Technovation challenge 2015 for girls kicks off

TECHNOVATION 2015, a mobile software development competition specifically meant for the girl child is now open for registration till February 15. As a program of iridescent, the mission of Technovation is to empower young women to use technology to make the world a better place. 

    Iridescent is a science-education non-profit that helps engineers; scientists and high-tech professionals bring cutting edge science, technology and engineering to high school girls, and underprivileged minority children and their families.    

   Iridescent’s mission is to use science, technology, and engineering to develop persistent curiosity and to show that knowledge is empowering

   In 2014, 1,500 girls from around the globe developed 362 mobile apps, making Technovation the largest global technology entrepreneurship programme for girls.

   According to Technovation representative in Nigeria, Mrs. Martha Alade, this challenge is open to secondary school girls between the ages of 10 and 18 who would work in teams of five to develop Mobile Apps, conduct market research, write business plans and create a “pitch” for funding. Each team is expected to work with a classroom teacher in their school and a female mentor/role model from a technology industry. Teams will compete in one of two divisions: middle school or high school.

   The age of the oldest girl on the team will determine the team’s division. Top ranked teams from each division will qualify to travel to San Francisco for World Pitch: Technovation makes travel scholarships available to the finalist teams who cannot cover the travel costs on their own. At World Pitch: One winner from the middle school category will be selected to win $10,000, and one winner from the high school category will win $10,000.

   Alade said Technovation’s mission is to motivate and educate girls and women to solve real-world problems through technology, inspiring girls to see themselves not just as users of technology, but as inventors, designers, builders, and entrepreneurs in the industry. Students work in teams to develop mobile app ‘start-ups’ to solve real problems in their communities.

    The Ambassador for Technovation, California, Ms. Anar Simpson, who spoke through teleconferencing platform, said that Nigeria had been successful in Technovation in the past two years.

   Simpson said that for Nigerian young girls to continue on the success pace, they should remain focused and be confident.

   She added that the young girls should be able to identify problems and create the right apps to solve them.

    Technovation is a technology entrepreneurship programme and competition for young women. Through its intensive 3-month, 50-hour curriculum, teams of young women work together to imagine, design, and develop mobile apps, then pitch their ‘’startup’’ businesses to judges.