Technovation Challenge

We had an amazing time presenting at the Dare 2B Digital conference over the weekend in Redwood City, CA. Throughout the day we worked with middle and high school students, and had them create paper prototypes. Girls worked in teams, developed paper prototypes, and then pitched them in front of their class.

Some of our favorites were ideas were: “Plantsopedia” an app that allows users to identify plants while they are hiking using image recognition, “Wild Thing” which allows users to merge an image of their face with that of a wild animal, and “Travelate” which scans and translates signs and other written material in real time for travelers visiting foreign countries. 

Have any cool app ideas? Share with us!

With Technovation Challenge’s 4th season underway, teams around the world are preparing for the 12-week course by completing five App Inventor tutorials known as “Hack Day”. Check out part 2 of our Hack Days Around the World Series below!

Technovation Canada - University of Regina (Saskatchewan)

Excerpt and photo below from article by Daryl Hepting, Professor, Computer Science Department.

Even with short notice, our App Inventor Hack Day was a success. Having time out of school, with good pizza for lunch, definitely put the event on a good footing for students. But then they also learned a lot and had a great time doing it. Participants came from LeBoldus High School and the Regina Huda School.

Only some of the young women have studied Computer Science at their high schools, but all were able to have success with the App Inventor tool.  We worked on 3 applications (pictured here as seen in the emulator; we had some actual Android devices to work with during the event)  during our time:

• CrystalBall: used the accelerometer to detect shaking (to indicate that a question had been asked) and then picked a random answer to display (sorry, the crystal ball is not actually all-knowing).

• PaintPot: draw points of different sizes and colours, as well as lines, by touching or dragging a finger on the screen. Not shown here is that the camera can be used to take a picture that can then be “enhanced” with some colourful doodles.

• MoleMash: a game that moves the mole around the screen and tracks how many times it is touched (vibrating each time and keeping score).

… .and we even had time to visit Computer Science professor David Gerhard’s 207 Project Demo Day.

As the day progressed, the examples included more advanced concepts – while remaining accessible. A nice feature of the App Inventor platform is that it uses the programmer’s Google account to store all the code (pictured, CrystalBall – Designer and Blocks Editor), so all the work done at the lab can be carried on anywhere else with an internet connection.  The emulator is the only bit of software that needs to be installed on the computer.  As you can tell, it is easy to go from design of an interface, to assembling blocks that perform the actions specified on the interface, and creating a final application that can reside on an Android device, just like any other. That control of technology is very powerful and it is available through computer science.

The deadline for teams of 4-5 girls to register for the Technovation Challenge 2013 (February-April) is December 15. This is a great opportunity to do some exciting computer science, but also be exposed to business planning and public speaking. We are working to get all the pieces in place to support all interested teams.  For example, we’re looking at running other  “Hack Day” sessions to get other groups up to speed.

Technovation Ukraine (post from P2PU)

Technovation India (post from P2PU)

Technovation Yemen (post from P2PU)

Technovation Brazil

Technovation San Francisco Bay Area, CA (U.S.A)

Technovation New York City, NY (U.S.A.)

Teachnovation Denver, CO (U.S.A.)

Technovation Nigeria

Iridescent Team Hack Day, Boston, Chicago, NYC, SF (U.S.A.)

This week’s mentor is Katherine, a veteran Technovation mentor working with a team at the Immaculate Conception Academy in San Francisco. We are lucky to have Katherine as our SF mentor coordinator this year, as she’s done a fabulous job organizing events for our mentors in the Bay Area. Katherine currently works at Boku as a product manager.

KATHERINE’S INTERVIEW WITH US:

Tell us about your background. Where did you grow up? What was your school experience like? Include anything else you’d like to share about your youth.

I grew up next to the Rocky Mountains in Boulder, CO. I enjoyed most of my classes in school, but I never was a big fan of history. As I started high school, I started to notice that math was one of my favorite subjects - I loved the satisfaction of realizing that math could help solve real problems in the world. Outside of school, I was a Girl Scout (all the way through high school!) and loved painting. I also played volleyball for 4 years in high school and played doubles volleyball outside during the summers.

After high school, I went to college to study engineering. I wanted to learn skills which would let me have an impact in the world, and I thought it was neat that engineering focuses on building stuff that people actually use. I chose Electrical and Computer Engineering, because I thought the iPhone was really cool and wanted to learn more about both the hardware (the electrical chips in the phone) and the software (the goo used to build apps!).

What was it like studying engineering in college? What did you like most about your classes?

