Technovation: Get Involved | Women in Computer Science

Technovation Girls Waterloo is supported by a dedicated team of volunteers and community partners!

Join us by volunteering or partnering with the Waterloo Technovation Girls Chapter!

I have acted as a Technovation Girls mentor since 2018, and every year I learn something new about leadership, teamwork, technology and thinking big!

I am always amazed at how teams start from almost nothing and end up building something innovative and cool, having fun all the while.

Ryan Deschamps, Technovation Mentor

Become a Volunteer

Technovation Girls needs many volunteers to make things happen (all folks welcome). People like you! Read below to find out more about the different ways you can volunteer with Technovation Girls.

Types of Volunteers

Mentor

Overview

Mentors work with one or more teams throughout the entire Technovation season. They are their team’s cheerleader, advisor, project manager, and the first point of contact when they have questions. They are someone who helps a team overcome challenges and setbacks, offers advice, and keeps the team on track.

Mentors do not need to have a background in tech or entrepreneurship, just a willingness to learn from and alongside their team.

Mentors are 18 years + older and need to pass Technovation’s vulnerable sector check.

Time Commitment

1-2 hours/week per team

Outline of Responsibilities

On the Technovation Global Platform: register, complete mentor training, and pass a vulnerable sector check (via the Technovation background check service at no cost
Support your team(s) from the start of the Technovation challenge (January 17th) to the submission date (April 20th).
Host weekly (online) check-in sessions with your team(s) (15 - 30 mins/week)
Monitor and participate in your team(s) Technovation Waterloo Chapter team chat
(Optional) Attend in-person monthly workshops during team times
(optional BUT highly encouraged) Attend our Live Regional Pitch Event (May 2nd) and celebrate your team(s)’s accomplishments!

Coach

Role Description

Coaches provide feedback to teams in a one-on-one setting at designated workshops. Coaches are knowledgeable in one or more of the topics taught during the Technovation season. Coaches sign up for one or more workshops (virtual and/or in person), in which we cover a topic they are knowledgeable about. During workshops, coaches will check in with each team and provide them with feedback on their current draft of their project. Coaches will also be added to a Q&A chat where students can ask questions about specific topics asynchronously.

Time Commitment

2 - 5 hours

Note: Coaches are not required to attend every session, only those for which they sign up to attend.

Outline of Responsibilities

Sign-up to be a coach for one (or more) of the workshops (see below for topic list)
Monitor and respond to Q&A in the Waterloo Chapter Coach chat.
Provide feedback and advice to teams

Online Workshops & Topics

Date	Topic/Lesson
Date	Topic/Lesson	January 21, 2026	Ideation: Communities & Problems
January 28, 2026	Exploring Problems: Resources & Research
February 4, 2026	Exploring Problems: Community & Competitor Research
February 11, 2026	Ideation: Solutions & AI
February 18, 2026	Selecting a Solution & Evaluating its impact
February 25, 2026	Prototyping: Low Fidelity/Wireframing
March 4, 2026	Planning: Project (Beg & Jr), Business (Sr)
March 11, 2026	Coding: MVP & Pair Programming
March 18, 2026	Coding: Testing & Debugging
March 25, 2026	Coding: User Testing
April 1, 2026	Submission: Pitching & Video Creation

In-Person Workshops & Topics

Approx. one Saturday a month at either the University of Waterloo or a local tech company. Workshop dates will be announced in January 2026.

Month	Topic
February	Researching & Selecting a Tech-based Solution
Early March	Prototyping & User Testing
Late March	Coding Sprint
April	Finalizing Projects & Preparing Pitch Videos

Speaker

Should I be a Speaker?

Role Description

Speakers are experts on their chosen subject matter and deliver engaging talks to Technovation participants. Speakers will work with Waterloo Chapter Lead(s) to prepare and present a 15-minute talk on a topic during one of the online weekly workshops (Wednesdays, 5 - 7 pm). An outline of the presentation, resources, and instructions for corresponding activities on the topic will be provided in advance. This is an entirely virtual commitment.

