Eligibility for participation (students)

Any girl or young woman (ages 8 - 18) interested in Technovation Girls is eligible to participate. We welcome all transgender people and also those who identify as non-binary or gender nonconforming and want to be part of a female-identified environment, including student participants.

To join our competition:

Beginner Division - a parent/guardian must create an account for the child on our online platform, and then help the child create or join a team. The parent/guardian must sign the consent form.

Junior & Senior Division - a girl must create an account and then create or join a team on our online platform, and have a parent/guardian sign the consent form.

All divisions must meet the following,

Student Participation criteria:

• All students must be between the ages of 8 to 18 as of August 1, 2023.
• All students must identify as female, trans, nonbinary or gender nonconforming. Students who are assigned male at birth and self-identify as male cannot enter the competition.
• Teams are composed of 1 to 5 students. Students can only join 1 team. There is no limit on the number of mentors per team.
• Competition Divisions are based on the age of the oldest student on the team on August 1, 2023. 
• Beginner Division: girls ages 8-12 
• Junior Division: girls ages 13-15 
• Senior Division: girls ages 16-18
• Students can participate in Technovation Girls for multiple seasons until they reach the age of 18
• Students can work with the same team members and mentors
• Teams can explore the same problem, but the app or AI prototype must be different or improved each year.

Technovation Girls is a self-select program and there is no application/selection process.

For mentor eligibility, please refer to this article. 

Technovation's Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Our mission is to reach and welcome students and mentors who may not otherwise be able to learn and build technology due to racial, economic, social, and cultural barriers and discrimination. Our programs run in over 100 countries with historical and existing biases against women and other underrepresented genders, in particular.  

With increased stressors for women in STEM fields, including sexual harassment and discrimination, research shows that when women participate in gender-reaffirming environments, it can increase their sense of belonging and therefore help keep them in STEM fields. Our Technovation Girls program aims to provide this safe, reaffirming environment, so our eligibility condition remains that students who are assigned male at birth and self-identify as male cannot enter the competition.

Additionally, Technovation Girls is proud to provide girls and students with identity-reaffirming role models so they can see themselves in technology careers.