The Technovation Challenge is a global competition encouraging young girls to become tech entrepreneurs and leaders. The program invites girls aged 8-18 to identify a problem in their community and create a mobile app or AI program to address it. Participants work in teams to develop a business plan and pitch for their app, which they then submit for local and global judges to score.
The challenge inspires girls to pursue careers in technology and entrepreneurship by providing them with the skills and confidence to innovate. The process includes learning how to code, develop a mobile app and/or train an AI model, create a business plan, and pitch their ideas. Teams receive mentorship from professionals in the tech, marketing, project planning, UI development industries and have the opportunity to win scholarships and other prizes.
Out of the 37 Technovation Girls Minnesota teams that completed and submitted projects, four teams advanced to the Global semifinals, with one of them being among the 5 Junior Regional Winners.
Our Regional Winner
Radiant Royals developed the app Sunshine for Seniors after identifying a common issue in senior living homes. Many seniors struggle to follow activity schedules, leading to periods of loneliness. Sunshine for Seniors aims to enhance the lives of seniors by allowing families to view activity calendars and select activities of interest for their loved ones. The app then notifies caregivers, who can provide encouragement and accompany seniors to chosen activities. Additionally, families can receive photos, fostering closer connections. Sunshine for Seniors significantly improves seniors’ quality of life while helping families maintain meaningful engagement.”
Our Semifinalists
In the beginner division, the Blake 6th Grade team created SmartCarbon to address UN Sustainable Development Goal 13: climate action. Carbon emissions pose a significant global challenge, and SmartCarbon serves as a tool to assist users in reducing their daily emissions. The app includes a comprehensive database that calculates carbon emissions associated with various aspects of lifestyle, such as transportation and diet. It then offers practical suggestions on how to decrease emissions. SmartCarbon contributes to environmental improvement and empowers users to make informed, sustainable lifestyle choices.
Enviro, developed by the Beginner Division team, EcoPixel, is an app designed to tackle the issue of nanoplastics in product ingredients. By scanning a product barcode, users can swiftly determine whether the product contains microplastics. Upon identifying microplastics, Enviro doesn’t stop there. It offers detailed explanations regarding the potential harms associated with the detected microplastics. Additionally, the app suggests four healthier alternatives to the identified product. This feature empowers users to make sustainable choices that align with their environmental and health concerns.
In the Senior Division, Swift Pixels developed Oculum AI, an advanced application aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3: good health and well-being. This app harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to foresee potential cases of various medical conditions, hypertension, ocular cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetic retinopathy, by analyzing retinal images before symptoms manifest. Oculum AI utilizes SwiftUI for its programming framework and employs a Vore ML model, a machine learning algorithm, to deliver precise diagnoses based on retinal imaging. With an impressive accuracy rate of 90%, the app stands as a pioneering tool in early medical detection.
Congratulations to these Global champions and all the students, parents, mentors, judges, and volunteers who were part of our incredible 2024 Technovation Journey! Your dedication, creativity, and hard work have truly made a difference. Each of you has contributed to the success of this journey, and together, you have demonstrated the power of innovation, collaboration, and perseverance.