About the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Northern Virginia Node

Skilled cybersecurity experts and innovative technologies are needed to protect the world from malicious cyber-attacks that threaten everything from individual privacy to infrastructure and national security. In reponse, the Commonwealth of Virginia has established the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI), a highly-connected network of organizations, each led by an institution of higher education with four regional nodes spanning the state. CCI Northern Virginia Node (CCI NoVa Node) comprises Northern Virginia's universities and colleges and private, nonprofit, and government organizations, all sharing a commitment to building capacity in cybersecurity.

Internship Program Overview

George Mason University (Mason) is the lead institution of higher education for the CCI NoVa Node. Through a grant funded by CCI NoVa Node, Mason is exclusively partnering with the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation to create a unique internship program for high school students which provides professional skills training and the opportunity to explore cyber careers, with the goal of expanding the future pipeline of cybersecurity professionals. 

CCI is available to rising high school seniors and rising first year college/university students in Northern Virginia who are 17+ and interested in exploring cyber security as a possible career option. Selected applicants will participate in:

• A three-day, in-person professional skills training boot camp conducted by the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation
• A six-week internship placement in a cyber-related business (virtual, hybrid or in-person, depending on company) 
• Five, one-hour progress reviews with the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation during industry placement  

The CCI internship includes a student stipend of $2,650 upon successful completion of the internship. 

Internship Outline:

The CCI Internship is a 7 week internship consisting of a three-day Professional Skills Bootcamp and a six-week internship placement at a cyber related business. 

The three-day bootcamp will consist of various professional skills training including budgeting, communications, presentation skills, strategic planning etc. Interns will also have the opportunity to engage with cybersecurity experts and explore topics like cyber threats, hacking, cyber research and more. The in-person bootcamp will take place from Monday June 22, 2027 through Thursday June 24, 2027.

During the six-week placement with a cyber business, interns will be paired with a business that best aligns with their skillsets. Interns will be able to obtain hands-on experience exploring various fields of cybersecurity including computer programming, cybersecurity, data anaytics, information technology, network security etc. The five-week internship maybe hybrid, virtual, or in-person depending on the company the student is paired with. Previous partners include CACI International, Chainbridge Solutions, Leidos, Mantech, NT Concepts, Widelity and many more. 

Attendance in the three-day bootcamp and six-week business placement is mandatory. Applicants should plan any vacation travel after the end of the internship program to avoid any conflicts with the bootcamp or business placement. The last day of the internship will be Friday, August 6, 2027.

Requirements:

Applicants must:

• Attend a high school and reside in Northern Virginia;
• Be 17 years or older by Monday, June 28, 2027;
• A rising senior or rising first year college/university student (Current junior/senior);
• Be available for the three-day professional skills bootcamp from June 22 through June 24, 2027; and
• Be available for the six-week internship placement from June 28 through August 6, 2027.

Interviews:

All applicants will be notified of their interview status on or before Monday, November 16, 2026.

Selected applicants will be invited to attend an in-person interview at the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation offices. Interviews will take place on Saturday, December 5, 2026.  

To Apply:

Applications are due by 5:00 pm on October 31, 2026. Before you begin your application, please ensure you are available June 22-24, 2027 for the 3-day Professional Skills Bootcamp and from June 28, 2027 through August 6, 2027 for your 6-week business placement in order to successfully complete the internship. Additionally, have the following items ready:

• Cover Letter 
• Resume
• Reference Letter (This can be from a teacher, guidance counselor, professional etc.) If you are unable to obtain a copy of your letter, please have them submit it using the form link below. 

Reference Letter Submission Form: https://form.jotform.com/253036167904053 

You will not be able to submit an application without uploading your Cover Letter and Resume. Resume and Reference Letter must be submitted as pdf files. Cover letter must be transcibed into written text as part of the application.

Check out our Resume and Cover Letter Tips for more resources on how to prepare for your application.

Using AI to generate answers to essay questions or your cover letter is highly discouraged. If an application is detected as AI-generated, you can be disqualified from the application process. AI is a tool and when used, should assist your responses, not create them.

This application may be evaluated using an automated system, including Artificial Intelligence (AI). The use of AI is intended to assist our team in screening and sorting applications with reduced bias. No personal identifying information will be stored or used by our AI agent. All applications will also be reviewed by a team member. 

The following questions are optional and are used for collection purposes only. They will not be used in the decision making process.