Launchpad lift-off: 24 young women pilot CyberMe at our First Female Youth Camp in Malta

In June 2026, young women from six European countries gathered in Valletta for five days of workshops, hands-on challenges, a visit to a real Security Operations Centre and a Cyber Treasure Hunt.

In June 2026, our Erasmus+ project CyberMe, Unleashing the Cyber Potential of Young Women, reached an important milestone. After months of developing the CyberMe Launchpad Program, we brought it to life at our First Female Youth Camp in Valletta, Malta.

The Launchpad Program is a beginner-friendly upskilling programme designed to spark young women's interest in cybersecurity. It uses easy-to-understand concepts, social learning and hands-on activities to build foundational knowledge, practical skills and, just as importantly, confidence. The camp was its first real test, and the results were inspiring.

A group as diverse as the field itself

Twenty-four young women took part, selected through our agreed protocol of at least four participants from each partner country: Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Italy and Malta.

What made this group so special was the range of backgrounds in the room. Participants came from biology, design, psychology, law and many other fields. Despite their different starting points, they all shared one goal: to learn more about cybersecurity.

That is exactly the point. Cybersecurity needs diversity: people with different perspectives, skills, experiences and ways of thinking. Women remain significantly under-represented in the profession, and CyberMe exists to help close that gap.

Five days of learning by doing

The camp followed a five-day agenda built on the Launchpad Program, delivered in a collaborative, non-formal setting.

Days 1–3: Workshops and hands-on challenges. Participants worked through intensive, interactive workshops covering the core concepts of the programme. Practical activities, group games and discussions turned theory into experience and helped the group bond as a team.

Day 4: Cybersecurity in the real world. The group visited the Security Operations Centre of MITA, the Malta Information Technology Agency, to see how a national organisation monitors and responds to cyber threats. Virtual tours of cybersecurity firms and conversations with female professionals gave participants a first-hand view of where a career in cyber could take them.

Day 5: Challenge accepted. Drawing on what they had seen at MITA, participants brainstormed real-world cybersecurity challenges and possible solutions. The camp ended with the Cyber Treasure Hunt: a series of puzzles designed around the Launchpad activities, testing everything the teams had learned during the week.

Champions, certificates and confidence

Congratulations to our winning team, who took the title of First Camp Champions in the Cyber Treasure Hunt!

Every one of the 24 participants received a Youthpass certificate, recognising the knowledge and skills they gained through non-formal learning during the camp.

It was a real pleasure to see so many motivated young women exploring new topics, trying new things and learning from each other. Over five days they built practical skills, grew in confidence and formed a network of peers who share a passion for cybersecurity. Their feedback and results have been captured in an assessment of the camp's learning outcomes, which will shape the next phase of the programme.

What comes next

The Launchpad Program will soon be published here on the CyberMe website in German, Italian, Bulgarian, Greek and Maltese, making it freely accessible to young women, educators and youth workers across Europe.

We are also expanding the programme with more practical and gamified activities to help participants take their cybersecurity knowledge further. This enhanced version will form the basis of our second Female Youth Camp next year.

The First Female Youth Camp was only the beginning. Every young woman who discovers that cybersecurity is a career for her helps to close the gender gap in one of the world's most exciting and important professions, and we are excited to continue the journey together.