Program Policies

The goal of the National IT Innovation Center’s (NITIC) Working Connections professional development is to equip IT faculty at two-year institutions of higher education with the expertise needed to teach their track content in a subsequent semester. This ensures that the most current information reaches their classrooms, either as a stand-alone course or as supplemental material to an existing course. 

Cost:  

• Tuition is FREE; there is no fee to attend. 
• A travel stipend is available for in-person workshops. See Travel Information for details.

Eligibility:  

• Working Connections is for faculty and administrators currently teaching IT credit courses (full-time or adjunct) at a regionally accredited U.S. two-year community college or technical college.   
• Attendees are expected to use what they learn in their track to teach or supervise a class in the next 12 months. 
• High school teachers may only attend if they also teach as an adjunct. 

Registration:  

• Completing the registration form requests your seat. Your seat is not confirmed until you receive the registration email.  
• For Summer Working Connections 2025, attendees can attend one in-person week and the online week.
• Each individual may only submit one application for registration. Only the first submission will be considered, and any subsequent registrations will be disregarded without further notice.  
• IT Innovation Network (ITIN) member institutions will have a priority window to register and will be notified of the dates via the NITIC mailing list.  

Cancellation/Track Changes: 

• If you must cancel your registration or request a track change, please notify Mark Dempsey at mdempsey@collin.edu immediately before the deadline, April 14th. 
• To be good stewards of our NSF ATE grant funding, we must fill all available seats. Attendees who register but then fail to show up without providing advance notice may be ineligible for future Working Connections workshops. Please inform us right away if you’re not able to attend. 

Attendance: 

• This is an in-person workshop. 
• Attendees must sign in and participate all week in real time. Ensure your calendar is clear and out-of-office email notifications are set up for uninterrupted participation. 
• Seats will be limited to 2 per institution. Additional faculty will be placed on a waitlist and will receive a seat if space becomes available after registration closes.  

Tracks:  

• Tracks run for the entire duration of Working Connections; attendees may only select one track.  
• Some tracks have specific pre-requisites or requirements. Be sure to read the track details before requesting to register.  
• Tracks may be repeated throughout the year. See the track details to ensure you’re not registering for a track you’ve already completed.  
• Seating capacity varies by lab, track, and instructor, but typically capped at 20 attendees. 
• Tracks are held in a computer lab. Laptops are not required, but participants often bring them to utilize during breaks and in the evening.  

Meals: 

• Breakfast, lunch, and all-day coffee service will be provided for the Ohio in-person workshops.  
• Vegetarian entrees are available for those who request on the registration form; otherwise no special diet or food substitutions are possible.  

Completion Credential:  

• NITIC has teamed up with Credly to provide digital badges to showcase verified Working Connection credentials.  
• Only those who attend every session (morning and afternoon) and pass the required track assessment will receive their badge.  
• Badges will be issued within 30 days of completion and can be showcased on LinkedIn, email signatures, or printed as a certificate.  

 Survey:  

• All attendees will complete a survey before the end of the event. 
• Longitudinal surveys will continue to be sent after the event to measure lasting impact.  

Secure Programming with Python

May 19-23 from 8:30am-5pm ET 

 

Description 

This workshop is designed for participants with a basic understanding of Python programming who want to advance their skills by integrating cybersecurity concepts into application development. Attendees will explore intermediate and advanced topics, including secure coding practices, data handling, and cryptographic techniques, while leveraging popular tools and frameworks. The workshop will also cover secure software design principles, ethical considerations in data science and AI, and practical methods for identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities. Participants will learn to write robust, secure code and implement best practices in real-world development environments.  

Objectives  

• Describe best practices for secure coding in Python.  
• Explain the role of cryptography in securing software applications.  
• Demonstrate secure software development practices by implementing secure coding techniques. 

Pre-requisites 

Basic familiarity with Python: data types, control structures, functions, modules 

Required Textbook 

None. 

Class Location 

Columbus State – Downtown Campus, Workforce Development Building, Room TBD

Please note that content is subject to change or modification based on the unique needs of the track participants in attendance.  

Agenda 

Mon, May 19 – Introductory Topics: 

• GitHub: GitHub  
• Review best practices for version control in secure development.  
• Jupyter Notebooks and Google Colab  
• Secure coding environments  
• Use notebooks for secure data analysis  
• Secure Coding Basics 
• Input validation  
• Python coding style guidelines for maintainable code. 