Studying engineering was one of the best decisions I have made. :) The classes are hard, but it’s ok not to know everything in the beginning. I remember some of my classes had really intimidating names like “quantum mechanics”, but I learned to develop a growth mindset. I reminded myself that the whole point of attending college is to learn something new. And man, did I learn new things! I learned how solar panels work, how cell phones send and receive text messages in just seconds across the globe, and how Twitter can process millions of tweets all over the world.

I have so many fond memories from college. When I wasn’t busy studying or working with friends on homework sets or in the lab, I went to football games, parties, concerts, speakers…everything! It sounds silly now, but you will need naps occasionally in college — it’s exhausting working and playing so much. One my favorite ways to spend an afternoon was to get a cup of coffee and nap on the grass in the sun, with the Colorado mountains as the backdrop.

What did you learn in school that is valuable to you today?

I don’t use many of the specific skills I learned in school (e.g. how to write a sonnet, the causes for the Civil War), but I still use many math fundamentals on a day to day. For example, I need to analyze data for Boku products all the time. I ask questions like: How many people paid by mobile last month? What was the average amount they spent? What is the distribution of places they paid (e.g. Facebook - 40%, Zynga 10%)?

How did you get your job now? What do you like the most about it?

Now I work at Boku, a mobile payments startup, in downtown San Francisco. After finishing college, I knew that I wanted my first job to be exciting and challenge me each day. Startups are a great way to develop a broad skill set quickly. I work with an engineering team to find and build ways for people to pay with their cell phone…but I also get to do about 100 other things! I build presentations to pitch new ideas to people inside and outside of the company, I attend conferences around the world to learn more about mobile payments, I crunch numbers to learn how people use Boku and how it can be improved, and I solve tough problems on a whiteboard daily with my team. The people and team are my favorite part - they make work fun and motivating each day!

It sounds like you get to do a lot more than just programming in your job. What’s the coolest conference you’ve attended and why?

I got to go to a conference about Near-Field Communication (NFC) payments in Nice, France! A week long conference on the beaches of southern France? Sign me up!

Wow! That sounds incredible. What has been your favorite part of Technovation Challenge?

Technovation 2013 is just beginning, but I loved meeting my team the first week at Immaculate Conception Academy high school. We brainstormed app ideas our first week, and I was uber-impressed at how many creative ideas they have. I have always thought women are particularly good at identifying problems and coming up with creative solutions that help real people. :)

What advice do you have for Technovation girls who are new to the program?

I know that sometimes it can be tempting to only work on projects where you feel comfortable. For example, I used to volunteer to do the written part of group projects, since I felt like I was good at it. A big part of Technovation is to learn some new things (e.g. learn how to code an Android app, learn how to create a business plan). Trying new things can sometimes feel scary or uncomfortable, but it’s worth it! Twelve weeks from now, you will be really proud of what you accomplished. Don’t be afraid to try out new things and make some mistakes. It’s part of the fun and your team and mentor have your back :)

That’s great advice. Can you tell us about about a time when you had to step out of your comfort zone?

I moved from Boulder, Colorado to San Francisco after college. Now I know how to get around and live in a big city. But my first few months, I was nervous and had a lot of learning to do. I never took public transit much in Colorado or worked in skyscrapers downtown. I also took a big risk by joining a startup instead of a more established company like Google or Microsoft. Startups have a lot of unknowns, and there is rarely someone to tell you what to do or how to do things. Sometimes I feel like I’m making it up! haha. But ultimately, I know that being out of my comfort zone is how I learn new things and overcome new challenges. Startups are unpredictable, but often have happily surprised me too. Now I thrive in ambiguous situations at work, but it has taken time and a lot of stepping out of my comfort zone to get there. :)

Do you have a rockstar mentor who you would like to nominate for our “Mentor Spotlight”? Email her name to annalise@iridescentlearning.org. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for next week’s feature mentor!

Our first “Mentor Spotlight” features a very special mentor. Her name is Cassandra, and we know her from her participation in the Technovation a few years back— as a student! Cassy is now a sophomore at Stonehill College in Massachusetts (where she studies computer science!) and is mentoring a team of girls at Needham High School.

CASSANDRA’S INTERVIEW WITH US:

You were once a Technovation student. Can you tell us what stands out to you most about your experience participating in Technovation?

What stands out to me the most is the fact that I am not one of the students anymore! The girls were telling me what they wanted to get out of this experience and what they were nervous about doing, and their responses made me flashback to when I was one of them. Everything they were feeling was exactly how I felt when I first started Technovation. That realization felt incredible because this time around, I get to watch these girls accomplish something that matters.

