Last spring, around 50 ninth-grade students sat down to a cybersecurity competition built entirely by high schoolers. Juniors and seniors at Jordan Academy for Technology & Careers (JATC) in Utah wrote every challenge, play-tested each scenario, designed the awards and ran the event from start to finish. No instructor built the puzzles.
The experience gave younger students a hands-on introduction to cybersecurity while giving the JATC coordinators an opportunity to practice project management. It also captured the core philosophy of JATC: learning is defined by what students can do, not just what they can memorize.
Serving high school juniors and seniors from across Utah's Salt Lake Valley, the JATC cybersecurity program combines CompTIA certifications, practical technical training and real-world experiences designed to prepare students for college, the workforce or both. Enrollment reflects that approach. During the 2025-2026 school year, this premier high school cybersecurity program doubled in size, enrolling 47 students in foundational coursework and 15 students in advanced classes.
Students attend their home high schools for academic courses and extracurricular activities, then spend part of their day at JATC developing skills that are difficult to replicate in a traditional classroom environment. The program is designed around flexibility rather than a single destination.
"Whatever you want to do after high school, we're going to help you prepare for it," said cybersecurity instructor Mark Ogden, who built the program.
About a third of JATC students go to college, a third go right into the workforce, and another third decide a technology career isn’t the right fit. Ogden sees value in all three paths.
"Sometimes you have to go down the wrong road to know that it's the wrong road," Ogden said. "If this isn't for you, that's great. These are skills you'll be able to use your entire life. Whatever job you're doing, you're going to be on the internet, and you're going to be using a computer."
Bridging the gap between Chromebooks and enterprise IT
Ogden brought nearly 25 years of industry experience into the classroom, including roles as a systems administrator, network engineer, solutions architect and technical leader. That background shapes every aspect of the curriculum.
One lesson he learned early was not to assume students arrive with a baseline knowledge of enterprise technology. While today's teenagers have spent their entire lives using smartphones and Chromebooks, many have limited exposure to Windows, Linux or commercial enterprise IT environments. The trap for many career and technical education (CTE) programs is stacking advanced certifications before students absorb the fundamentals underneath them.
To bridge this gap, Ogden dedicates the early weeks of the program to the basics of operating systems, file directories and command line interfaces. Students learn how to navigate a desktop operating system, manage local files and understand administrative permissions before writing their first line of security policy.
Only after establishing this baseline do students move into certification preparation. The curriculum begins with CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Network+ before advancing into CompTIA Security+, cyber forensics and more specialized security concepts. Hands-on learning is integrated throughout the course of study. Students build and manage virtual machines, troubleshoot technical issues, configure networks and apply concepts in realistic scenarios.
Ogden constantly looks for ways to relate complex system administration concepts to the students' own lives and interests. "My students spin up a virtual Minecraft server," he said. "They get to play Minecraft, but they also learn the server side and understand how it all works in the background."
How competitions and internships build employer-ready experience
Classroom instruction is only part of the student experience. Throughout the year, students participate in CyberPatriot (a national youth cyber defense competition), Capture the Flag events, local internships, industry conferences and guest speaker sessions. These opportunities reinforce technical skills while exposing students to the realities of the workplace.
The results have followed. During the 2025-2026 school year, JATC fielded five CyberPatriot teams. They earned first, second and third place in Utah, with four of the five teams advancing to the national semifinals. Students also earned first and second place in both Cybersecurity and Internetworking at the SkillsUSA state competition, along with first-place finishes in Information Technology Services and Web design & Development.
Competitions serve a dual purpose. For students pursuing future IT careers, they provide opportunities to demonstrate applied skills, initiative and problem-solving ability before gaining formal work experience.
"Employers tell us they want to know you have the certification, but they also want to know you're going above and beyond," Ogden said.
This extra effort helps bridge the classic entry-level paradox. "To get a job in IT, you generally need experience, but you can't get experience without a job in IT," Ogden explained. "Competitions fill that gap. They show employers that even though you haven't had an IT job yet, you're already doing the work."
Learning extends beyond campus borders. Thirty students attended the BSides cybersecurity conference, regional industry professionals visited throughout the year as guest speakers and many students completed internships that provided direct exposure to professional IT environments.
Where CompTIA certifications fit in the curriculum
Certifications are embedded into the JATC program rather than treated as an optional enhancement. Coursework is aligned directly with the skills and credentials employers consistently identify as valuable for entry-level technology roles.
This alignment is informed by an industry advisory council made up of chief information officers (CIOs), chief information security officers (CISOs), chief technology officers (CTOs) and other regional technology leaders. The group meets regularly with JATC educators to discuss workforce needs and provide feedback on the skills employers are seeking.
"We know CompTIA certifications are what employers are looking for and can help differentiate a candidate," Ogden said. "That industry recognition helps us provide the best for our students."
This employer demand is tied directly to how these credentials are built. CompTIA performance certifications validate the skills associated with a particular job or responsibility. To earn the certification, candidates prepare for and take exams that include hands-on simulations, requiring them to demonstrate multi-step knowledge of a task. CompTIA exams have a high number of these performance-based questions, ensuring that certified students can actually do the work on day one.
Students are already seeing the benefits of this hands-on alignment. During the 2025-2026 school year, five students earned CompTIA A+ certification. JATC also secured funding to help offset exam voucher costs, creating opportunities for more students to pursue CompTIA certifications in the future.
Ogden points to CompTIA CertMaster Labs as a critical piece of the learning environment, particularly for expanding access to students. "I'm fortunate in my lab environment. I can run virtual machines on the computers I have, but a lot of my peers can't," Ogden said. "Being able to get into the labs on a simulated computer they can run from a Chromebook makes a real difference." The simulated labs help learners move beyond memorizing concepts and toward developing practical troubleshooting skills that can be applied immediately in the workplace.
What students do next, and what other programs can borrow
Ultimately, the program's success is reflected in where students go after graduation. Some graduates continue into university cybersecurity and computer science degree programs, while others use their credentials to secure entry-level IT and help desk roles directly out of high school.
For Ogden, the value of technical education goes beyond test scores and trophies. It creates lasting economic mobility.
"For students from immigrant families especially, this type of career can be life-changing," he said. "I've seen it change not just one person's life, but the lives of their entire family. That's generational change, and it's a career they can enter directly out of high school."
For other school districts looking to build a successful high school cybersecurity program, the JATC model offers several replicable strategies:
- Sequence before specializing: Establish strong desktop, operating system and networking foundations (using CompTIA A+ and Network+) before introducing cybersecurity courses.
- Empower student leadership: Let advanced students design and run hands-on events for younger peers, reinforcing their own project management skills.
- Structure the advisory council: Keep a regular meeting cadence with CIOs, CISOs and CTOs to keep classroom labs aligned with current regional employer needs.
For school districts at the very beginning of this journey, Ogden recommends starting with accessible entry points. "If it's new to you as a teacher, or new to your district, start with CompTIA Tech+," he suggested. "It's a great way to introduce students to the field."
Three years into the program, enrollment is growing, students are earning industry-recognized credentials and achievements continue to extend beyond the classroom. The goal remains the same: helping high school students leave JATC with the skills, confidence and credentials needed to choose their own path.
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