Burgum congratulates competitors in first-ever ND Cyber Madness Middle School Tournament
Gov. Doug Burgum on Monday congratulated Horizon Middle School for taking first place in the ND Cyber Madness Middle School Tournament. Six finalists from the east competed from Grand Forks and five finalists from the west competed from Minot, with all 11 teams vying for the statewide crown on Nov. 18.
“Congratulations to top finisher Horizon Middle School and all of the competitors in the first-ever North Dakota Cyber Madness Middle School Tournament,” Gov. Doug Burgum said. “By matching their skills against their peers, they have showcased how North Dakota students are learning about cybersecurity and applying that knowledge to prepare for potential careers in this rapidly growing field.”
The ND Cyber Madness middle and high school tournaments are friendly competitions to get students involved in cybersecurity. With almost a 0% unemployment rate, jobs in cybersecurity are promising for North Dakota students.
“Cybersecurity already plays an essential role in our lives. These middle school students are setting a wonderful example to students across the state as they bring attention to something that is now essential to every student, every educator, and every parent,” said North Dakota Chief Information Officer Shawn Riley. “Congratulations to Horizon Middle School and to all the students who participated in the first-ever middle school cyber competition.”
Second place went to Fairmount Public School and third place went to St. John’s Academy. The winning teams will be awarded scholarships to the college of their choice.
The ND Cyber Madness Middle School Tournament is aligned with North Dakota’s PK-20W Initiative- Computer Science and Cyber Education | North Dakota Information Technology. Named “PK-20W” to reflect every student from pre-kindergarten through Ph.D. and workforce, it is an award-winning, statewide approach to computer science and cybersecurity education and workforce training. The PK-20W coalition is comprised of more than 40 public and private sector participants who share a goal of “Every Student. Every School. Cyber Educated.” PK-20W was also the recipient of a Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Service and was a 2020 CSO50 Award Winner.
Governor's op-ed piece: It’s time to unleash U.S. energy for a safer world
On a recent trade and investment mission to Japan, we had just arrived at a Tokyo office to meet with the country’s Minister of the Environment when news broke that North Korea had fired a ballistic missile toward the island nation.
While that missile landed harmlessly in the sea, this brazen act left a trail of fear that is all too familiar to Japan, South Korea and our other allies in Asia.
Yet also frightening is the thought of Japan today being entirely dependent on importing the energy it requires through shipping routes in the South China Sea – the main supply chain for Japan's energy and one of the most disputed regions on Earth – or seeing how a dictator like Vladimir Putin can profit from unprovoked war by weaponizing energy against our allies in Western Europe.
As our trade and investment delegation pitched North Dakota agricultural products and energy solutions including carbon capture to the senior executives of more than 150 leading Japanese companies and organizations with a combined market value of well over $1 trillion, it became clear that Japan is not only eager but determined to gain energy security and food security from the United States and other allies so they can reduce their dependency on China, Russia and the Middle East.
North Dakota is poised to play a key role in meeting those needs – if we can clear the roadblocks in our way.
Take liquefied natural gas (LNG), for example: As European countries impacted by Putin’s war look to the eastern United States as a long-term supplier of LNG, Japan is looking to the United States’ west coast. And North Dakota stands ready to be a major supplier of LNG and other energy products to Japan, which in 2019 was the world’s largest importer of LNG.
For global stability, our national security, and the national security of our strategic allies, we must overcome the ideological battles surrounding fossil fuels and build the needed infrastructure to supply western Europe and get our North Dakota resources such as oil, gas and hydrogen (transported as ammonia) to the West Coast for export to Japan.
On a federal level, we should be supporting – nay, insisting – that this connection is built to the Pacific, instead of allowing state and federal bureaucracies to block critical new infrastructure with burdensome red tape and overreaching regulations.
Japan is a country of 126 million people packed into an area almost exactly the same size as North Dakota and South Dakota combined. Oil accounts for about 40% of Japan's total energy supply, yet the country imports nearly 100% of its oil and gas and more than 60% of its calories from food, making it a key market for North Dakota.
We should be selling energy to our friends and allies versus buying it from our adversaries. Thanks to our focus on innovation over regulation, North Dakota is well-positioned to meet our own energy needs and those of our allies, but it's up to all of us to make it happen. Nothing less than global stability and national security – Japan’s and our own – depends on it.
Burgum shares gratitude on Thanksgiving
Gov. Burgum issued the following statement on Thanksgiving:
"As North Dakotans across the state gather with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving, we share gratitude for the multitude of blessings bestowed upon our state and its people, from an abundance of natural resources to the freedom to pursue opportunity, to the people who dedicate their lives to serving others and uplifting our communities. This Thanksgiving, we challenge all North Dakotans to actively share in this holiday of thanks – in addition to celebrating with your loved ones, invest time helping your communities and seek opportunities to express your gratitude for the incredible gifts we’ve been given in our great state."
SAVE THE DATE!
Seventh annual Governor's Summit on Innovative Education scheduled for Aug. 15, 2023, in West Fargo
Gov. Burgum announced the date for the 2023 Governor's Summit on Innovative Education, which will take place Aug. 15, 2023, in West Fargo.
The Governor’s Summit on Innovative Education provides a platform to bring together stakeholders across North Dakota communities to share existing ideas and practices, inspire new ones and empower networks that support transformation. The free summit is part of Innovative Education Week, which includes IgniteND.
More information regarding registration and award nominations will be available in the coming weeks.