When you were a going through the program as a student, what app did your team create? 

My team and I created a voice-to-text app in real time. My favorite part was when we were sharing our app ideas…I got to know and understand my teammates better and become comfortable with them as we were going through the selection process.

Why did you decide to become a mentor for Technovation?

The Technovation Challenge had a huge impact on my life and I wanted to give back and be a part of Technovation again. I knew as a mentor, I would be able to watch these girls find inspiration in accomplishing something that they might have never done before. Yesterday I met with the girls for the first time and I was very nervous about my first time mentoring. I had so many “what ifs.” But when I was getting to know the girls, sharing my experience with them and watching them as they worked, I learned that by putting myself out there and believing in myself, I can accomplish anything I set my mind to.

What is it like to study computer science in college?

It is definitely challenging but that is what makes it worthwhile. Learning about a specific type of code is one thing but actually applying it to a program is a whole different thing. But I have to say the most rewarding part of it all is when I am having trouble figuring out how to code a program and, when I get stuck, fixing errors. I love when I have to take apart my program and rewrite it because it allows me to take a different approach on it.  The feeling of accomplishment I get when the program ends up working is the part that makes it worthwhile.

What do you like best about college?

The freedom, of course. But also, the responsibility that comes with the freedom.  I am from San Francisco, so going to college in Massachusetts represents a new chapter in my life that I get to control and create.

What advice do you have for Technovation girls who are new to the program?

I would definitely say it is perfectly fine to feel nervous about coding for the first time, sharing your ideas, writing up a business plan or pitching your app. I felt nervous about every single one of those. But the most rewarding part of it all was when I was actually doing them. Your ideas, your collaboration, and everything you do matters. All the girls participating are role models to others who may be afraid to put themselves out there.

Do you have a rockstar mentor who you would like to nominate for our “Mentor Spotlight”? Email her name to annalise@iridescentlearning.org. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for next week’s feature mentor!

The Aga Khan Education Board for Canada in conjunction with Technovation launched launched Technovation Challenge in Canada at an event at the Ismaili Centre in Burnaby on Saturday, December 8, 2012.

Distinguished women leaders in technology (industry and academia) attended a networking and mentor recruitment event featuring a panel discussion entitled “Leadership Stories”. Anar Simpson, Global Ambassador for Technovation Challenge gave a special introduction.

Leadership Stories Panelists (pictured above):

• Frenny Bawa, Senior Business Executive, Former VP Global Business Development, RIM
• Karimah Es Sabar, President & CEO, Centre for Drug Research & Development
• Alexandra Fedorova, Associate Professor, School of Computing Science, SFU
• Cybele Negris, Co-Founder and President, Webnames.ca Inc.
• Shaherose Charania, CEO and Co-Founder, Women 2.0
• Louise Turner, President, Premier’s Technology Council
• Kimberly Voll, Faculty, Centre for Digital Media

We are excited about our first international Technovation Challenge team!

About the Blogger

Winstina Hughes graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Planning and Public Policy from Rutgers University. She is currently a graduate student pursuing a Master of City and Regional Planning degree at Rutgers. She has covered Planning and Community Development as a journalist. Part of today’s group of volunteers she interviews two young teens about what motivated them to come today, and what they learned from their experience.

Visit Winstina’s website www.residentplanningeek.com to read more of her interviews. You can reach her via email her at wh@residentplanningeek.com.

Melissa Brinksma is 17 years old. She lives in New Jersey.  She is super dedicated to learning about developing apps, waking up at 7:30am to drive to the Bronx for today’s session. She came with her friend, and her dad. She didn’t know what to expect.  

What motivated you to come today Melissa?

I am thinking about making my own website. A traveling website for teenagers. My dad helped me come up with the idea, and I thought this program would help me build it.

What did you hope to achieve from attending today’s program?

I was hoping to get more knowledge on how to build apps than I did before.

What was your favorite project?

My favorite project was the PaintPot. I like how I figured out how to use different colors and thickness. I figured out that if I put one different variable up the whole project would be different.

What variable did you play with?

The start x,y variable. If I used the start variable it was different than the current variable.

What one new thing did you learn about yourself today while working on this?

I am really impatient. I don’t like to wait on things. As I was working on the mole project I got frustrated because it wasn’t working the right way.

What did you do to fix it?

I had to try using different variables to see which one worked best.

