Motivating young people to be better citizens: The leaders of tomorrow teach essential cybersecurity skills

Baton Rouge, La. (March 9, 2026) – Students in the Liberty Magnet High Army JROTC program have a motto: “Motivate young people to be better citizens.” These young leaders are becoming better citizens themselves thanks to Connected Nation’s (CN) Teens Teach Tech, powered by AT&T, program.

The JROTC is led by four veteran instructors with roughly 50 years of combined teaching experience. They have created an environment where excellence is the standard.

Excellent doesn’t even begin to describe these teens. They dominate in competitions across the state and around the nation. The cadets are regularly put in leadership positions where they must make decisions, hone their public speaking skills, and learn to manage their peers.

Cadets learn teamwork, accountability, responsibility, effective communication, discipline, and more in their education at Liberty Magnet High Army JROTC. The instructors work with each student to help mold them into future leaders.

This February, they got another exciting leadership opportunity. Kellie Dieutto, a professor at Louisiana State University (LSU), invited the JROTC team, known as “Tech Defenders,” to the college to teach cybersecurity awareness.

Thanks to the university and an AT&T-funded digital literacy initiative supported by the Public Library Association, this invitation allowed four teens from Tech Defenders to lead an in-person internet safety course for 63 students at LSU.

The session focused on many cybersecurity topics, but mainly how to read and understand the terms and conditions that come with social media. They used TikTok as an example of how personal data is collected and used, as well as the risks associated with social media platforms.

The school’s Teens Teach Tech team also addressed ways to stay safe on the internet, including how to combat cyber threats. They taught participants about many scams, including phishing, quishing, skimming, and ghost tapping.

The Tech Defenders showed the LSU students how to recognize red flags and spot a scam quickly. They also shared how to prevent cyber threats before they happen by applying essential strategies to protect personal, financial, and sensitive information.

This workshop improved the lives of not only the LSU participants, helping protect them from having their personal data stolen, but also changed the lives of the cadets.

Through interactive activities and discussion, the teen instructors grew in their leadership skills, professionalism, digital responsibility, and technical knowledge as they presented to a class of young adults.

Something as simple as a short training session can go a long way in helping young people become better citizens. This unique opportunity allows them to give back to their community and become stronger leaders in the process.

If you want to influence the future groundbreakers of your own community, set up a Teens Teach Tech team today!