HUNTSVILLE, Ala.–Redstone Federal Credit Union has announced a $3-million contribution to support theconstruction and establishment of the new Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering. It is the largest contribution to the school’s foundation to date. It will be paid out over 10 years.
The residential magnet school will provide academically motivated Alabama students with educational opportunities and experiences in the rapidly growing fields of cyber technology and engineering, Redstone FCU said. The school will also assist a broad range of teachers, administrators, and superintendents across the state in replicating cyber technology and engineering studies in their own schools.
“Cybersecurity is a clear and present danger for financial institutions around the world. Our cyber team responds to over a million security events each month,” RFCU CEO Joe Newberry said. “The demand for cybersecurity experts is great. This school will give Huntsville and Alabama an opportunity to attract and retain the best and the brightest in that field,’’ Newberry said.
Support from Governor
Added Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, “These are exciting milestones for the future of education in Alabama and for young people across the state who dream of next-generation careers. The Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering will be a unique institution, preparing students all across the state with the skills they need for jobs that will be in high demand.”
The school will open in 2020 at an interim site located at the University of Alabama in Huntsville’s Bevill Center. The school’s first classes will be 10th and 11th grades. Other grades will be added each year until reaching 9th – 12th grades, according to the $4.9-billion Redstone FCU.
The credit union has more than 430,000 members.