the CCI Project-Based Learning Program

If you're interested in seeing this program at your school or sponsoring such a program at your company, contact Sarah Hayes at sshayes@vt.edu. 

College students work on computers
CCI’s partnership with CACI has included several events and programs, including CACI Con, a capture-the-flag event at CACI’s headquarters in Reston. CACI’s interns include students from CCI members George Mason University, Laurel Ridge Community College, Radford University, Regent University, Virginia Military Institute, and Virginia Tech. Photo by Ron Aira for CCI