CompuGirls Cyber Warriors 2021

By: Dr. Tara Nkrumah

CompuGirls Fall 2021 Cyber Warriors Camp celebrated the close of a successful 6-week session on Saturday, November 13. This virtual camp was unique in that girls based in Arizona and Maryland came together for 2.5 hours each week to explore and learn about cybersecurity threats and resources in their respective communities. Led by Arizona-based camp teacher Rachel Figard, and Maryland-based camp teacher Teanna Pearson, the 22 girls engaged in interactive and discussion-based activities about cybersecurity. A goal of CompuGirls camps is to foster critical thinking skills through integrating social issues and technology lessons. We want to embolden girls through the Cyber Warriors program to identify and disrupt systems of oppression mediated through technology so the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce becomes equitable for the learner and worker. Prior to the start of CompuGirls camps, the camp teachers attended three 2-hour sessions of culturally responsive computing professional development training.

At the Saturday, November 13 closing ceremony, CompuGirls presented a range of final projects. These diverse projects represented ideas they developed combining the cybersecurity knowledge from weekly camp meetings and social issues they identified in their communities. For example, The Gabeny Cybersecurity App illustrates a collaboration between two Maryland CompuGirls to report about any harmful cyberattacks in their community. During their presentation, they explain how this particular app could be used to access news reports and send private messages to warn people of potential risks (see figure A).

Some Compugirls created comic strips to articulate concepts related to cybersecurity. Using creative methods like comic strips and public service announcements to share knowledge and engage other girls was a common theme. In Figure B, you have an example on how to secure your smart speakers and in Figure C, the Compugirls warn readers on the perils of not checking to make sure your smart speakers are muted to avoid hackers obtaining your data.

Figure B:

Figure C:

We also had PSA videos on topics like phishing, spearphising, and doxing so viewers would know how to protect themselves from cyberattacks. In attendance to witness the great work from our Arizona and Maryland CompuGirls cohorts were family members and community leaders. Some highlights as expressed by the girls were building new friendships and having more knowledge on how to protect family and friends against cyberattacks.

Written By: Dr. Tara Nkrumah

Tara was born in Chicago, Illinois. Most of her early adult life was spent in Texas and Tennessee before moving to West Africa. After seven years, she returned to the United States from Ghana to complete her PhD. She has 13 years of teaching experience in the United States and seven years in Ghana. Her ability to successfully teach science in diverse settings by population, culture, and class is attributed to years of teaching in U.S. inner city, urban schools, and overseas at the top international school in Accra, Ghana with over 60 nationalities.Her current research on the pedagogical and theoretical development of science educators’ understanding and practice of engagement in science relies on poststructuralist perspectives, her extensive experience teaching science, and her exposure to qualitative research methods. Additionally, her training in anti-oppressive theatre, Theatre of the Oppressed, supports her examination of how popular culture and sociopolitical discourse flow through entertainment media and frame public perception about science education and/or STEM careers, particularly for underrepresented groups. Besides conducting research and presenting, she enjoys meeting new people, traveling, exercising, dancing, eating Indian food, and spending time with her husband and daughter.