Tue, May 20 – Data Structures: 

• Loops, Lists, Tuples, Dictionaries 
• Data structures and secure programming 
• Secure Data Handling 
• Data sanitization  
• Secure randomization  
• Functions, Modules, Classes, and Exceptions  
• Secure design principles in modular programming  
• Best practices for handling sensitive information  
• Secure Error Handling 
• Avoiding information leakage  
• Logging errors securely 

Wed, May 21 – Data Science and AI: 

• Data Science Topics  
• Handling large datasets securely with Numpy and Pandas  
• Visualizing sensitive data responsibly with Matplotlib  
• AI Topics  
• Ethics and security considerations in machine learning  
• Preventing data poisoning and adversarial attacks 

Thu, May 22 – Cryptography: 

• Implementing cryptography with Python  
• Securing APIs  
• Detecting vulnerabilities using static analysis tools 

Fri, May 23 – Secure Software Practices: 

• Secure Software Practices  
• Threat modeling and secure workflows.  
• Automating security testing. 

Instructors 

Pamela Brauda is a faculty member in the School of Technology at Florida State College at Jacksonville, where she teaches courses in programming, networking, database, and data science. Pamela is a co-designer of the A.S. in Data Science Technology program at FSCJ, co-principal investigator for the DataTEC project (NSF Grant #1902524 “Meeting Industry Needs through a Two-Year Data Science Technician Education Program”), a faculty co-advisor for the FSCJ STARS Computing Corps, and the proud owner of an autographed copy of “R for Data Science” by Hadley Wickham. Before teaching at FSCJ, Pamela worked as a Metadata Analyst with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, taught programming and software development at the University of North Florida, created and operated several small businesses, and taught high school mathematics. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.S. and from the University of North Florida with an M.S. in Computer Science. 

David Singletary is a faculty member in the School of Technology at Florida State College at Jacksonville. David is the principal investigator for the DataTEC project (NSF Grant #1902524 “Meeting Industry Needs through a Two-Year Data Science Technician Education Program”), co-designer of the A.S. in Data Science Technology program at the college, and a faculty co-advisor for the FSCJ STARS Computing Corps. He teaches courses in software development, data science, and FinTech. Although David teaches R at FSCJ, he does not own an autographed copy of “R for Data Science” by Hadley Wickham and is extremely envious of Pamela Brauda’s copy. In a previous life David was employed as a software engineer at Cisco and various startup companies in Silicon Valley. David graduated from the University of Central Florida with a B.S. and from the University of Colorado with an M.S. in Computer Science. 

AWS Cloud Practitioner

May 19-23 from 8:30am-5pm ET 

 

Description 

The AWS Cloud Practitioner course is intended for faculty who seek an overall understanding of cloud computing concepts, independent of specific technical roles. It provides a detailed overview of cloud concepts, AWS core services, security, architecture, pricing, and support, and prepares individuals for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification exam. 

Objectives  

• Understanding of the AWS global infrastructure (physical infrastructure, regions, availability zones, edge locations, etc.)  
• Understanding of the AWS billing and pricing models (pay as you go, on demand, reservations, etc.)  
• Understanding of AWS service categories (Networking, Compute, Databases, Governance, and Storage)  
• Understanding of how to attempt and pass the AWS Certification exams.   

Pre-requisites 

None required, but basic business and IT knowledge preferred. 

Required Textbook 

None. 

Suggested/Optional Textbook 

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Study Guide by Ben Piper and David Clinton, from Wiley. ISBN: 9781394235636. 

Class Location 

Columbus State – Downtown Campus, Workforce Development Building, Room TBD

Please note that content is subject to change or modification based on the unique needs of the track participants in attendance.  

Agenda 

Mon, May 19 – Course Intro, Module 1, and Module 2: 

• Introduction to course and how to complete labs  
• Module 1 - Cloud Concepts Overview  
• Module 2 - Cloud Economics and Billing 

Tue, May 20 – Module 3 and Module 4: 

• Module 3 – AWS Global Infrastructure Overview  
• Module 4 – AWS Cloud Security 

Wed, May 21 – Module 5 and Module 6: 

• Module 5 – Networking and Content Delivery Services (VPC, Route 53, and CloudFront)  
•  Module 6 – Compute Services (EC2, Lambda, and Elastic Beanstalk) 

Thu, May 22 – Module 7, Module 8, and Module 9: 

• Module 7 – Storage Services (EBS, S3, and EFS)  
• Module 8 – Databases Services (RDS, DynamoDB, Redshift, and Aurora)  
• Module 9 - Cloud Architecture & The Well-Architected Framework 

