Clubs

The Cyber Captains actively participate in several student organizations, including the Programming Club, Cyber Club, and Drone Club. One dedicated team also leads various outreach initiatives, visiting local middle schools, high schools, and the Rockbridge Regional Library to engage young learners in hands-on STEM activities. Their sessions introduce students to topics such as encryption, drone assembly and flight, and virtual reality (VR) technologies. 

Outreach Activities

Dr. Sherif Abdelhamid, as Outreach Liaison Officer for VMI’s Cyber Defense Laboratory, leads an active program of engagement with middle schools, high schools, and local libraries to spark interest in cyber and digital technologies. His outreach includes hands-on workshops led in collaboration with cadets and community partners, offering students direct experience in drone science, programming, encryption, virtual reality, and cyber awareness. These events are designed not only to introduce foundational technology skills, but also to illuminate educational and career pathways in STEM and cybersecurity for young learners.  

Examples of his outreach activities include: 

• “Build & Fly with VMI” drone event at New College Institute (students aged 13–18) teaching drone science and piloting. 
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• Workshops at Lylburn Downing Middle School involving programming, drone missions, and introducing students to drone technologies.  
• Sessions at Rockbridge County High School on secure coding, cryptography, and solving challenges like murder-mystery puzzles using encryption. 
• Library events (TechXplore series) at Rockbridge Regional Library covering virtual reality, cyber awareness, and artificial intelligence.