The challenge is simple. Build something using computer science and technology that can help solve an imminent social problem under one of four themes - global health, a safer world, intelligent technology, and bridging inequalities. You can think of it as a virtual hackathon for middle school girls.

Step 1 - Register

Before you start working on your project, decide whether you want to work as an individual or in a team. Then, register yourself or your team before the registration deadline. No unregistered individuals/teams will be allowed to participate. 

Step 2 - Build Your Project

You're about to embark on an exciting journey over the next few months while you're building your project. After you pick a theme and finalize a project idea, you're ready to get started with building. Building can mean anything from physically putting together machine parts for a robot to writing code for a mobile app to prototyping a new prosthetic device. The possibilities are endless. After an initial build, you'll want to test it to make sure everything works the way you want it to. And after multiple retests and rebuilds, you'll finally end up with a product that you're not only proud of, but which can make a difference. Here's what you need to do:

Pick a Theme for Your Project

Your first step should be to identify a social problem or issue that matters to you or to those in your community. The project you build should clearly address this issue as a feasible and creative solution. The social issue you select should fall under one of our four themes that cover a wide range of problem areas:

  • Global Health (disease, hunger, poverty, etc)

  • A Safer World (safety-related technologies, cybersecurity, defense, etc)

  • Intelligent Technology (robotics, brain-computer interfaces, artificial intelligence applications, machine learning, etc)

  • Bridging Inequalities (any inequalities, civic tech, tech-enabled advocacy, etc.)

Brainstorm an Idea for a Technology to Address Your Chosen Social Issue

Here's the fun part. You can choose to build any kind of technology to address your chosen social issue. Examples include a mobile app, robot, device, web app, website, analytics software, algorithm, virtual reality (VR) program - and anything else you can come up with! To help you brainstorm, you can also take a look at winning projects from past years here. The best projects are creative and novel, but they also address a well-defined problem. 

Build Your Project

Build your project! If you need help on getting started, please take advantage of our mentorship program. If you request a mentor after registering, we will pair you with a college student or technical professional who will provide advice, give you feedback, and answer any technical questions you have for the duration of the competition process. 

Test, Test, and Retest

Thoroughly test and iterate on your project to ensure it best addresses the issue you sought to address. If you can collect data and results, make sure to collect and analyze those for your technical report. 

Step 3 - Submit Your Project

Once you're satisfied with your project, you're ready to submit. To submit, you will need to prepare a technical report and, video, and blog post on your project. Please make sure to visit the "What to Submit" page for detailed requirements on the required components of your technical report, video, and blog post.

Make sure you have all the necessary documents and materials you need and don't wait until the last minute to submit. The submission portal will open in April of 2021. After you've submitted, congratulate yourself!