Background of The Tech Challenge
Previous Challenges

Background of The Tech Challenge

About the Tech Challenge

Welcome to The Tech Challenge!

The Tech Museum believes every young person should have an opportunity to explore hands-on design. The Tech Challenge - one of The Tech Museum's signature programs - is our way of "inspiring the innovator in everyone". To date, an estimated 12,000 youths have honed their creative problem solving and teamwork skills as part of this annual program. Participants' efforts are recognized and celebrated. Awards range from BEST OVERALL SOLUTION to MOST SPECTACULAR FAILURE.

The Tech Challenge is a team program designed to get at the heart of innovation, where young people can develop creative solutions to real world challenges in familiar settings. Over the years, young people from elementary, middle and high school have built devices to move water, explore Mars craters, fight wildfires, and collect samples in the rainforest.

Open, accessible, and affordable for all kids in grades 5 to 12, The Tech Challenge provides young people with the real-life design challenges that inspire creativity and build teamwork skills. Participants compete in three categories: Elementary School, Middle School and High School.

"...the coolest thing we did on this project was actually seeing our rover moving. The reason for this is that because none of us have any mechanical experience, it was simply amazing to see something that we had made through touch and go doing what it was supposed to be doing. Just seeing that rover moving made us all proud."

2007 Tech Challenge Participant, unidentified

The Challenge:
Each Year, we announce a new challenge scenario inspired by a real design challenge. Students work as a team, at home, in the classroom, in a club or in after school programs to design and build a solution. One adult supervisor is required per team.

The Challenge takes place over several months as participants form a team, design, build and test their project. Teams document every step of their process including testing, brainstorming, and most importantly what they learn through experimentation and failure. The Challenge culminates in Event Day, when the teams present their project to the judges.

Resources:
The Tech Museum of Innovation provides supporting resource tools to help make your team successful. The Challenge season kicks off in September with our Information Clinic, the first in a series of supporting events including training for advisors, workshops for students and testing opportunities for the teams. Check dates of workshops here.

Event Day: Saturday, April 24, 2010 9am-6pm, Parkside Hall
Teams celebrate their progress as they demonstrate their solutions for the judges in front of their friends and family. Key Dates

NOTE: Event Day may be split into two days depending on the final number of participants and teams. Information will be posted on this web site and provided via email to all registered teams confirming whether the final takes place on one day or two.

Awards
There are numerous awards to encourage, celebrate and recognize innovation. Some examples are: Best Overall Solution and Most Spectacular Failure Best Team Name, Teamwork Award, Judges Choice, Inspirational Awards.