Institute

MCIIS and the Boys and Girls Club of Erie launched the ITI prototype in 2007 with an intelligence technology summer camp. The camp served 40 children between the ages of 12 and 16. The children spent a week at the Mercyhurst college North East campus. MCIIS students instructed and directed eight teams in research and presentation skills.  The teams researched a national security intelligence agency. At the conclusion of the week, each team delivered a presentation about their agency.

The camp was not all work. The students also had a day of activities with representatives from the U.S. Army and another day with representatives from the FBI.

The following year in 2008, the ITI established a middle school program for 7^th and 8^th grade students at two Erie locations. This program consists of a 20 weeks of instruction by intelligence studies students. The one-hour sessions help the middle school students to develop research and presentation skills within the parameters of the intelligence cycle.

MCIIS added a four-year concentration in intelligence studies at Central High school in 2009. In addition to the skills mentioned earlier, the students will master English composition, world and U.S. history, and critical thinking skills. The program’s goal is to produce graduates with skills in demand in the public and private sectors. The graduates will work not only in the field of intelligence analysis but also in local businesses and organizations.

A third educational opportunity will begin 2012 with Mercyhurst College offering an associate degree in Intelligence Technology.