FAQ

Is the Mission: Impact Challenge – Connected Community open to anyone?
No. Only students currently enrolled in grades 6-12 at Compton Unified School District can form a team of 2-5 members and participate in the Challenge.

Can a student team be from different schools?
No. All the students on a team need to be enrolled in the same school.

How do students register?
Students cannot register by themselves. A staff advisor 18 years or older at their participating school needs to register the student team. Before they register the team, the staff advisor will need following information:
  • Staff Advisor Name
  • Staff Advisor Phone # 
  • Staff Advisor Email
  • School Name
  • Team Name
  • Team Member’s First Name and Grade

How do students find their staff advisor?
 A list of the all the staff advisors by school can be found HERE.

Can a staff advisor sign up an individual student?
No. Students must be part of a team consisting of 2-5 members. If a student cannot find other students to form a team, the staff advisor should assist them in finding additional team members.

How can the staff advisor retrieve a lost username/password?
When the student team’s staff advisor completed the required registration form, the username and a link to change their password were emailed to the his/her staff advisor.

Does the student team have to build a prototype of their idea/solution?
They can, but it is not required.

Are there rules and guidelines about how to create the written proposal?
Yes. The written proposal is putting everything down on paper after the student teams researched the area of interest, found a problem worth solving, and came up with an idea for how to make things better. Remember, the judges reading the proposal won't necessarily know the research; therefore, it’s important to be as clear as possible. The ideal written proposal should:
  • Clearly explain the problem
  • Clearly explain the recommended solution to the problem
  • Clearly explain how the technology works
  • Clearly show how STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) was used to develop the solution
  • Clearly explain the impact

Are there rules and guidelines about how to make a video?
Yes. The staff advisor will receive an email with the rules and guidelines for the semi-finalist teams. It is also very important that every student team understands and comply with these rules and guidelines. Any video that does not meet this criteria will be disqualified from the Challenge.

Where can the student teams get a video camera?
Many cell phones and digital cameras can be used to film a short video. Students who don't have access to either can check with their staff advisor, teacher, school media center, or local Public Library.

How does the staff advisor submit a video?
The staff advisor must have a user account to submit a video. The staff advisor will receive an email with instructions on how to upload the YouTube video link to the submission website when the video submission window is officially open.

Can submitted videos be updated?
Yes, staff advisors can log into their account and add a new video link to their saved entry prior to the deadline. Once a new link has been provided, the new link will overwrite the old link associated with the staff advisor’s account.

How will the written proposals and videos be judged?
The written proposals and videos will be scored based on the same rubric. The videos do NOT need to be "produced" or have high production value. Judges are not evaluating production skills. Entries that follow all of the rules and regulations will be ranked based on the average of scores awarded by an expert panel of judges using the following rubric:
  • Creativity (ingenuity and innovative thinking) (30%)
  • Potential Impact (30%)
  • STEAM Knowledge (20%)
  • Feasibility (20%)

Will the student teams get support?
Yes. Every student team will have access to a mentor who is a subject matter expert from the Yetunde Price Resource Center or surrounding area to help steer them and act as a sounding board throughout the Challenge.

Also, all registered teams must attend the Design Thinking session where they will learn the Design Thinking process as well as hear from subject matter experts about trauma and why it is an important subject to address. Design Thinking is a methodology used to solve complex problems and find desirable solutions.

Who are the judges?
There will be two separate panel of judges. The first-round panel of judges will review the submitted written proposals and score them based on a provided rubric. The second-round panel of judges will review the submitted videos in-person at the Compton Unified School District’s STEAMFest at the Dollarhide Community Center in Compton. Both panel of judges are comprised of subject-matter experts in either trauma or technology.

When and how will students find out if they are semi-finalists?
The staff advisors will be contacted via email if their student team is selected as a Semi-Finalist a few days after the written proposal deadline.

What happens at the finals?
The semi-finalist student teams will be invited to present their video to a distinguished panel of judges at the Compton Unified School District’s STEAMFest at the Dollarhide Community Center in Compton. The student teams will also present their solutions to the attendees where they can vote of their favorite idea. The semi-final student team’s final result will be a combination of the judges’ score and a crowd vote. The judges will award a Grand Prize team and two Runner-Up teams from both middle and high school levels.

What are the prizes?
All semi-final student teams will be invited to an annual event hosted by Venus and Serena Williams which benefits the Yetunde Price Resource Center. The Grand Prize will be a VIP Innovation Trip around Los Angeles where they will meet leading innovators and entrepreneurs and experience cutting-edge technology. They will also get VIP access to Two Bit Circus micro-amusement park. Members of the Grand Prize and two Runner-Up teams will also receive an exclusive littleBits STEAM Kit and an Amazon Echo. The two Grand Prize team’s schools will receive $1,000 in science supplies.
The Mission: Impact Challenge gives young innovators the opportunity to deliver creative ideas and compelling solutions to real-world problems using S.T.E.A.M. and Design Thinking.

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