Registration is now open! The Tech Challenge program launches on Saturday, Oct. 17.
The Tech Challenge
You are here
About The Tech Challenge
Where can you learn engineering design skills, discover how to solve real-world problems, practice working collaboratively and have a whole lot of fun at the same time?
Register for The Tech Challenge!
This signature program of The Tech invites teams of students in Grades 4-12 to use the engineering design process to solve a real-world problem. Participants spend months collaborating and becoming deeply engaged in the challenge while documenting their progress and designs. The program culminates in an inspiring two-day showcase in April where teams put their solutions to the test in front of judges.
The Tech Challenge in Five Easy Steps
-
Check out The Tech Challenge event schedule. Two very important dates are:
-
October 8, when registration opens.
-
April 24-25, the showcase.
Also, be sure to mark down the dates of info clinics, adviser trainings, team workshops and test trials. These events will help!
-
- Form a team. A team is two to six students (including you!) plus one adult adviser. Your adviser doesn’t need to be an engineer. After all, this is your team’s project and you’re in charge.
- Register and meet. Don’t forget, your adviser needs to register your team! Registration opens October 8, 2020. Plan some team meetings to get started. How often you meet is up to you.
- Start your engineering journal. Your journal is one of three areas on which your team will be judged at the showcase. It’s important to show how your team made its device and why you made the choices you did. A good way to start is by writing down what your team talks about during meetings.
The other two judging areas happen during the showcase: your team’s interview with a pair of judges and your device’s performance.
- Talk to your adviser and team about safety. Safety is always The Tech Challenge’s number one priority. In fact, judges keep track of each team’s overall safety and score it accordingly.
ADULTS! SUPPORTERS! This one’s for you!
Are you curious about how you or your company can help inspire students from all backgrounds to learn about science and engineering while building 21st century skills? Join us on Friday, Oct. 23 at 9 a.m. when we’ll publicly recognize our inspiring supporters, share a calendar of exciting activities, and announce the next challenge!
Get involved!
For more information about how your company can support this program with funding and volunteers, please contact Linda Antonopoulos at lanton@thetech.org. You may also view more information here.
The Tech Challenge Events
Virtual Showcase: The big day! Your team will have the opportunity to show off all your hard work during a scheduled interview.
WHEN: April 24-25, 2021
Info Clinics: Online course and virtual Q&A sessions with our staff and head judges. This is a must for teams and advisers.
Adviser Training: Learn how to help guide your team to a rewarding Tech Challenge experience through our online course and virtual Q&A sessions. Please attend an Info Clinic before attending Adviser Training.
Team Workshops: Develop brainstorming, presentation, design, building and testing skills, and learn how to make an engineering journal. All our team workshops will be held virtually this year. There will be room for every team member who wants to attend! Workshops are for students only. The workshop is the same every time, so there is no need to attend more than one.
Test Trials: Attend our virtual Test Trials. Discuss your solution and get feedback from judges. Teams are encouraged to attend multiple test trials.
Thank you to our 2021 Supporters!
Scaling Partner: PwC Charitable Foundation
Founding: Arm, Barbara and Bill Heil, Intel
Principal: Adobe, Amazon, Bank of America, Lockheed Martin, Renesas, Seagate
Underwriting: Akamai Foundation, Deloitte, Hathaway Dinwiddie
Investing: Eileen and Chris DiGiorgio, Flex, IBM, NXP Semiconductors
