Orientation for team leads/mentors as they prepare to guide their teams through the 12 week Technovation Challenge course

1. WOMEN ENHANCING TECHNOLOGY
(WeTech)

2. WELCOME TEAM LEADS!
• Thanks for your interest in Technovation Challenge (TC)
• This is an opportunity to inspire girls to see themselves as technology designers and
entrepreneurs
• As you prepare to lead your teams through Technovation, here are few suggestions to
help you prepare for the exciting weeks ahead!

3. GETTING STARTED
• Browse the curriculum: http://tinyurl.com/kyf6h3e
• Watch TC videos from past competitions: http://tinyurl.com/mohqu4h and mentor training
video - http://tinyurl.com/mlrvaxt
• Choose your team by February 7, 2014. The WeTech team will share names of schools who
have registered and you can communicate your top three choices (in order of preference)
to Megha Bhagat –meghabhagat85@gmail.com
• Meet your team on Hack Day – February 8, 2014. RSVP at http://tinyurl.com/lcwq3om to
help us plan ahead
• Plan for team meeting session on Hack Day (4-4:30 pm)
• Think about an ice breaker exercise for team meeting session - sample Icebreakers on slide
10
• Discuss the calendar with teams or reps for scheduling 12 sessions. Refer to slides 11-13
• App themes for 2014 –
 Creating apps for local organizations
 Teen issues (suicide, peer pressure, teen pregnancy, etc.)
 Women’s issues (domestic violence, security under-representation in political and
economic sectors)
 Others

4. TECHNOVATION CHALLENGE COURSE
Identify a problem, create an app to solve it, code the app, build a company to
launch the app in the market, and pitch the plan to experts -- all in 12 weeks
http://iridescentlearning.org/technovation2014/
• Week 1: Introduction to Technovation Challenge and brainstorming app ideas
• Week 2: Market Research – understanding the market and how your app is
unique
• Week 3: User-Centered Design – making sure your app is easy to use
• Week 4: Incorporating Feedback – getting feedback on your app, and learning
how to implement it
• Week 5: Entrepreneurship – learning the basics in business
• Week 6: Business Plan – developing a comprehensive plan for your company
• Week 7: Career Exploration – discovering the possibilities of a career in
technology
• Week 8: Creating Engaging PowerPoint presentations – learning how to create
an engaging PowerPoint that you will use to present your app
• Week 9: Project Submission Guidelines – understanding the final deliverable
and preparing for submission
• Week 10: Effective Presentations -learning aspects of a strong pitch
• Week 11: Pitch Coaching -practicing delivering an informative, concise pitch
• Week 12: Reflection, Wrap-Up and Post-Survey – sharing reflections about the
program and completion the post-survey

5. PROJECT DELIVERABLES
• Make sure that all students on your team have registered, responded to pre-
survey and parents have signed the waivers: http://tinyurl.com/mwvyh9s
• Team registrations are due by March 1, 2014:
http://www.tfaforms.com/307313
• Schedule the first meeting of your team by the last week of February to ensure
that your team is registered
• Teams need to complete course work (12 sessions) to be eligible for the final
pitch
• The deadline for submitting the final app idea and video pitch is April 26, 5pm
PST
• Share exciting updates and photos of team meetings with WeTech team
• Share your TC experience (survey link to be shared soon)

6. LOGISTICS
• Reach out to WeTech program manager, Megha Bhagat (meghabhagat85@gmail.com ) for
any support during the Technovation Challenge
• Technovation Challenge is offered in 12 sessions. Each session is for 2 hours and it is ideal to
schedule one session for each meeting. If your team agrees you may combine two sessions
• Think about refreshments during the sessions
• Each team will receive a laptop and mobile phone to create and test their apps
• Teams can decide on safely storing the equipment at the school or another meeting facility
• Each school will assign a TC coach for the girls and you can discuss equipment and
scheduling issues with him/her
• Meeting venue – teams can either meet at the school or travel to any convenient location,
including the Goldman/Qualcomm office
• Decide on team communication logistics – email, phone calls, group chat (Whatsapp),
Facebook group or any others
• Arrange for flip charts, sticky notes and markers for teams to brainstorm and exchange
ideas

7. ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Lead by example be an active mentor
• Manage team dynamics
• Stay neutral during discussion
• Share your expertise
• Be a role model
• Provide one-on-one interaction
• Encourage and inspire

8. INSPIRE AND HAVE FUN!
• Mentor young girls to develop the
confidence and skills for choosing STEM
careers
• Through Technovation help girls emerge
as problem solvers and leaders
• Enhance your mentoring skills and emerge
as a role model

9. RESOURCES
• Here are few resources and links to help you prepare for the Technovation
Challenge meetings
 Suggestions for ice-breakers: refer to slide 10
 Calendar for scheduling TC meetings: refer to slide 11-13
 TC Student Workbook: http://tinyurl.com/krztvey
 Mentor training video: http://tinyurl.com/mlrvaxt
 Link to register your teams: http://www.tfaforms.com/307313
 App Inventor introduction and tutorial - http://appinventor.mit.edu/explore/
and http://appinventor.mit.edu/explore/ai2/tutorials.html

10. SAMPLE ICEBREAKERS
• Postcard halves: Allocate half the number of postcards as the total number of participants.
Cut each card in half using zig-zag scissors or making a zig-zig cut. Mix up the cards &
distribute a half to each participant. Participants must then try to find their partner (the
person whose card matches up with theirs). Each partner interviews the other; then, all
participants present their partners to the rest of the group.
• Famous Person on your back: Put post-its or sticky notes with the name of a famous person
written on the back of each participant. Ask participants to walk around and as they do, their
fellow participants should try to act out or mime something which helps them to guess who
they have on their back. When they do guess, they can interview the person who helped
them figure it out. Then, all participants present their partners to the rest of the group.
• If I had a million Rupees: Ask participants to introduce themselves by giving their name,
grade/standard in school, expectation for the challenge, how they would spend a million
Rupees if they won such an amount. You can make a small bill and write "one million
Rupees" and pass this around as a prop.
• Dream trip: Same as above, but instead of how they would spend the money, where would
they go on their "Dream Trip".
• Deserted on an island: Ask participants to introduce themselves and as they do, tell their
fellow participants what they would want to have with them if they were deserted on an
island.

11. TC CALENDAR TEMPLATE

12. TC CALENDAR TEMPLATE

13. TC CALENDAR TEMPLATE