Across economic history, one thing is always true: where there are valuables, there are thieves. Of course, the digital age is no different. Cybercriminals work overtime to steal information they can monetize, including information about finances, health care, passwords, sensitive corporate and government data, credit card numbers and personal material they can use to steal identities.
Henrico County Public Schools students interested in protecting the world’s data from hackers and cybercriminals will have an immersive option when HCPS launches the Center for Cybersecurity at Henrico High School. The high school specialty center will accept applications during the fall 2025-26 center application window and is slated to open for the 2026-27 school year. Students will not only graduate with a high school degree and industry certifications: they’ll also be within shouting distance of a degree from center partner ECPI University.
“Students will learn the hands-on detective skills that you need to find out where your cybersecurity breaches are and how to prevent them,” said Mac Beaton, director of HCPS’ Department of Career and Workforce Development. “In cybersecurity you’ve got to teach students how to hack to prevent it. We’ll be teaching them bad things to make sure they can identify bad things.”
Bob Austin refers to this as “ethical hacking.” Austin serves on the board of the Virginia Cyber Security Partnership, a group of industry professionals with a mission that includes education. He also cofounded IT security firm KoreLogic in 2004. The company helps clients find the weaknesses in their security systems to help reduce digital risks.
Austin said a high school center could benefit students in several ways.
“I love the idea of having a cyber specialty school and attracting people in high school who already love cyber or want to get into it. It’s a chance to build up foundational skills, and frankly to confirm that, ‘yeah, this is something I want to do.’
“It would be a chance for them to roll up their sleeves and get smart about building the foundational blocks they’ll need. It will also help them get into colleges that have established cybersecurity programs and will expect students to have a cyber foundation they can build on.”
The school division is working with ECPI and industry leaders to create a program that will put HCPS students in a position to take advantage of the industry’s growth. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the nation will add nearly 60,000 information security analyst positions by 2033. The median pay in 2023 was $120,360.
“It’s anywhere from law enforcement to credit card companies, banks, government, you name it,” Beaton said. “Everybody now has a cybersecurity division or program.”
KoreLogic’s Austin says the field is far broader than students might imagine.
“The range of cyber skill sets is wide. For example, there are people who specialize in policy and governance … people who would be more technical — ‘ethical hacking’ is an example of what my company does.”
Demand has been high among HCPS students for technology classes. In the 2024-25 school year, 377 students applied for 75 available slots at the Center for Information Technology at Deep Run High School. The ACE Center at Highland Springs offers some courses as part of a cybersecurity pathway; in 2023-24, 55 students applied for the 40 available slots.
While students enter HCPS ACE Centers in their junior years, students in the new dedicated cybersecurity center will enter in ninth grade. The extra two years will enable center organizers to design an integrated curriculum that moves students forward.
Whitney Beaton, a Henrico High School assistant principal, is helping shepherd the planning process, which includes developing a space for the center, hiring a director and supporting the curriculum development.
“We met with Google recently to talk about cloud security versus other kinds of cybersecurity and all the different aspects they might be looking for in future employees.”
During the 2025-26 school year, organizers will recruit faculty and students and continue working on the center’s curriculum. They will also work closely with the HCPS Department of Technology and visit similar centers in the region.
What will life be like for students at the Center for Cybersecurity?
In addition to math, students will study cybersecurity programming and data science, and will get a broader view through humanities and social science courses like human geography, history and comparative government. Juniors and seniors will take in-depth college-level courses to delve deeper and prepare to earn Security+ and Network+ certifications from the Computing Technology Industry Association.
The center will feature a technology “sandbox” — an isolated, secure environment where students can test malicious software and learn how it works. HCPS is working with Comcast to create a dedicated internet network at Henrico High School to support the additional bandwidth the center will need. A dedicated computer lab is also under consideration.
Combining history, English and math with career training is not a new idea for Henrico County Public Schools.
"The Center for Allied Health at Hermitage High School has given us an effective blueprint for integrating core-content classes and career and workforce development coursework,” said Taylor Snow, HCPS director of secondary teaching and learning. “When the two work hand-in-hand, students not only get the technical skills required for industry jobs but also skills like critical thinking and collaboration they need to thrive and advance in those organizations."
Students who apply to the cybersecurity center during the fall 2025 specialty center application window will learn in January 2026 if they’ve been accepted.