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Together, we will empower girls through the launch of the nation’s first high school-based National Security Clinics on Chicago’s Southside.

CHICAGO, IL (October 11, 2024) Girl Security, a national nonprofit advancing girls, women, and gender minorities in security pathways, has been recognized by the Girls Opportunity Alliance, a program of the Obama Foundation. Girl Security will receive funding and organizational support to reach even more girls in Chicago, IL. 

For over a century, women have remained underrepresented across the national security sector, hindering their economic and societal impact potential in this consequential realm. Of the many national security pathways, women currently represent less than one quarter of the STEM workforce including cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. A lack of visible role models and access to national security learning and training has impeded the aspirations of girls’ and women’s advancement in the field. 

In collaboration with the Girls Opportunity Alliance, Girl Security will launch the nation’s first National Security Clinics for high school girls on Chicago’s South Side, leveraging Girl Security’s flagship Workforce Training Program. This 15-Week hybrid program will be in partnership with Back of the Yards Preparatory High School (BOYCP) and Peace and Education Coalition Schools, combining 12 weeks of e-learning with weekly on-site facilitation. Participants will develop skills in Structured Analytic Techniques, Computational Thinking, and Logic, while also building competencies in fields such as cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Participants will also engage in professional development clinics focused on interviewing, networking, project management, and more. Girls will receive a stipend for the completion of the program and will gain access to a network of girls and national security experts in their community and across the nation. 

“Girls and young women grow up being taught to fear everything, but secured from nothing. Girls – and especially girls from Chicago – have unique sets of skills and insights that can inform a new future for national security, one that results in a more representative workforce for our nation and one that yields more equitable security solutions for the world. Together with the Girls Opportunity Alliance, we aim to provide meaningful and measurable access to opportunity for this inspiring community of girls,” explained Girl Security Founder and CEO, Lauren Bean Buitta.

Girl Security was founded in Chicago and grown nationally over the last five years. With the introduction of the National Security Clinics, Girl Security further cements its role as the leading force driving meaningful change across the security sector. 

For additional information about Girl Security and our Workforce Development Program and Clinics, please visit https://www.girlsecurity.org/ 

About Girl Security

Girl Security is a national, nonprofit organization that promotes the inclusion and advancement of girls, women, and gender minorities from diverse communities in the security sector. Through a holistic approach that includes early-stage mentorship, financially-supported workforce training, and supportive professional advancement services, Girl Security is advancing generations of youth who have long been excluded from this consequential sector. Through a series of industry-level initiatives designed to join youth alongside thought leaders and decision makers, Girl Security is driving a new, more sustainable model for the future of the security sector.

About the Girls Opportunity Alliance

The Girls Opportunity Alliance, a program of the Obama Foundation, recognized Girl Security, by providing funding and organizational support, enabling us to develop new initiatives that address the unique challenges faced by girls. We have also joined the Girls Opportunity Alliance Network, a dynamic community of more than 4,000 leaders around the world, which facilitates the exchange of ideas, information, and resources to enhance organizational capacity and sustainability. To learn more about the Girls Opportunity Alliance, please visit www.girlsopportunityalliance.org.