Technovation challenge is a free program* for girls ages 8 to 18 year old. It takes place across Canada from January to April.
Working in teams of up to 5 girls, supported by mentors, students go through 4 stages of launching a mobile app startup:
Ideation – Identify a problem in the community
Technology – Develop a mobile app solution
Entrepreneurship – Build a business plan to launch the app
Pitch – Take the business to market
Le programme est disponible pour les élèves anglophones et francophones avec instruction et mentorat dans les deux langues. Cependant, la compétition sera en anglais.
*Laptops and phones can be provided for students that need them.
Technovation will be held in person with some virtual workshops for the 2024 Season.
The workshop schedule varies by chapter. Contact your local chapter for more information. If you are already registered you will be contacted with how to join the workshops.
Mentorship
Teams are mentored by women who work in the technology field and students who are studying technology at College or University.
The program is available to students in French and English, with bilingual mentors. The competition is held in English.
Competition
At the end of the program there is a pitch competition (online in 2022). Teams submit video pitches for their businesses to local judges and compete for prizes.
Roles
Student – You identify as a girl between 8 and 18 and are ready for a fun experience in a team of up to 5 amazing girls. You can commit at least 4 hours per week for the program. (about 50 hours in total). There are three divisions – beginner, junior and senior. Your team division is based on the age of the oldest girl on the team.
Technovation in Ontario is available as a credit course. If you choose to do the credit course it will be 110 hours and you will receive ICS2O credit. Register: https://forms.outstem.io/#/uOttawa/AES/course/FESS_Courses
Mentor – You are a woman working in the field of technology in the private or public sector. Or you are a woman who is studying engineering or computer science at university. No coding experience is necessary. You will be paired with another mentor to work with a team. Mentors meet regularly with their teams, providing guidance, encouraging perseverance, problem solving and connecting them to resources they need.
You should be ready to commit 20-40 hours from December to April.
Instructor – You are in the field of technology in the private or public sector. You are interested in leading one or more of the weekly sessions, see below for information on the curriculum. You should expect to spend 2-4 hours preparing for the session, plus 2 hours for the workshop.
Teacher – You are a teacher in middle or high school who will sponsor a team. Your role is to help form one or more teams at your school, and to facilitate communication with the team during school hours. You do not need to attend any sessions or meetings, although you are welcome if you choose to participate.
Curriculum (Junior and Senior division)
- Week 1 Get to know your community, the problems they face, and how to best solve a problem with a mobile phone. You will also choose an app builder to build your app with.
- WEEK 2 Come up with a solution to your problem, and do some marketing research to make sure it’s the best solution possible. Learn some basics of programming.
- WEEK 3 Plan out the best way to tackle your solution. Create a business around your app idea and write a mission statement. Learn about event handlers.
- WEEK 4 Wrap up your idea with a project canvas. Solve your first coding challenge and learn about branding.
- WEEK 5 Learn how to visually express your business’s identity, learn about variables and lists.
- WEEK 6 Brand your app and learn about conditionals.
- WEEK 7 Continue coding your app and create your business model.
- WEEK 8 Learn about loops and sensors and write your business plan.
- WEEK 9 Learn to code databases & APIs, and create your pitch video.
- WEEK 10 Edit your pitch video and debug your app.
- WEEK 11 Practice pitching your idea and prepare your submission materials.
- WEEK 12 Follow a walk through on how to submit your idea and planning for after the season!