Welcome to the Identity Theft Council's

Junior Counselor Program

The Identity Theft Council Junior Counselor Program is an exciting new approach to encouraging Junior and Senior high school students to take seriously issues like their identity, privacy, and online safety, and then channeling that interest into a career path focused on cyber and national security.

It's a three-way win:

• Students learn how to guard and respect their privacy and identity as they are about to leave school and enter college or the workforce.

• Students are introduced to exciting careers in cyber and national security, where jobs are plenty and rewarding but where candidates are few.

• The nation is reinforced and strengthened by a new generation of cyber warriors trained and focused on a new generation of threats and challenges.
  

And what a great way to get new generations of students to finally start viewing math and science as fun, cool, and rewarding.

The Junior Council program offers high school students a unique way to learn about how to protect their privacy, identity and safety in an increasingly precarious world, and at the same time learn invaluable life, career, and workplace skills including things like project planning, communications, community action, technology development, and leadership.

Students also get the chance to earn a certificate and recognition for taking part, and the opportunity to learn valuable skill that will be valued and appreciated by colleges and employers.

The program has three primary goals:

• To give students real incentives to be more aware of the issues of identity theft, online safety, and privacy, and the impact these issues can have on their financial health, future, and credit reputation.

• To encourage students who participate in the program to become messengers and mentors for other teens and students, to educate their parents and the elderly, and to engage their local community in awareness and education programs.

• To guide interested students towards careers in the rapidly growing field of cyber security, to focus them on further study in that area, and to introduce them to suitable courses and employers.
  

We're asking students to Learn and to Act to protect themselves

The Learn part of the Junior Counselor program gives students the option to:

1. Complete our online course that addresses more than a dozen different security, privacy, and financial issues in a way that is important and relevant to students, and in a format that makes it very easy to learn.

2. Take our online test so they can earn an individualized Certificate of Completion that will be recognized and valued by colleges and employers.

3. Commit to participating in continuing education and awareness programs to make sure their skills are relevant and current.

Click here to learn more about the training portion.

The Act component focuses students on putting that learning into practice in a way that will benefit them, their school, and their community:

1. Build a school-wide Junior Counselor program, which can include reaching out to other students, enlisting the support of teachers and principals, creating awareness and teaching events at the school, and organizing awareness competitions and campaigns (such as our Facebook Days).

2. Serve their local community by inviting parents, local businesses, and law enforcement to education and outreach events hosted at the school. These events will be supported and assisted by our local community bank, credit union, and Better Business Bureau partners.

3. With the help of our local and national partners, explore the options and possibilities for a career in cyber security, either in business or in national security, and begin charting a path towards that career.

With the Junior Counselor Program, the entire community benefits

How students benefit:

• Students are for the first time offered a real incentive to take their personal security, privacy, and identity protection seriously – by participating in an important community service that can help with college, by learning new workplace skills that can help with job opportunities, and the opportunity to work with and learn from local businesses (helping them with Facebook and social networking, for example).

• Introduces students to exciting career options in cyber security, where there are currently far more job openings than there are candidates to fill them.
  

• In addition to learning about security and privacy, students will also learn valuable lessons about leadership, planning, project management, public speaking, networking, social networking as a job skill, and community service and engagement.

• Students may also be exposed to possible internship opportunities.
  

How the local community benefits:

• Our Junior Counselors may be the best way to reach and teach the widest possible audience. Not only can they involve and engage other students and teens, they are also the best way to bring the awareness message to adult consumers (their parents and teachers) throughout their community.

• The Council is creating a large army of advocates that can reach out and help the elderly, one of the most vulnerable groups to identity theft.

• Students can help bring the awareness message, and even free training and education, to local small businesses.

• Student participation can help partner students and schools with their local banks, credit unions, Chambers of Commerce, and Better Business Bureaus.

How the nation benefits:

• Our hope is to inspire a new generation of cyber warriors who are willing and able to fill critical gaps in our national security and for the enterprises we depend on.

• By focusing junior and senior high school students on rewarding and cool careers in cyber security, we have a unique opportunity to make math and science cool again.
  

• Every student is a messenger, and our Junior Counselors are great ambassadors for sharing our important message with others.
  

• A more security-aware and vigilant student and teacher body could help protect schools against data breaches and other security risks ( according to the Open Security Foundation's Data Loss Database, 1 in every 5 data breaches reported in 2010 were at schools and colleges).