Technovation Girls is a free, 12-week program that equips girls and gender-diverse individuals* (including gender non-binary, and gender fluid) ages 8-18 with the skills to become tech entrepreneurs and leaders. With the support of volunteer mentors, students work in teams to code mobile apps or AI solutions that address real-world problems they’ve identified. WiCS hosts the Waterloo Chapter which supports junior (age 13-15) and senior (age 16-18) divisions**.
*The Technovation Girls Global Challenge is restricted to girls and gender-diverse kids to create an environment where these populations that are underrepresented in tech have our full attention, enabling us to encourage more kids from these populations to be involved in tech in the future. That said, the Technovation curriculum and mobile app platform are available for free to everyone. Interested students who do not identify as female or gender-diverse can be pointed to those materials to learn more about coding and tech entrepreneurship.
**Technovation Girls also has a beginner division (ages 8 – 12). Divisions are determined by the OLDEST person on each team (i.e., if you are 11 and someone on your team is 13, then your team is part of the JUNIOR division). For those interested in joining the Beginner Division, see the Montreal Chapter. Beginner Division participants are welcome to attend the Waterloo Chapter’s workshops; however, they will not be an official Waterloo Chapter participant.
The 12-week program officially kicks on in the new year. However, to allow students to see what Technovation is all about before officially joining, we are hosting our first-ever…
Waterloo Chapter Technovation Mini-Hackathon!
This mini-hackathon is open to girls and gender-diverse individuals aged 11 – 18 interested in tech entrepreneurship. During this day-long event, students will form teams, identify a problem related to the UN SDGs, design a tech-based solution, and pitch their ideas to a panel of judges. The mini hackathon is also a great way for students to brainstorm and test ideas for this year’s challenge!
Date: Saturday, November 9th, 2024
Time: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm ET
Location: Google Waterloo Community Space
Register Here: https://www.ticketfi.com/event/5907/technovation-girls-mini-hackathon
No experience is necessary, both new and returning Technovation participants are welcome, and food will be provided.
For students interested in joining the Technovation Waterloo Chapter, registration is now open! To learn more about our upcoming season they can visit our webpage here.
Please see the e-flyers linked here for the Mini Hackathon and the Technovation Challenge with parents and students.