Girls Go CyberStart –
Only one program goes beyond educating students... it inspires them
With Girls Go CyberStart I learned so much in such a short period of time that it should be a crime. I tell all the girls in our school that GGCS is a great competition where girls can learn new skills and perhaps find a path in this field of work in the future.
Is your state involved already? Find out!
What is Girls Go CyberStart?
Girls Go CyberStart is a program to help solve a problem that is putting our nation's security at risk - and girls could play an important part in the solution.
The US needs cyber defenders because hackers threaten our day-to-day safety by attacking our hospitals, our power grid, our banks and even our schools. Right now there are over 300,00 unfilled jobs in the US because there aren't enough cybersecurity professionals. The number of unfilled cyber jobs is expected to go up to 1 million in the next 5 years.
To help fill those jobs and solve our nation's problem, we have to bring more women into cybersecurity careers. By opening Girls Go CyberStart to tens of thousands of high school girls, we can find the next generation of talented women who will excel in this critical field.
Get your state involved for GGCS 2020
Not yet committed
Committed to 2020 GGCS
Updated 14 November 2019
States currently committed: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming.
Last school year, there were 25 states on–board with more than 10,000 high school girls getting the chance to discover whether she has an aptitude for computer science and cybersecurity. Our goal in 2020 is to give every school across the country the opportunity to participate in this exciting program – and we need your help to grow! If your state isn't colored green on the map, all you need to do is ask your governor to announce it.
What can I do?
The program is free, all it takes to participate is a press release from the governor in support of Girls Go CyberStart and cyber education in their state. Your voice is important and powerful! Write an email to share how GGCS will benefit students, support school offerings, and impact you personally – you may persuade your Governor to sign-up your state for Girls Go CyberStart!
Download a Letter Writing Kit to recruit your state's participation
I had no idea what cybersecurity was but after the first few challenges, I was hooked. Whenever I had a free moment, I was working towards the goal of solving as many challenges as possible. I did not get as far as some of the other girls, but I had so much fun that I realized I had developed a strong interest in cybersecurity – so much so that I would want to college for it.
Jada, New Jersey
Resources to prep for the competition
Want to try out CyberStart Game?
Check out CyberStart Go, our sampler set of puzzles – you'll have 60 minutes to play through as many of the challenges as you can!
Need some tips?
Our new blog, Mrs. G's CyberStart Tips, will have Pop-Up practice challenges plus walk-through solutions and a regular set of 'What to know before you CyberStart' articles.
Looking for more resources?
Check out the additional resources page on the SANS website.
