Inspiring Young Women to become Technology Innovators

Inspiring Young Women to become Technology Innovators

2016 MENTOR TOOLKIT

Overview:

- What is Technovation?

- Technovation Timeline Overview

- Mentor Role Overview

Technovation’sMission

To inspire & educate girls and women to solve problems in their community using technology

Teams Create Mobile App StartupsIdeation

Identify a problem in their community

Mentor

EntrepreneurshipBuild a business plan

PitchTake it to market

TechnologyDevelop a mobile app

solution

Program Participants:

Girlsteams of up to 5 middle or high school students

Coachteacher, parent, or after school coordinator

Mentortechnology or businessprofessional who serves as a role model

Coach

MentorGirls

Participant Roles: Girls- Identify problems- Decide on an idea- Develop a mobile app- Build a business plan- Create a compelling pitch

Coach- Recruit teams- Create a safe space for the girls to meet- Make sure the girls have the tools they need to be successful- Coordinate with mentors to supervise teams through 50 hour curriculum- Help keep the team focused, on track, and participating

Mentor- Act as a role model- Provide advice & guidance- Guide team through curriculum- Help manage team dynamics- Support teams through problem solving process- Encourage teams to persevere when they face difficulties- Help connect teams to additional resources (if applicable)Note: No coding or app development experience is necessary for any of the roles.

Some teams may have both a coach and a mentor, while other teams only have a mentor who takes on the coach’s responsibilities.

Sept Jan MayDec MarFebNovOct Apr June JulAug

Official SeasonRegional Pitch Events

& Virtual Judging

2016 Technovation Timeline

Workshops & Field TripsLearn AppInventor &

Start Brainstorming Ideas

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World PitchJuly 14, 2016

Registration / Team Formationfor Girls, Coaches & Mentors

2015 2016

Timeline Breakdown...Register Team by December 15thWe recommend that you connect with a team no later than December 15, 2015, so that you can get started on the curriculum at the beginning of January. If you connect with a team earlier than December 15th, please feel free to get started with the curriculum early or help the girls begin brainstorming ideas & learning App Inventor.

Official Season: Mid-January - April 21, 2016The submission deadline for the 2016 Technovation Season is April 21, 2016 at 5pm PT. The curriculum will take at least 12 weeks to complete. Most teams take about 50 hours to complete the curriculum. Please keep that in mind as you get started. We encourage teams to begin no later than mid-January, but you can get started as soon as you like!

Continued on next slide...

Regional Pitch Events: April 22 - May 3, 2016In certain regions, a Technovation Ambassador will be putting on a Regional Pitch event for 10+ teams. The result is that at least one team from the Regional Pitch will make it to the semi-finals of the competition. Please feel free to coordinate regional events for your team to practice pitching live with other teams if there is not an official regional event in your area.

World Pitch: July 10 - 14, 2016The top 10 Technovation teams (4 middle school & 6 high school teams) will be given the opportunity to travel to San Francisco for the World Pitch events from July 10 - 14, 2016 for the chance to win a part of $20,000 in prizes.

Timeline Breakdown Continued...

“I wasn't sure if I would be a good mentor. However, after two years of being a mentor (with Technovation), I'm more confident in playing that role. I enjoy working

with students as they always have questions that force you to think outside the box. Working with them also inspires me to take on

new challenges in my career and be more confident in doing so.”- 2014 - 2015 Technovation Mentor

Becoming a Mentor...

Role Each mentor guides a team of up to 5 girls as they develop a mobile app to address a problem in their community, write a business plan, and pitch their startup.

Skills Needed The most important thing is to be a consistent and supportive role model for your team.

Time Commitment 2-4 hours/month from October to December & 2-4 hours/week from January to April (~50 hours total)

Pair Up! Co-lead a team with a mentor who complements your skill set(technical/business). The pair splits time with the team.

Becoming a Mentor...

Girls Make Apps Workshop Learn App Inventor and meet some local teams. Technovation will send out these opportunities in the Fall of 2015.

Connect with a Team Wait for a note from a team through the “Find a Mentor” tab onmy.technovationchallenge.org.

Meeting Space Mentors can meet with teams in-person or online. You should determine the best meeting space, time and schedule with your team at the start of the season.

Curriculum Many teams have a coach and a mentor, but some have one or the other to help lead the team through the curriculum.

