GWC Workshop #2: Powering Your Project with IBM SkillsBuild

Hey! I’m a data science major, a freshman in college, and a member of Girls Who Code. As a part of their Upskill series, they host workshops for Girls Who Code members to gain the technical skills necessary to reach their goals in STEM. On Oct 7, 2025 03:00 PM Pacific Time, I attended their second workshop! It centered around their collaboration with IBM, and this season’s GWC Challenge.

Upskills Series

Meeting Notes

GWC Challenge

  • Annual compeittion where students create innovative projects around a specific theme
  • 2025 thee: Cybersecurity + AI
  • Eligibility: Work in groups 4 or fewer, open to anyone in the US
  • Deadline: 2/11/2026, winners annouced early april 2026
  • Designing a game or app, video, animation, etc
  • Participant Guide

IBM SkillsBuild

Nice thing to note: They took a poll on the experience of the attendees of the workshop on their level of experience with SkillsBuild, to tailor our experience!

  • Great source of free resources!!
  • Tools for all ages, career stage, and skill level
  • Human skills are necessary to curate the AI as a tool
  • “78% of IT roles require AI skills” (according to presentation)

SkillsBuild + GWC Challenge

  • GWC has prepared a special learning plan on SkillsBuild with resources to help develop your project for the challenge!
  • To be eligible for the prize, submit one challenge in the learning plan per person/participant

    In the GWC Learning Plan, activites are sorted by project stage:
    1. “I need an idea”: learn more about Cybersecurity + AI in general
    2. “I have an idea and want to grow my backgroud knowledge”: deeper dive into Cybersecurity + AI specifics
    3. “I need support building my project”: skill up to build a project that goes beyond your own expectations!
      IBM SkillsBuild Logo

Breakout Rooms

We were put in breakout rooms for two minutes to talk to other members of GWC and to brainstorm some ideas! Here’s who I met:

  • Samantha O’ Connell: Has a background in ISM with some beginner experience in computer science and cybersecurity. My focus is in HCI, IS, and UTAUT.
  • Victora Chang: Originally a computer science major but now a informatics major because she enjoys working with UX design/frontend.

Setting up the Resources

  • They showed how to signup with IBM SkillsBuild, reccomending singing up with Google and filling out the information it asks for.
  • Make sure the organization says Girls Who Code
  • Enroll into learning plan
  • mark activity as complete when activity is completed
  • Showed how to navigate settings

Coworking Time

  • Room 1: QnA about challenge w/ Joe
  • Room 2: QnA about SkillsBuild/IBM Jefersson

I went to the SkillsBuild QnA:

  • All content, certificates, certification exams are free
  • “What are some tips you recommend for this challenge in combining AI + cybersecurity” –> Block your calendar, concentrate, complete learning plan, PLAN YOUR PROJECT!

    After that we reconvenced in the main room to discuss and regroup for questions, with the host asking everyone what we’re excited about and such.

Representatives/ Leading Attendees/Presenters:

Final Thoughts

This was such a wonderful opportunity, thank you for all the effort from Girls Who Code staff and the IBM representatives. :)