BlackGirlsHack Foundation (BGHF) was established as a 501(c)(3) organization in 2020 by a Black woman who wanted to bridge the gap between the education that is provided by universities and the job requirements sought by organizations as it relates to cybersecurity careers. BGHF’s mission is to increase diversity, inclusion, and representation within the cybersecurity profession by upskilling Black women and girls in ethical hacking. Additionally, BGHF addresses the training needs of its target audience and others who aspire to acquire ethical hacking skills. Diversity and inclusion in the cybersecurity space is important because diverse backgrounds, experiences, and vantage points drive innovation, improve artificial intelligence & machine learning, opens opportunities for career paths that previously have not been explored in traditional classroom settings. BGHF provides educational services to members of the community that are interested in cybersecurity, youth that do not have exposure to cybersecurity concepts, and the global hacking community who are systematically at a disadvantage by meeting them where they are and developing and delivering programs that bridge the gap between education and meaningful employment.

We Got Next Cyber is an educational initiative for underserved 9th-12th grade students. The program, which targets underserved students aims to introduce ethical hacking and careers in cybersecurity, with the opportunity to test and pass an entry-level cybersecurity certification. The We Got Next Cyber program is an 18-week long Saturday school program that provides youth with a customized ethical hacking lesson plan based upon the trusted cybersecurity curriculum provided by cyber.org. The cyber.org curriculum is divided into providing instruction on cybersecurity fundamentals and teaching the students the CompTIA security+ certification content. The established curriculum includes Linux, cybersecurity, cryptography, malware, and other cybersecurity-related units. In addition to the five core modules, the students will have three custom-developed modules, including Ethical Hacking, Cybersecurity Domains, and Capture the Flag, making the program 8 modules. In addition, the We Got Next Cyber program has a hands-on lab-based component for each module which will provide hands-on skills that help make the students employable after graduation. After the conclusion of the program, the students will be provided with a voucher for the CompTIA Security+ certification, which is the minimum certification required for government contracting work in the D.C. Metropolitan area. The We Got Next Cyber program provides STEM-based exposure, job-related skills, and certifications that help to improve the employability of one of the cybersecurity industry’s most unrepresented populations. This not only helps to provide exposure to STEM-based careers, but it also helps to increase diversity in Cyber, which has been shown to help organizations increase their bottom lines and improve their business outcomes.