Training & Networking Along with this Mentor Toolkit, Technovation will provide ongoing emails with tips & tricks. You can connect with other mentors through my.technovationchallenge.org or the mentor google group: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/2016technovationmentors

Mentor Logistics

Provide Leadership Be active rather than passive. Some mentors feel nervous at first about guiding and keeping the girls on task, but this is necessary to ensure that teams have a successful experience.

Manage team dynamics One of the most challenging things about being a Technovation mentor is working with a diverse group of students—some may be very shy, others may be talkative. Try to establish the “Three-then-me” rule where each time a person talks she has to wait until three other people have spoken before speaking again. This ensures that everyone’s voices are heard. Encourage shy students to speak up, even if you have to put them on the spot. Help everyone feel involved and they will become more comfortable and confident.

Stay neutral At times you may find that your girls argue with one another or there is a disagreement in the group. Try to manage conflicts if they occur and help each girl share her concerns and feel heard, without taking sides. While girls are brainstorming app ideas or deciding on colors and fonts, try to let them make their own decisions whenever possible.

Provide 1:1 interaction One of the most important things you can do as a mentor is to get to know each girl on your team individually. Start a conversation with the shy student who is not very talkative, ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, what her favorite classes are and why. Get to know each girl so she feels connected to you and supported by you.

Tips from Former Mentors

Show off your skills We encourage mentors to bring their own skills and talents into the mix, even if a given topic is not in the existing curriculum. Please feel free to customize the lessons to insert your own expertise and share what you do in your own industry. Exposing the girls to “real life” projects that engineers and designers work on is invaluable. If you are an entrepreneur, feel free to show the girls a copy of your business plan and give them tips on how to give a good pitch. Whatever your skills are, please share them with your team as often as possible!

Share your story You are a tremendously valuable asset to your team. As a mentor, you are giving each of your girls a window into the world of technology and what it is like to be a woman in tech. Get to know the girls, share your story with them, tell them about your journey into tech. What were your challenges? How did you overcome them? Try to help the girls relate to you. Show them photos of your dog, your kids, your favorite vacation spots, tell them about your favorite hobbies. Help them understand that you still have a fun and exciting life outside of work.

Encourage and inspire Hearing you say: “Look at what you figured out! Have you ever considered going into technology?” is one of the most transformative experiences a girl can have in middle or high school. Sadly, they may not hear it from anyone else if not from you. Your encouragement might just change lives—especially after you have built a relationship and developed a good rapport with the students.

Tips from Former Mentors

Curriculum Resources:2015 Coach/Mentor Lesson Guide (2016 version coming soon)2015 Student Handbook (2016 version coming soon)Curriculum in PowerPoints, App Inventor Tutorials & Workbook/Lesson GuidesCurriculum Page (info on Java & Swift at the bottom)

App Inventor Resources: Learn more about App Inventor MIT App Inventor Forum App Inventor 2 BookSharing Apps with App InventorApp Inventor Components App Inventor ConceptsApp Inventor Blocks App Inventor Troubleshooting tipsApp Inventor Site Tutorials Technovation App Inventor Tutorials:

● Talk to Me● Games● Map It

Resources:

Additional Resources:Additional Resources Page Official Rules page - information on deadlines, deliverables, and program structureStarter Kit - how to start the program in your area (if needed)Recruitment Tips - how to recruit a team in your areaMore Recruiting Tips Girls Make Apps Workshop Guide - great way to kick off the season for your team2015 Student Workbook - helps guide students through curriculum activitiesField Trip Guide - how to host a field trip for your team to visit your company2015 Weekly Email Archive

Contact for Questions: 2016 Technovation Mentor Google Group https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/2016technovationmentors

Training Resources:Coach & Mentor Training Page

Online Platform LinkSign-Up/Log-in Page

70% Alumnae took further Computer Science

classes when given the opportunity

46% College-age alumnae intend to major in CS

Nationally: 0.4 %

Female college freshmen intend to major in CS[Google Made with Code]

At Technovation:

Through Technovation:

70% Alumnae were more interested in

entrepreneurship

Nationally: 7%

Of technology companyfounders are women

[Kauffman Foundation]

Mentors Develop Skills Too!58% increased or refreshed their technical skills

67% increased their knowledge about entrepreneurship

70% learned how to be an effective mentor

73% agree that the program expanded their professional network

2015 RegistrationsEach red dot indicates a registered team.

Celebration EventsApril - July 2016

Recognition:

CodeGirl - a documentary by the producer of An Inconvenient Truth & Waiting for Superman

Questions?email Allie Holmes at allie@technovationchallenge.org

Learn more at www.technovationchallenge.org