The Women in Tech Subcommittee's Pop Up With Purpose Workgroup began 2026 by introducing the next generation of women in tech to the basics of cybersecurity. On Saturday, January 10, the group hosted a tech-focused badge event for Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania at Capital Blue Cross Connect in Enola. The program led Girl Scouts from the Central Pennsylvania region through short presentations and engaging activities to earn their Cybersecurity Basics Badge.

The Cybersecurity Basics Badge event guided over 33 Girl Scouts through the badge requirements, covering how to crack a code, hack a password, explore two-factor authentication, launch a man-in-the-middle attack, and examine social engineering.

Eight members of the Pop Up With Purpose work group volunteered Saturday morning to lead short sessions, diving into each of the badge steps and guiding the Girl Scouts through collaborative activities to explore the content further. One activity had the Girl Scouts use Caesar ciphers to reveal a short, hidden message in small groups, helping them crack the codes they were given.

This is the second Girl Scout badge event the Pop Up With Purpose work group has hosted with GSHPA; the first took place in January 2025. The goal of the events hosted by the Pop Up With Purpose work group is to provide the Central Pennsylvania region with purposeful, community-driven programming while spreading awareness of TCCP’s and WIT’s missions and programs.

Thank you to TCCP Chair and Board Member Sue Engels, who kicked off the day with a fun icebreaker and engaged the Girl Scouts right from the start with her positive energy and captivating leadership. This event would not have been possible without the support of the Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, TCCP, and the Women in Tech Subcommittee. Special thanks also to the Pop Up With Purpose work group volunteers: Sam Kramer-Knisely (work group lead, enGen), Jill Yocum (Capital Blue Cross), Lori Long (Capital Blue Cross), Theresa Swank (Capital Blue Cross), Rabiah Muhammad (Focal Point Business Coaching), Haripriya Tadiboyina (Highmark Health), and Lynzie Wagaman (Harrisburg University of Science and Technology).

Don’t forget to register for the first virtual Women in Tech Breakfast of 2026 on January 27 from 9:00–10:00 a.m., where attendees will develop vision boards for the year ahead.