THE PROJECT
For the past decade, Hackergal has inspired girls and gender-diverse youth to take their place in coding and STEAM, helping close Canada’s gender gap in tech. Now, with support from a CIRA Net Good Grant, Hackergal has made online safety a permanent part of its national programming—developing new course material and integrating online safety content into its Ambassador Program and annual Hackathon. And educators are seeing the difference firsthand. As Amanda Peters, a teacher at Mineola Public School confirmed, “Online Safety is so important for students right now—Hackergal gives them the tools and confidence to stay safe while learning and creating online.”
Hackergal created Behind the Screens, an interactive course hosted on Hackergal Hub, the organization’s free online learning platform. The course invites students to explore how algorithms and social media platforms collect their personal data, what a digital footprint really is and how to make thoughtful, informed choices about their online presence.
To bring the new material to life, Hackergal featured Behind the Screens in a national Online Safety Webinar for its network of high school ambassadors. The event introduced participants to the new course content and to CIRA Senior Data Analyst, Anika Mukherjee, who shared insights from her work in cybersecurity. The session gave students a direct connection to a professional role model and helped them see how privacy, technology and trust intersect online.
During the same session, Curriculum Manager Mishal Islam guided ambassadors through the Behind the Screens lessons, prompting them to think critically about their digital presence. “They didn’t realize just how much the platforms could see behind the screen,” she said. “After the lesson, they started thinking about what they post, how it’s used and how they can make informed decisions.” For many of the girls, it was the first time they could see how their everyday digital habits shape the world around them—and how they could take control of their online story.
Online safety wasn’t treated as a one-time topic—it’s become embedded throughout Hackergal’s programming. From classroom clubs to the National Hackathon, every activity now reinforces the connection between digital literacy, ethics and innovation.
The 2025 Hackathon, themed Hack the Bias in AI, challenged thousands of girls across Canada to explore how bias shows up in digital tools and to design projects that promote fairness, inclusion and safety online. The event brought together creativity, teamwork and critical thinking—the same skills that define Hackergal’s approach to building a safer digital future.
COMMUNITY IMPACT
Over the course of the project year, Hackergal reached 3,600+ K–12 students across Canada—more than double the original goal—guided by dozens of facilitators and educators who integrated the new online safety content into coding clubs, classrooms and events nationwide.
In the Ambassador Program, older students became peer mentors, sharing what they learned with younger participants through local Hackergal Clubs. “It’s really powerful when high school students can guide middle schoolers,” said Hazell. “These conversations are happening at a critical time in their lives, when they’re forming their identities online and offline.”
The project also inspired deeper reflection on inclusivity. While urban and BIPOC engagement exceeded expectations, progress in reaching northern and Indigenous communities was slower. The team took that as an opportunity to learn. Hackergal staff took the important step to undertake Indigenous Cultural Awareness training, collaborated with an Indigenous outreach specialist, and began planning focus groups with Elders and community leaders to co-create future resources. “Building relationships with Indigenous communities takes time,” Hazell reflected. “It’s not about rushing in—it’s about listening, learning and creating something meaningful together.”
CIRA’s support helped Hackergal move from intention to long-term change. The Behind the Screens curriculum now lives permanently on Hackergal Hub, freely accessible to educators, parents and community partners across the country.
“Tech will keep changing,” said Hazell, “but critical thinking, empathy and online safety are skills they’ll use for the rest of their lives.” Through this collaboration, Hackergal and CIRA have empowered thousands of young Canadians to become not only creators of technology but confident, informed digital citizens—ready to lead Canada’s digital future safely.
RELATED LINKS
- Hackathon recap video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_7xa3xSh1k
- HackerGal website – https://hackergal.org/