Fri, May 23 – Module 10 and Course Wrap-Up: 

• Module 10 – Auto Scaling and Monitoring Services (Elastic Load Balancing, CloudWatch, and EC2 Auto Scaling)  
• Course Wrap-Up 

Instructor 

Mr. Asad Ahmad Khan, MSIT is a Full Time Lecturer of Information Technology at Georgia Gwinnett College, part of the University System of Georgia. He currently teaches the senior level ITEC 4000 – Cloud Computing Technologies course, aimed at preparing students for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification exam, as well as Digital Media and Introductory IT courses. He is the former Program Director of the Networking Specialist program and Dean Liaison in the Computer Sciences Division at Gwinnett Technical College, where he served for almost 3 years in these roles, until July 2024. He currently teaches as a Part Time Faculty of Computer Sciences and AWS at Gwinnett Tech. He has built and taught four different AWS courses for Gwinnett Tech, as an AWS Accredited Educator.  He has taught AWS certification prep courses to students from across Georgia’s technical college system, state employees across Georgia’s state agencies, and instructors in the CCN for the last five years.  He managed the AWS, CompTIA, and Microsoft Learn Academies for the college as well. He currently possesses 35 certificates in IT, including 16 in Cloud Computing (Azure, Google Cloud, CompTIA, and Oracle Cloud), as well as the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, AWS Certified AI Practitioner, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, and the AWS Certified Developer Associate.   

Proxmox VE Workshop Using NDG NETLAB

May 19-23 from 8:30am-5pm ET 

 

Description 

The Proxmox VE Workshop is a 5-day workshop where you will have the opportunity to use Network Development Group’s (NDG) new hands-on lab libraries, designed to empower IT professionals, instructors, and students with the knowledge and skills to master the Proxmox Virtual Environment (VE).  Proxmox VE is a robust, open-source server virtualization platform that enables seamless management of virtual machines and containers, utilizing Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) and Linux Containers (LXC).  

You will be using the two new Proxmox lab libraries, Proxmox VE 8: Setup and Management and Proxmox VE 8: Advanced Proxmox Management.  These comprehensive Proxmox lab libraries, crafted by NDG, aims to support academic institutions in providing valuable learning opportunities to their students and local communities seeking open-source virtualization solutions. The two lab libraries feature thirty-three detailed labs and two challenge labs, guiding learners through the installation, setup, and management of Proxmox VE 8. 

Objectives  

• • Install and Configure Proxmox VE 8
  • Deploy and Modify Virtual Machines and Containers
  • Understand Local and Network Storage
  • Explain Backup Solutions
  • Understand User Management
  • Summarize Monitoring and Alerts
  • Identify key Security and Data Encryption concepts

Pre-requisites 

None required, but basic business and IT knowledge preferred. 

Required Textbook 

None. 

Suggested/Optional Textbook 

• Proxmox VE 8 Practical Book, Ralf-Peter Lkeinert, DIGITALeady Publishing  
• ISBN: 979-8334-4810426  
• Amazon: Link Here

Class Location 

Columbus State – Downtown Campus, Workforce Development Building, Room TBD

Please note that content is subject to change or modification based on the unique needs of the track participants in attendance.  

Agenda 

Mon, May 19 – Introduction to Virtualization: 

• Why is it important?  
• Types of Hypervisiors  
• Comparison of Proxmox to VMware  
• Teaching Proxmox /Curriculum / Use Cases  
• Proxmox Setup and Management Lab Set Part 1
  • Lab 1: Accessing the Lab Environment  
  • Lab 2: Installing Proxmox VE  
  • Lab 3: Basic Setup and Configuration  
  • Lab 4: Users, Groups, and Permissions  
  • Lab 5A: Deploying Virtual Machines  
  • Lab 5B: Deploying Containers  
  • Lab 6: Modifying Virtual Machines and Containers  
  • Lab 7: Cloning and Container Templates  
  • Lab 13: Command Line Interface (CLI) 

Tue, May 20 – Proxmox Setup and Management Lab Set Part 2: 

• Lab 8: Local Storage  
• Lab 9: Networked Storage  
• Lab 10: Backup  
• Lab 11: Proxmox Backup Server  
• Lab 12: Networks  
• Lab 14: Clustering and High Availability   
• Lab 15: Challenge Lab 

Wed, May 21 – Proxmox Advanced Configuration and Management Part 1: 