Time Commitment

3 - 5 hours (including prep time)

Outline of Responsibilities

Sign up to present one (or more) of the topics listed below
Attend a 15 - 30 min prep meeting with a Waterloo Chapter Lead. During this meeting you will be provided will all the materials and information needed to prepare for the talk.
Prepare slides and materials for the presentation.
Attend a 15-minute final check-in meeting with a Waterloo Chapter Lead to ensure everything is ready for the presentation
Present and assist in leading the topic activity at the weekly online workshop corresponding to your topic.

Presentation Topics

Date	Topic
January 29th, 2025	Ideation: Brainstorming Problems
February 5th, 2025	Ideation: Understanding Affected Communities and Researching Problems
February 12th, 2025	Topic #1 - Intro to Artificial Intelligence
February 12th, 2025	Topic #2 - Ideation: Finding Solutions & Competitor Research
February 19th, 2025	Identifying Stakeholders and Understanding a Solution’s Impact
February 26th, 2025	Prototyping & Wireframing Apps
March 5th, 2025	Intro to Marketing & Creating a Business Plan
April 2nd, 2025	Pitching
April 9th, 2025	Storyboarding/Outline Videos
April 16th, 2025	Video Editing for Beginners

Judge

Should I be a Judge?

Role Description

At the conclusion of each season, teams pitch their apps and AI solutions to a panel of judges. Judges review submissions from teams, offer feedback and encourage teams to keep building. This helps strengthen team pitches for the global competition. Judges are required to review submissions in advance of the in-person pitch event (approx. 1 week before), as well as attend the Waterloo Chapter's Regional Pitch Event in May hosted at UWaterloo.

Find out more about the judging process by clicking here.

Time Commitment

10 - 15 hours (5 - 10 hours for reviewing submissions, and ~ 4 hours for the Pitch Event)

Outline of Responsibilities

Register as a Judge on the Technovation Global platform & complete online training
Attend virtual Waterloo Chapter Pitch Event info session
Review assigned team submissions (min. 5 submissions) in advance of the Regional Pitch Event
Attend the Regional Pitch Event and listen to team pitches
Provide feedback to teams and finalise scores. Work with fellow judges to choose winners for each category
Submit final scores on Technovation Global Platform.

Important Dates

Date	Topic
March 2026	Judge Registration opens on Technovation Global Platform
TBD	Waterloo Chapter Pitch Event Virtual Info Session for Judges
April 22nd, 2026	Judges receive team submissions to review
May 2nd, 2026	Waterloo Chapter Regional Pitch Event
May 10th, 2026	Final Scores due on Technovation Global Platform

Event Volunteer

Should I be an Event Volunteer?

Role Description

Event Volunteers are “jack of all trades”, they help with set-up, registration, background logistics, and clean-up. They also help facilitate the event activities and work directly with the Technovation participants (e.g., making sure they stay on track, understand the task, answer questions as they can, and direct participants to resources as needed).

Time Commitment

3+ hours

Outline of Responsibilities

Reply to emails sent 1-2 weeks prior to in-person Waterloo Chapter Technovation events with your availability for the upcoming event
Volunteer for one or more in-person sessions (morning, afternoon, or all-day shift; on average 3 - 6 hours). Visit our Current Season Page for the workshop schedule (typically one Saturday a month during the season).
Review Run of Play/Volunteer Information sent in advance of the event
Arrive at the event at the specified time and assist with logistics

Become a Community Partner or Sponsor

Technovation Girls requires the support of community partners to help run our season.

Partners can:

Host a workshop, which involves providing:
- The event space
- Equipment
- If possible, a water dispenser for refreshments for attendees
Engage staff to be mentors and coaches to work with teams

Sponsors can:

Donate to support our Regional Pitch Event, held in May, where teams pitch their projects to a live team of judges
Fund t-shirts for teams and other swag
Offer prizes (Consider experiences for the girls, like tours of local companies, automatic acceptance into a youth developer program, or a summer internship. We're open to ideas!)

Reach out to technovation@uwaterloo.ca if you are interested in becoming a Community Partner or Sponsor.