COLUMBIA, MD—On an early Saturday morning amidst the rain near Ft. Meade, Maryland, industry experts and regional BDPA™ Chapters actively engaged in the preparation and mentorship of BDPA™ Members, parents, interns, and new BDPA™ student members from regional HBCUs andhigh schools during the weekend’s annual Earth Day Tech Summit sessions.

“Guardians of the Globe” have to be very smart about cyber and security! We must keep ourselves, our skillsets, our training, and secure our data first before we can protect others.“
^{— Darnell Washington, CEO SecureXperts}

CyberEarth ’25 and annual BDPA™ tech summits are a series of professionaly delivered advance program briefings to Industry (APBI) and interns (APBi). This year’s tour of the Technology Advancement Center (TAC), the National Cryptologic Museum (NCM), CyberEarth info sessions, and related cybersecurity topics included: Encryption, Firewalls, GPS spoofing, Network Security, OPSEC, PQC, Quantum Safe, Zero Trust, and overiews of related current events.

About CyberEarth™

In 2017, BDPA™ of Greater Washington, D.C. (bdpadc.org), a community trade association dedicated to supporting information and communications technology (ICT) community engagements, introduced an Earth Day-themed technology and cyber career summit, referred to as CyberEarth ’17. This year’s event, CyberEarth ’25, enables aspiring technology professionals and those exploring ICT career options—encompassing college students, community college attendees, vocational technology learners, high school students, JROTC members, and GED program participants—to forge new connections, launch tech startups, and engage with industry mission partners.

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Annually, executives from industry and government, as well as IT professionals and cybersecurity specialists serving as mentors or presenters, are invited to lead round-table discussions or fireside workshops. These events engage new BDPA™ Student Members, transitioning veterans, returning citizens, graduate students, and general audiences in conversations about emerging technologies across the Air, Land, Sea, Space, and Cyber domains.

About BDPA™

Established in 1975 as Black Data Processing Associates by the late Earl A. Pace, Jr. and the late David Wimberly, BDPA™ was driven by a vision to create opportunities for underrepresented professionals in the data processing industry. Over the last fifty years, BDPA™ has expanded into a global organization with over 40 chartered chapters, focusing on fostering innovation, professional development, and leadership in the fields of I.T., Software Engineering, Cybersecurity, and STEM.

​BDPA™ continues to play a vital role in empowering the future leaders of our digital workforce transformation through its mentorship programs, scholarships, and the Student I.T. Education & Scholarship (SITES) initiatives. This includes the national High School Computer Competition (HSCC) and the I.T. Showcase (ITSC). As it commemorates 50 years with Golden Anniversary events in 2025, BDPA’s commitment to education, training, and career progression remains unwavering.​

About BDPACON ’25

BDPACONs are annual technology conferences, career expos, and STEM competitions produced by National BDPA, Inc. and co-hosted by local BDPA Chapters. Visit BDPA.org to pre-register for BDPACON ’25. New BDPA Members are invited to connect with other professionals, discover upcoming BDPA™ events, cultivate career opportunities, and review new announcements from Industry. View upcoming local BDPA™ events and archives by visiting bdpatoday.com under “Events”.

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