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The West Michigan Center for Arts + Technology (WMCAT) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide a culture of opportunity for people to make social and economic progress in their lives and community. WMCAT fulfills this mission through visual arts and digital media engagement with young people, workforce development with adults, and social enterprise, Public Agency at WMCAT. Learn more at wmcat.org.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH., September 5, 2024 – The West Michigan Center for Arts + Technology (WMCAT) is excited to host the immersive presentation of Intelligent by Nature: Engineering Secure Ecosystems on Sep. 19, from 2 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. as part of Tech Week, organized by The Right Place. This captivating presentation highlights the work of students in WMCAT’s Adult Career Training Program Cybersecurity pathway as they explore the innovative world of smart agriculture. The presentation is open to the public at no cost and includes interactive demonstrations, a Q+A session with students, and light refreshments.
Through WMCAT’s instructional partner, GRCIE – GRC for Intelligent Ecosystems – students are participating in the GRCIE Green initiative, which defines an intelligent ecosystem where digital, physical, and biological components interact seamlessly through IoT and cloud computing. WMCAT students are focused on the intersection of technology and key components in land, air, sea, and space. This convergence of agriculture and technology sets the stage for work using smart agriculture to prepare communities for climate change. The work being done by WMCAT students through the GRCIE Green initiative focuses on impacting the fields of agriculture, environmental science, and critical infrastructure. Students in WMCAT’s Adult Career Training Program Cybersecurity pathway are developing and testing their skills through targeted work with smart greenhouses and aquaponics systems, weather data collection and analysis for enhanced environmental monitoring, using underwater sensors and cameras for real-time aquatic monitoring, and space weather data integration for advanced security application.
Intelligent by Nature: Engineering Secure Ecosystems will highlight students’ training in the future of cloud security, IoT, and sustainability. Learn more about the presentation and register at wmcat.org/intelligent-by-nature.
Event Schedule
2 p.m. | Introduction & Welcome
2:15 p.m. | Presentation of Intelligent by Nature: Engineering Secure Ecosystems
3:15 p.m. | Q+A Session
3:30 p.m. | Networking + Hands-on Demonstrations
Demonstrations include VR Streaming, Live Fish Cam, Space Weather Dashboards, Cybersecurity Threat Modeling, Ambient Weather Station, and Student & Program Spotlight.
Adult Career Training Program Cybersecurity Pathway at WMCAT
WMCAT is committed to connecting people to new educational and career pathways, diversifying the tech talent pipeline, and supporting inclusive growth in the region to ensure all families can thrive in the digital economy. The Cybersecurity pathway of WMCAT's Adult Career Training Program provides Kent County adults experiencing under- and unemployment the opportunity to train for thriving wage careers in the tech industry. Thank you to our 2024 Cybersecurity community partners Acrisure, Consumers Energy, Corewell Health, and Meijer for their support.
The Adult Career Training Program Cybersecurity pathway at WMCAT is currently enrolling students for the 2025 cohort. The deadline to enroll is Friday, Oct. 18. Learn more about WMCAT’s tuition-free Adult Career Training Program Cybersecurity pathway and enroll by visiting work.wmcat.org/adult-programs/cybersecurity.
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