How The NSA Gets Inside K-12 Classrooms
Along with running a massive surveillance apparatus, the secretive National Security Agency operates a program dedicated to getting its agents inside America’s elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. These K-12 NSA operatives guide children through math exercises, “cyber ethics,” and even mock spy games.
The NSA’s classroom initiatives are part of the Mathematics Education Partnership Program, which is described by the agency as an “outreach program to promote mathematics and science education at non-profit educational institutions.” MEPP began in the early 1990s due to concern among some at the NSA about the future of math and science education. It was apparentlycontroversial within the agency since engaging with schoolchildren was antithetical to the intense secrecy that generally surrounds the NSA’s activities.
Along with a “Cryptokids” website featuring cartoonish recruitment materials, the NSA
