‘Girls Go CyberStart’ competition includes Indiana
Indiana high school and college women may participate in a nationwide cyber-based learning challenge.
Gov. Eric Holcomb announced the 2019 Girls Go CyberStart challenge last month after Indiana was one of 16 states to participate in the inaugural event in 2018. More than 6,500 girls participated nationwide, including more than 400 Hoosier high school students.
The program has expanded to 26 states this year and now includes a collegiate competition. The challenge aims to encourage young women to explore careers in computer science and cyber security — an area the country faces a deep shortage in.
High school girls can register for Girls Go CyberStart now through March 20 at girlsgocyberstart.org. College students can register in a separate challenge called Cyber FastTrack beginning April 5 and can start playing immediately. No prior cybersecurity knowledge or IT experience is necessary.
Students who excel in both the CyberStart Game and CyberStart Essentials, an online course that extends the learning of the game, are eligible to win $2.5 million in scholarships for advanced cybersecurity training and to be introduced to employers for internships and jobs in the field.
