Program Information & Application
yCITIES Innovation Challenge Round 1 will run from November to February on Saturdays from 1:30PM to 3:00PM EST.
The application has now closed and they are currently being reviewed. Email vicky@youthcities.org with any inquiries.
Learn how to go from ideas to commercially viable ventures.
In partnership with SOLIDWORKS, yCITIES Innovation Challenge is an intensive virtual incubator — specifically designed for ambitious middle and high school students — where all students will learn frameworks for entrepreneurial problem solving, how to prototype, strategies for effective storytelling, and will ultimately create a commercially viable product from a challenge issued.
With access to industry experts, targeted mentoring, and discussion-based courses, students will also choose and dive into specialized tracks: (1) Tinkering, Prototyping, and Data Analysis; (2) Business Models, Angel Investments, and Risk Analysis. Along the way, students will be receiving mentorship from CEOs, startup founders, investors, inventors, and subject-matter-experts, and making lifelong connections.
Leveraging SOLIDWORKS’ platform, 3D Software, cloud services and 3D printing lab, student teams will compete in a 2-round elimination challenge. The winning team in Round 1 will be flown to Tennessee to present at the SOLIDWORKS 3DEXPERIENCE Industry Conference.
Teams who make it through to Round 2 will receive resources and support to create high fidelity prototypes that reach user-testing phase. In addition, Round 2 participants will be coached on how to create a portfolio with content from this Bootcamp (many recruiters now require student portfolios when interviewing for internship and job candidates).
All Round 2 teams will present their prototypes at a Demo Day in Boston (students outside MA will be flown in) in a hands-on, science-fair-style environment where judges, investors, target users, and other viewers will test out prototypes and provide feedback in real time. In addition, Round 2 students will have an opportunity to share their newly-created portfolios with various recruiters at Demo Day to discuss summer internships.
The winning team will be provided additional resources (financial and human) for a beta product launch over the summer.