CyberPatriot Releases First-Ever Cyber Security Storybook

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 04, 2017 -- The Air Force Association’s (AFA) CyberPatriot program announced today the release of its first published children’s storybook, Sarah the Cyber Hero.

This story is the first known cyber security storybook of its kind promoting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education among America’s youth.

“We are thrilled to have Sarah the Cyber Hero as the first book in our Cyber Education Literature Series,” said Rachel Zimmerman, CyberPatriot’s Director of Business Operations.  “Children today are getting online at a young age and they need to understand the importance of cybersecurity and being safe in our connected world.”

Sarah the Cyber Hero features a female protagonist living in a town full of superheroes. She must earn her superhero cape using the cyber skills she has learned in her school’s cyber education program to protect the town from a malware virus downloaded to a computer.

“The best way to prepare our future cyber defenders is to promote engaging and relatable characters that children will be eager to emulate,” said Emily Rauer, CyberPatriot’s Cyber Education Manager and author of Sarah the Cyber Hero. “Sarah the Cyber Hero creatively empowers children to take control of their personal safety in the twenty-first century and the Cyber Education Literature Series addresses the need for STEM related topics in children's literature in homes and schools around the world.”

CyberPatriot also recently began its tenth competition season, registering a record-breaking 5,584 teams across the United States and US Department of Defense Schools worldwide.

CyberPatriot, the nation's largest and fastest growing youth cyber education program, is AFA's flagship STEM program dedicated to strengthening cyber skills among students. The program features the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition for high school and middle school students, AFA CyberCamps, and an Elementary School Cyber Education Initiative.

Supporters of CyberPatriot include the Northrop Grumman Foundation, CyberPatriot's Presenting Sponsor, as well as Cyber Diamond sponsors AT&T, Boeing, Cisco, Microsoft, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Cyber Gold sponsors Facebook, Riverside Research, Splunk, and Symantec; and Cyber Silver sponsors Air Force STEM, Air Force Reserve, American Military University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Leidos, Mastercard, and University of Maryland University College.

Sarah the Cyber Hero is now available for purchase as an ebook and hardcopy. Learn more about Sarah the Cyber Hero and the CyberPatriot program, here.

The Air Force Association is a non-profit, independent, professional military and aerospace education association. Our mission is to promote a dominant United States Air Force and a strong national defense, and to honor Airmen and our Air Force Heritage.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/59ed91e9-accf-4899-8388-451b86a34eaa

McKinnon Pearse
Air Force Association
7032475847
[email protected]