• Lab 1A: Importing Virtual Machines from VMWare ESXi  
• Lab 1B: Importing Virtual Machines from Microsoft Hyper-V  
• Lab 1C: Importing Virtual Machines from XenServer  
•  Lab 1D: Importing Virtual Machines from Virtualbox  
• Lab 02: Advanced User Management  
• Lab 03: Management within the Proxmox VE API Interface  
• Lab 04: Creating non-Linux VMs  
• Lab 05: Configuring and Using Hookscripts & Snippets 

Thu, May 22 – Proxmox Advanced Configuration and Management Part 2: 

• Lab 6: Exploring Configuration Files  
• Lab 7: Advanced Monitoring and Alerts  
• Lab 8: Virtual Machine and Container Monitoring  
• Lab 9: Virtual Machine and Container Viewing  
• Lab 10: Cloud-Init Configuration  
• Lab 11: Data Encryption  
• Lab 12: Advanced Networking & Switching  
• Lab 13: Ceph and Distributed Storage 

Fri, May 23 – Proxmox Advanced Configuration and Management Part 3: 

• Lab 14: Challenge Lab 

Instructor 

Bill Saichek is Professor Emeritus of Computer Science and Information Technology at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California.  Bill has worked in the computer industry since 1976 and has been teaching networking, communications, operations and security classes since 1991.. He has also taught networking and communications classes for Chapman University, El Camino College, Long Beach City College, and is currently teaching at San Jose State University and Cuyamaca College.  Bill holds Bachelors and Masters of Science degrees in Computer Science from the University of California, Irvine and holds several networking certifications. In addition, he works with Network Development Group presenting workshops, installing NETLAB systems, and working on new curriculum and labs.  He has given presentations around the country on teaching networking topics as varied as Cloud Computing, Voice Over IP, IPv6, virtualizaion and the Internet of Things. 

Schedule

Monday, May 19

Time	Activity	Location
8:00am - 8:30am ET	Continental Breakfast & Check-in	WD 4th Floor
8:30am-12noon ET (10:30am ET break)	Class	WD 3rd Floor
12noon-1:00pm ET	Networking Lunch	WD 4th Floor
1:00pm-5:00pm ET (3:00pm ET break)	Class	WD 3rd Floor

Tuesday, May 20

Time	Activity	Location
8:00am - 8:30am ET	Continental Breakfast	WD 4th Floor
8:30am-12noon ET (10:30am ET break)	Class	WD 3rd Floor
12noon-1:00pm ET	Networking Lunch	WD 4th Floor
1:00pm-5:00pm ET (3:00pm ET break)	Class	WD 3rd Floor

Wednesday. May 21

Time	Activity	Location
8:00am - 8:30am ET	Continental Breakfast	WD 4th Floor
8:30am-12noon ET (10:30am ET break)	Class	WD 3rd Floor
12noon-1:00pm ET	Networking Lunch	WD 4th Floor
1:00pm-5:00pm ET (3:00pm ET break)	Class	WD 3rd Floor

Thursday, May 22

Time	Activity	Location
8:00am - 8:30am ET	Continental Breakfast	WD 4th Floor
8:30am-12noon ET (10:30am ET break)	Class	WD 3rd Floor
12noon-1:00pm ET	Networking Lunch	WD 4th Floor
1:00pm-5:00pm ET (3:00pm ET break)	Class	WD 3rd Floor

Friday, May 23

Time	Activity	Location
8:00am - 8:30am ET	Continental Breakfast	WD 4th Floor
8:30am-12noon ET (10:30am ET break)	Class	WD 3rd Floor

Resources

Travel Information

Stipend Policy – Ohio 2025

NOTICE: We have updated the policies. Read carefully before you begin booking. Do NOT book your travel arrangements until your Working Connections seat is confirmed. For situations not addressed in the details below, please contact us at nitic@cscc.edu.  

Eligibility 

• You must attend all days of Working Connections to request a stipend. 
• Participants who live less than 60 miles from the workshop location are not eligible for the stipend unless they receive prior approval. You may contact us for a campus parking pass. 
• Columbus State employees are not eligible to receive a stipend for attending Working Connections at Columbus State.  
• The stipend will be issued to you personally. Payment cannot be made to an institution. 
• We are unable to arrange travel for you and cannot work with your institution to arrange your travel. 
• The payment is considered income; you will receive a 1099.  

Supplier Form  

• A CSCC supplier form must be completed prior to attending. Once your registration is confirmed, a link for this form will be emailed to you. 
• If you attended in-person Working Connections in 2024, and your contact information has not changed, you will not need to fill this out again. 

