AUGUSTA, GA — The Fort Gordon Cyber District once again demonstrated its national leadership in youth cybersecurity education as schools from across the region captured an overwhelming percentage of top honors during the 2026 CyberPatriot State Round Competitions, held December 11–14, 2025.
Middle and high school teams from Georgia and South Carolina earned first-, second-, and third-place finishes across multiple divisions, reinforcing the region’s reputation as a powerhouse for developing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
CyberPatriot, the nation’s premier youth cyber education program created by the Air & Space Forces Association, inspires K-12 students to pursue careers in cybersecurity and other STEM disciplines. Through hands-on competition, students take on the role of IT professionals tasked with securing computer systems, identifying vulnerabilities, and maintaining critical services in simulated real-world environments.
The program was launched locally in 2016 through the nonprofit CSRA Alliance for Fort Gordon, which coordinates the seven-county, two-state Fort Gordon Cyber District initiative.
A Proven National Leader in Cyber Education
The Alliance for Fort Gordon’s Cyber Education Program has a long history of excellence. In 2018, the program was designated a CyberPatriot Center of Excellence by the CyberPatriot Program Office, becoming the 15th program in the nation—and the only program in Georgia and South Carolina—to receive the distinction.
Building on that achievement, the Alliance’s Cyber Education Team was named CyberPatriot Center of Excellence of the Year for two consecutive years (2018–2019 and 2019–2020), a rare national honor.
“Our continued recognition is the direct result of the commitment and collaboration across our region,” said Tom Clark, Executive Director of the Alliance for Fort Gordon. “This success reflects the hard work of our cyber education committee, our school superintendents, and our strong business partnerships. Since launching this initiative, more than 940 middle and high school teams have been formed across our region.”
Since 2019, the Alliance for Fort Gordon/Eisenhower has also hosted free CyberPatriot Summer Camps, graduating more than 1,100 students from basic and advanced programs—further strengthening the local cybersecurity talent pipeline.
2026 CyberPatriot State Winners
Fort Gordon Cyber District Schools
Aiken County, South Carolina
Highland Springs Middle School
- Riverhawks 2 — 1st Place State Award, Middle School
- Riverhawks 1 — 3rd Place State Award, Middle School
Midland Valley High School
- MVHS NJROTC Team Alpha — 3rd Place State, Gold Division
Paul Knox Middle School
- Notorious With I.P. — 2nd Place State Award, Middle School
South Aiken High School
- CYBER OHANA – 1 — 2nd Place, Silver Tier
- South Aiken HS Team — 3rd Place, Silver Tier
Columbia County, Georgia
Augusta Preparatory Day School
- CyberCavs Blue Pumpkin — 3rd Place, Middle School
Greenbrier High School
- USS BOSN — 1st Place State, All Service Division (Platinum)
Qualified for National Semifinals - ZIF Switch — 1st Place State, Open Division
- Wolfpack Byte Brigade: I²E²JM Unit — 1st Place, Middle School
- The Circuits — 2nd Place, Middle School
Greenbrier Middle School
Grovetown High School
- GT3 — 1st Place State, Gold Division
Looking Ahead to National Competition
Several winning teams have advanced to the CyberPatriot National Semifinal Competition, scheduled for January 22–24, 2026, where they will compete against the top teams from across the nation.
About the Fort Gordon Cyber District
The Fort Gordon Cyber District is a regional economic development initiative spanning two states and seven counties in Georgia and South Carolina. The district supports both defense and private-sector innovation and is home to some of the nation’s most critical cyber assets, including the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence, Army Cyber Command, NSA Georgia, and the Georgia Cyber Innovation & Training Center.
Together, these institutions—and the students rising through programs like CyberPatriot—form a robust and growing cyber research, education, and innovation ecosystem.