Stop signs will soon be seen at Elmhurst intersections when crossing guards guide students to their destination. The city of Elmhurst is hiring crossing guards for the coming school year. The starting wage is $12.86 an hour. Applications are online at elmhurst.org.

COUNTY

COD cited for excellence in cyber defense

College of DuPage has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Two-Year Education (CAE-CDE 2Y) through academic year 2022 by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

The CAE-CDE 2Y designation promotes higher education and research in cyber defense to reduce vulnerability in the United States’ information infrastructure, as well as producing a growing number of professionals with cyber defense expertise in various disciplines. Open to regionally accredited two-year institutions in the U.S., the CAE-CDE 2Y designation validates the academic rigor of the recognized program and provides significantly increased opportunities for collaboration and additional funding.

Housed within the college’s CIT program, the Center for Cyber Defense Education is dedicated to the development, promotion and support of education, collaboration and innovation in security technologies and management, information security assurance and digital forensics across multiple academic and professional disciplines.

Students win national video game competition

Lexie Wilterdink of Bloomingdale and Tucker Wolf of Itasca won gold medals in Interactive Application and Video Game Development (College Division) at the 2017 SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference.

Wilterdink and Wolf, along with Adel Labadi of Lombard and Sam Wohlrab of Bloomingdale, spent more than five months developing a virtual reality-enabled game called Fracture. The four-member team took a silver medal in the SkillsUSA state competition behind another College of DuPage team, consisting of Rafael Lameter of LaGrange and Dan Murphy of Downers Grove. However, the state champions were unable to attend the national competition, and because only two-member teams can compete at nationals, Wilterdink and Wolf were selected to present their team’s game.

The SkillsUSA competition consisted of an exam, which covered game design, game art and programming questions; documentation, which included marketing materials; and a demonstration of the game itself to show functionality, complexity and artistry.

Fracture is the brainchild of Wilterdink, who wanted a game that could both educate people about mental illness while entertaining them with a horror-based scenario. She created a storyline about a man with Alzheimer’s who, in a moment of lucidity, realizes that something is wrong in his home.

HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 87

Glenbard counseling programs honored for excellence

Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream and Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn are now certified as Recognized ASCA Model Program schools by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). This designation recognizes schools that ensure school counseling departments meet the needs of all students through data collection and analysis, goal setting and measuring, and evaluation and improvement of all that school counselors provide to students. Glenbard North and Glenbard West were honored for making an exemplary commitment to comprehensive school counseling programs.

ELMHURST

City is hiring crossing guards

The city of Elmhurst is looking to hire regular and relief crossing guards for the coming school year. Regular crossing guards will work up to 25 hours per week during the school season, while relief crossing guards cover vacancies on an on-call, as needed basis, working approximately three hours per day.

The starting wage is $12.86 an hour. Those interested can submit applications online at City of Elmhurst employment opportunities at elmhurst.org.

Crossing guards are needed to safely guide students as they cross to and from school at various locations. Standing for extended periods of time, in all kinds of weather, is a requirement of the job.

NAPERVILLE

Tour de Naperville is for young cyclists

The fifth annual Junior Tour de Naperville is coming Aug. 12 to Commissioners Park, 3704 111th St., Naperville. Hosted by the Naperville Park District, the event gives children ages 3-10 the opportunity to ride their bicycles, Big Wheels or tricycles around a 1.2-mile trail, cheered on by family and friends.

The event began in 2013 to commemorate the 100th edition of the famous Tour de France.

There will be separate starts for younger and older participants: the 3- to 5-year-olds will start at 9 a.m. followed by the 6- to 10-year-olds at 9:30 a.m. Parents may walk or ride along with their younger children; older children can challenge themselves by seeing how many times they can go around the path.

Each participating child must register for the event and will receive a yellow T-Shirt. Fee is $17 for Naperville residents and $25 for non-residents. Registration for the Junior Tour de Naperville is in progress. Go to napervilleparks.org.

STATE

New highway map now smartphone-compatible

The new Illinois Official Highway Map, featuring Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site in Petersburg on the cover, is now available.

The 2017-18 maps have QR (quick response) codes for numerous transportation and travel websites, updated route information and useful links.

Smartphone users can scan the QR codes printed on the maps for pertinent and timely information during their travels.

QR codes access the following information:

· Getting Around Illinois website,

· Amtrak and Illinois high-speed rail websites,

· Start Seeing Motorcycles website,

· Chicago and St. Louis traffic websites,

· Alternative fuels website,

· Enjoy Illinois website,

· Illinois Scenic Byways,

· Illinois Amber Alert and

· Illinois State Police Scott’s Law (“move over law”).

Made possible by funding from the Federal Highway Administration, the Illinois Official Highway Map is published by the Illinois Department of Transportation every two years on recycled paper with soybean oil-based inks. Contact DOT.maps@illinois.gov to request a map. Free copies also will be available at interstate rest areas and the IDOT tent at the Illinois State Fair, Aug. 10-20.

–DuPage County News Briefs–