Top of page

Student/Staff Portal
Global Site Navigation

School of Science

Local Section Navigation
You are here: Main Content

Girls Programming Network focuses on Cyber Security

Tuesday, 10 May 2022

Tags:
  • Girls Programming Network May 22

    Girls Programming Network May 22

Related Contents

The Term 2 GPN workshop covered the theme cybersecurity, which included coding a Password Cracker. The girls were able to increase their coding skills and learn cyber security practices, data security, hashing, storing passwords and the use of pass phrases. It is a great exercise in broadening the girls knowledge and see collaboration between volunteers, industry women and participants.

Industry women from Woodside, Cyber CX, Atlassian and North Metro TAFE offered their expertise and shared their stories. We thank Piper Gregory, Karen Ng, Fadzayi Chiwandire, Karen Hobson, Kira Malloy and Ingrid Aldum, for giving their time to sharing their knowledge with our GPN group.

It was wonderful to see our volunteers giving up their time and sharing their expertise to ensure the girls have a great depth and breadth of learning. We have now seen Taylah Griffiths and Caitlin Shaw taking on the responsibility of becoming our GPN Perth Coordinators. Dr Michelle Ellis will still oversee the delivery of GPN in Perth. Over the last three months, they have been collaborating with Manou Rosenberg and Sheree Pudney in writing and developing this workshop. It was hard work conceptualising and creating these workbooks at three different levels, however, using the design thinking process we have had success.

We were also fortunate to have a great bunch of university students who help tutor the girls and take up opportunities to be presenters, room leaders and tutors on the day. Well done to Swen Lee, Irena Ardra Vikas, Erin Castine, Shannon Castine, Hira Maqbool, Sam Criddle, and Soumita Kale.

GPN is not just about girls teaching girls programming – it is a chance for our digital technologies teachers to join us, not only to upskill, but to network, and the day cannot work without them. Another warm thanks to Michelle Chomiak for leading the Intermediate Room and making it ‘not school’, and Donna Buckley who makes the after-lunch hands on activities so enjoyable.

We received some wonderful feedback from our GPN group which included:

  • "It was pretty good and the tutors were really helpful."
  • "The coding and trying to find out how much of it I could fit on one line without anything breaking."
  • "Learning how the hashing/reverse engineering process worked."
  • "I liked being able to work independently and at my own pace while having the help I need."
  • "Nice, good to learn more about the coding/cybersecurity industry outside of a learning environment."
  • "Really fun and enjoyable, made me think, like an escape room."
  • "Super fun and addictive. I want to do more!!!!"

Share

Skip to top of page