The Identity Theft Resource Center launched its first annual Privacy Essay Scholarship competition in August 2016 to provide $2,500 to a local San Diego Girl Scout. As part of the scholarship process, the Scouts first attended an interactive Hands-On Privacy Workshop where they learned the importance of securing their mobile devices and implementing best practices to protect their privacy. The Girl Scouts were welcome to bring family and friends and all individuals came away from this event with a valuable understanding of their online footprint and the digital world in which they live.

"The Hands-On Privacy Workshop and the CyberScout Scholarship opportunity have helped our girls Discover, Connect and Take Action to make the world a better place,” said Michaela, STEAM Program Specialist at Girl Scouts San Diego.  “This opportunity inspired Girl Scouts to discover what privacy is, connect the importance of privacy in their lives and take action by empowering them to share what they learned with their community.  It has been a pleasure working with the Identity Theft Resource Center to grow this program to reach as many Girl Scouts as possible to equip them with the knowledge and skills to safely utilize technology in their lives."

After attending a Hands-On Privacy Workshop and earning her Mobile Privacy patch, local Girl Scout Amira won the first annual Identity Theft Resource Center and CyberScout essay scholarship competition for Girl Scouts San Diego. Amira was awarded the $2,500 scholarship at the PrivacyXChange forum  in Carefree, AZ, where  she spoke on stage about her winning essay and future goals  to more  than 200 industry experts.