Travel Stipend Form 

• A link for the Travel Stipend Form will be emailed to attendees on the last day of Working Connections. 
• Take note of the completion deadline provided in the email. The window for completing this form will run for approximately one week. No stipends can be issued after the deadline. 
• The stipend will be issued as a check mailed to the address on the supplier form AFTER travel. Please allow 30 days for processing. 
• You will use the following to calculate your stipend amount (see details below):  
  • AirFare Total or Mileage __
  • Hotel Total Cost __
  • Incidentals $750
    • Total = __

Airfare 

• Book the flight for yourself directly. You will need to provide a copy of your receipt when you submit your travel stipend form. 
• We cannot reimburse you for unused tickets. 
• If you check a bag, provide receipt and include in your total. 
• Conserve funds where possible: 
  • Book early; if possible, 4+ weeks in advance 
  • No first class/business class seats 
  • No pre-paid seat (unless needed for an accommodation) 
  • No priority boarding or in-flight entertainment costs 
  • You may select the time and stops that work best for you; no need to get the cheapest possible on that day. 
  • If your flight is over $700, please contact NITIC for prior approval. 

Mileage: 

• If you are driving to the training, you may submit mileage. Do not calculate mileage if you are flying. 
• Use Google maps to calculate the roundtrip from your home address to the location of the workshop. 
• You will calculate the round-trip mileage at the GSA rate of .70. 
• Prior approval is needed if you are traveling from an address that is different than what is listed on your CSCC supplier form.  
• If you are making the daily commute to the workshop from over 60 miles away, you may be reimbursed for daily mileage. 
• Prior approval is needed if you are driving over 500 miles; we will request a cost comparison for flying.  

Hotel: 

• Book your hotel directly. You may find your own or use one where we have a courtesy block. You will need to provide your hotel receipt when you submit your travel form. 
• NITIC will only reimburse for the workshop timeframe (5 nights). You may check in the night before the training, and you must check out on the last day of the training. Additional nights will be at your own expense. 
• The max nightly rate must not be more than our highest courtesy block rate. If you choose to stay somewhere more expensive, you must cover the difference. 
• If you park a car at the hotel, this should not be included in your receipt.  

Incidentals: 

• A blanket stipend amount of $750 will be provided for ground transportation, parking (airport/hotel/campus), meals not provided by the training, and to offset tax.  
• For those who fly, rideshare is the recommended method of ground transportation. It is readily available and the most economical. If you wish to rent a car, the additional costs will be at your own expense.

Travel Details

Working Connections Location 

• Columbus State Community College 
• Center for Workforce Development (WD) 
• 315 Cleveland Ave., Columbus, OH 43215 
• 3rd Floor – Classroom Labs, 4th Floor – Breakfast, Lunch & Breaks 

Columbus State Parking 

• CSCC, Lot 27-S  
• 385 McCoy St., Columbus, OH 43215 
• Columbus State Parking Policy 
• Cost: $12.00/day 
• Pay via parking.com app – Follow the posted instructions on the lot signage 

Airport 

• John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) 
• 4600 International Gateway 
• Columbus, OH 43219 
• Distance to Downtown: 8 miles (11 min ride) 

Ground Transportation 

Rideshares, such as Uber or Lyft, are readily available and the most economical option  

Hotels – Courtesy Blocks 

Canopy By Hilton Columbus Downtown Short North 

• 77 E. Nationwide Blvd. 
• Distance: .6 mile (12 min walk, 5 min ride) 
• Nightly Rate: $239.00 
• Booking Deadline: April 18th  
• Booking Link 

Sonesta Columbus Downtown 

• 33 E. Nationwide Blvd. 
• Nightly Rate: $199.00 
• Distance: .6 mile (12 min walk, 5 min ride) 
• Booking Deadline: April 18th  
• Booking Link 

Residence Inn Columbus Downtown 

• 36 E Gary St. 
• Nightly Rate: $210.00 
• Distance: .9 mile (20 min walk, 6 min ride) 
• Booking Deadline: April 18th  
• Booking Link 

Renaissance Columbus Downtown 

• 50 N. 3rd Street 
• Nightly Rate: $179.00-$199.00 
• Distance: .9 mile (20 min walk, 6 min ride) 
• Booking Deadline: April 18th  
• Booking Link 

The Westin Great Southern Columbus 

• 310 S High St. 
• Nightly Rate: $183.00 
• Distance: 1.5 miles (35 min walk, 9 min ride) 
• Booking Deadline: April 18th 
• Booking Link