So it sounds like you problem solved. Would you say that problem solving is a skill that you learned?

Yea. Definitely.

Using the skills today on app development will be different from coding your own website. How can you apply your new skills to your website project?

Using app functions could help with my website. My website can have different functions like my app can have. And if I wanted to make an app for my website, I know how to make it.

Is there an app that you could think of right now that would complement your website?

My app would have different options for identifying the right hotel for you. An option would be to see if the hotel has a pool. Another option would be, if they were going to another country, to see if the hotel has food from home.

The website idea you have come up with is going to solve a problem in your life. How would you convince another teen that they need your app?

If their parents ever plan a trip, with my website and app they could help plan where to go and what to do while they are there.

Was today’s session what you thought it would be?

I thought today would be more like a class rather than group work. The apps that we made today were more fun than I thought they would be.

 ____________________

Rebecca Feldman created quite the buzz at today’s event. Seriously. We all surrounded her android for a go at her app design. She has an awareness of what is entertaining, and how to create an app that does just that. Rebecca loves Legos, computer programming, robotics and science. She lives in Forest Hills, Queens with her cat, and her parents. She is 11 years old.

What motivated you to come today Rebecca?

Rebecca and Carl from CoderDojo. I go to a lot of the events. They told me that it would be a lot of fun so I came.

What was your favorite project?

It was a tie between the PaintPot and make your own app.

What did you like about PaintPot?

For PaintPot I liked that you could take a picture of anything, and draw on it.

What did you like about creating your own app?

I liked that we got to do what we wanted to. We got to let our imagination take control and follow it.

How did you decide on what app to create?

I was looking at videos on Youtube and I wanted to do something. I saw this video about the hellopur. What it was is that when you poked the picture of the cat it purred. It showed a picture of someone doing it.

Since I really like Domo I wanted to incorporate it in some way. I decided to have a picture of Domo and instead of it making a purring sound it made a sound of me saying the word Domo.

Your app is pretty impressive. I hope we can show it in some way. That said, is there a skill you walked away with from today’s session?

I learned how to do a lot of things today. I learned how to make buttons do things that I want them to do. I made a button that made it so that, when it says do you want to start playing, you press it and the first frame changes to another frame.

Is there an app that you would create?

I would have to think about it, but probably it would be another app with Domo.

What do you like about Domo?

That he’s just really lovable, and cute.

What did you expect to do in today’s session?

I thought that I would come and learn new skills. But I didn’t know I would create my own app!

Note from Iridescent: The NYC Technovation Challenge Hack Day was sponsored by a grant from the Hive Digital Media Learning Fund at the New York Community Trust.

As we kick our 4th Technovation Challenge season off next week with our 12-week course on P2PU, we would like to introduce our team at Iridescent. We are the four women in Boston, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco who run Technovation Challenge. It is a pleasure to work with your teams around the world this season.

Jenna Blanton, Director of Communications and Program Development, Technovation Challenge

Jenna Blanton has a track record for empowering the lives of young people through science education. Previous to her time at Iridescent she served an AmeriCorps VISTA at the California Conservation Corps (CCC). In her position at the CCC she enhanced the agencies capacity to educate thousands of underserved young adults. Since 2010 Jenna has led the Iridescent Science Studio in South LA and has had a deep commitment to providing programming for underrepresented communities. In 2011 she led the Technovation Challenge scale up to Los Angeles. Jenna earned her B.S. In Environmental Science and B.A in Organizational Communication from Western Michigan University.

AnnaLise Hoopes, Director SF Bay Area, Technovation Challenge

AnnaLise holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Studio Art from the University of Notre Dame, a Master’s in Education from Harvard University, and a California teaching credential. AnnaLise taught elementary school before joining Iridescent in 2010. Over the past two and a half years, she has worked to grow Iridescent’s Technovation program from 43 girls to 520 nationwide. AnnaLise is passionate about empowering young people with the skills, tools and confidence to make a difference in the world. 

Angélica Torres, Senior Director, Technovation Challenge

Angélica applies her research backgroundin anthropology, ecology, and psychology to create learning environments and communities that create bridges between corporations, pre-K-12 classrooms, and higher education. She came to know STEM as an educational concept via a NSF Graduate K-12 fellowship. She loves project management and in a previous job delivered fast-paced assignments for Wall Street and life science executives. Angélica led Technovation Challenge 2012 in NYC and oversees global operations for Technovation Challenge 2013. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and 7-month old son.

Tahani Zeid, Director of Educational Technology, Technovation Challenge