>>>
>>> WHEN
>>> WHEN YOU PICTURE AN ONLINE HACKER A 13-YEAR-OLD IS NOT WHO
COMES TO MIND, BUT SIX TEENAGERS
FROM DEVLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL ARE
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. THEY COMPETED IN THE SEMI
FINALS OF THE NATIONAL CYBER
COMPETITION.
COMPETITION. THEY ARE GIVEN A SET OF VIRTUAL
OPERATING SYSTEMS AND THEY HAVE
TO FIND CYBER SECURITY
VULNERABILITIES.
VULNERABILITIES. IT INSPIRES STUDENTS TOWARD
CAREERS IN CYBER SECURITY.>>
NOW GIRLS GET A LOT MORE
FREEDOM TO CHOOSE WHAT THEY
WANT TO DO.
THIS IS THE PLACE TO OPEN UP
FOR FEMALES.
FOR FEMALES. AND TO CONTRIBUTE THINGS THAT
THEY DIDN'T GET TO DO.
>> THE GIRLS CAN SCHOLARSHIP
MONEY IF THEY MAKE IT TO THE
FINALS.>> THOSE YOUNG GIRLS
COULD JOIN US WEDNESDAY.
THESE LADIES HERE THAT ARE
JOINING ME.
JOINING ME. THEY ARE PART OF THE GROUP
PLANNING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S
DAY.
DAY.
DAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US.
US.
US. WE
US. WE HAVE A FEW PICTURES FROM
LAST YEAR'S EVENT.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY AND
THE CELEBRATION IN DENVER.>>
DENVER HAS BEEN LEADING
CELEBRATION FOR ABOUT SIX OR
SEVEN YEARS AND WE STARTED OUT
WITH 35 PEOPLE AT A RECEPTION
AND LAST YEAR WE HAD 800 PEOPLE.
EACH YEAR WE CHOOSE A DIFFERENT
THEME AND THIS YEAR THE THEMIS
TECHNOLOGY AND LAST YEAR THE
THEME WAS WOMEN IN SPACE AND WE
HAD AN ASTRONAUT AS OUR
SPEAKER.
SPEAKER.
SPEAKER. WE TRY TO ENGAGE YOUNGER WOMEN
IN THE CELEBRATION.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY IS
CELEBRATED ALL AROUND THE WORLD
AND IT IS RELATIVELY NEW.
IN OTHER COUNTRIES IT IS AS BIG
A HOLIDAY AS MOTHER'S DAY OR
VALENTINE'S DAY.
VALENTINE'S DAY. WE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED.>>
IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO ENGAGE
YOUNG GIRLS AND LET THEM KNOW
THAT YOU CAN BE ANYTHING YOU
WANT. ANY YOUNG GIRL THAT IS
WATCHING US, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING
AND THAT IS THE MESSAGE BEHIND
THE CELEBRATION.
THE CELEBRATION. >> LAST YEAR ONE OF THE GIRLS
WHO CAME TO THE WOMEN IN SPACE
CELEBRATION SAID TO HER TEACHER
WHEN SHE GOT BACK IT WAS THE
BEST DAY OF HER LIFE.>> AND
ANOTHER WAY WE CAN SUPPORT THEM
IS WE WANT THEM TO GET INVOLVED
AND WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED
THE BIG PITCH.>> THE BIG PITCH
IS GOING TO BE HELD ON FEBRUARY
23 AND IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR
WOMEN BEGINNING THEIR CAREER,
MAYBE THEY ARE IN SCHOOL THEY
JUST STARTED TO THINK ABOUT
GETTING INVOLVED IN TECHNOLOGY
AND WE TALK ABOUT TECHNOLOGY,
WE DON'T MEAN THEY NEED TO BE
ENGINEERS. IF YOU THINK ABOUT
WHAT TECHNOLOGY IS TODAY, IT
TOUCHES EVERYTHING WE DO.
AND SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR WOMEN
TO STEP OUT OF THEIR COMFORT
ZONE AND PARTICIPATE IN AN EVENT
AND THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT YOUR
APPLICATION IS FEBRUARY 15.
AND THE YOUNG WOMEN THAT ARE
INTERESTED NEED TO WRITE DOWN
THIS ADDRESS.
THIS ADDRESS. >> WE WILL LINK THAT ON OUR
WEBSITE.
WEBSITE.
WEBSITE. >> AND THEY SIMPLY NEED TO FILL
IN THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION
AND SUBMIT AN IDEA, 250 WORDS
OR LESS, DESCRIBING A PROBLEM
THAT THEY WANT TO SOLVE.
>> AND WE WILL HAVE YOU ON A
FEW MORE TIMES THIS MONTH
LEADING UP TO THE BIG EVENT.
IT IS SO SPECIAL AND IMPORTANT.
WE WANT WOMEN IN GENERAL TO KNOW
THAT WE CAN DO IT. THIS YEAR WE
ARE FOCUSING ON STEM AND WE
WILL HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON
9NEWS.COM.
9NEWS.COM. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING ON
AND TALKING TO US ABOUT THIS.
I HOPE THERE ARE SOME YOUNG
WOMEN ON THEIR