Young Innovators Challenge
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TeenTech are super excited to be joining AWS to deliver the Young Innovators Challenge as part of the Digital Skills Festival in Manchester. This challenge is open to all Greater Manchester Schools.
We’re inviting Year 8 and Year 9 students across Manchester to take part in an exciting project to show off their creative thinking whilst developing valuable skills for the future.
All submitted projects will receive feedback and Bronze, Silver or Gold Certificates to reflect the skills and potential shown in their ideas.
Teams with the most exciting projects will then be invited to present their ideas in a special showcase event on Young Innovators Day at AWS, Manchester on Monday February 10th, 2025.
So, what is the challenge?
We want your students to re-imagine the future. How could tech improve your life at home, school or in your city? How can it be better for everyone?
You can choose to tackle a personal, local, regional or global problem.
Be bold, think big. You can use technology which exists or which you think should exist.
Students can work in teams of up to 5. And you don’t have to do this on your own. AWS will provide virtual mentors to help with the ideation, development and pitching of your ideas.
This will be a valuable experience for Year 8 and Year 9 students to develop vital skills in teamwork, confidence, collaboration, creative thinking, resilience, ethical thinking and leadership. We’ll also be providing schools with a network of tech and digital experts for the future.
You can involve as many students as you wish working in teams of up to 3.
Young people think differently and this is an opportunity for students to share their own ideas, suggesting solutions to problems, large and small in their own lives.
What do I have to do?
Now: Register here to be part of Young Innovators and we’ll send you full details including a suggested framework for thinking and a template to share your ideas.
Tuesday 15th October at 9:30am – 10:30am: Join our live virtual event with tech experts lined up to inspire your students and answer their questions. Or receive the link so you and your students can watch on catch up (You can submit questions upfront).
October – November: Get working on your ideas. You might choose to do this as part of a school club or in the classroom.
Friday December 6th: Closing date for submission of projects. We’ll send you a link to upload them. All projects will be reviewed.
Monday January 6th: Teams invited to a special showcase day on February 10th will be notified at the beginning of January. The showcase day will be an opportunity to further develop ideas with AWS and get hands on with the very latest technology.
ALL students who have submitted projects will receive feedback and certificates to reflect their work. Every student will be able to progress their ideas through the TeenTech Awards programme.
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My school is outside Greater Manchester. Can we be part of this project?
This project is for Greater Manchester Schools only. If you are outside the region you can enrol for the national TeenTech Awards programme here.
I have a student who would prefer to work on their own. Can we do this?
Yes, students can work individually.
I am a home-schooled student. Can I join the Challenge?
Yes, please ask a parent or carer to register on your behalf.
My school isn’t taking part but I would like to join in. Is this possible?
Yes, please ask a parent or carer to register on your behalf.
How much time will I need to run the Challenge in my school?
We have designed the challenge to be flexible. It’s entirely up to you whether you decide to run it as a lunchtime club, across several weeks or a drop-down day. We will provide you with a suggested framework, downloadable resources and certificates to reward the skills demonstrated by students along the way.
How can I access support from mentors?
Our project manager will connect you with mentors and alert you to any virtual events taking place throughout the project.
Do projects need to be original?
Projects should be original and should not have been submitted for any other challenge or competition.
Can students receive outside help or feedback?
We are very happy for students to have support with projects and this should be clearly indicated on their submission. Students should clearly indicate how they have used human tech experts or AI within their project.
How will you decide which teams come to the event on Feb 10th?
We will look for fresh ideas, which clearly identify a problem, explain who this is a problem for (and how students know – personal experience, relatives, research) , how their proposed solution will make a difference and the technology needed to make it happen. You have a very short time frame, so we aren’t looking for ‘shiny, polished projects’ but we are looking for honest ideas which can be further developed.
When will I know if my teams are invited to the showcase event on Feb 10th?
Projects will be reviewed in December and we will alerting school who have earned places on January 6th.
What if our projects aren’t selected for the Feb 10th event?
TeenTech’s policy is to provide ALL projects with feedback. We know some teams will have a great idea but need more time to develop it. We will be inviting all students whether or not they attend the event on Feb 10th to progress to the TeenTech Awards where they can further develop their idea.