Please note that the 2023 Technovation Alumna Changemaker Award application is now closed.
Calling all alumnae innovators, entrepreneurs, and champions for gender equity and the environment—apply now for the Alumna Changemaker Award.
We’re proud to share that for the second year, Technovation will recognize an alumna for their continued efforts to address community problems. The 2023 Technovation Alumna Changemaker award will recognize an alumna who has worked to solve a gender equity or environmentally related problem in the past year.
Read on for more details about who is eligible (including examples), how to apply, and what the award winner will receive.
What is the Technovation Alumna Changemaker Award?
The Technovation Alumna Changemaker award is a prize given to an alumna in recognition of her efforts to solve a problem in her community in the past year (May 2022 through the present); please note that the project itself may have started earlier than May 2022. For 2023, the award will be given to an alumna who has worked to address either gender equity or an environmental issue.
This project does NOT need to be related to your prior Technovation Girls projects and does NOT need to be a technology-based solution.
Technovation Alumnae ages 18 and up are eligible to apply for this Award.
Is there a prize for the Technovation Alumna Changemaker Award?
Yes! $5,000 USD will be given to the selected First Place Winner, who will be chosen by a panel of judges. The Second Place Winner will receive $3,000 and the Third Place Winner will receive $1,000 USD. This prize can be used as an educational scholarship or funding to help further the winners’ projects.
Who can apply for the Technovation Alumnae Changemaker Award?
To be eligible to apply for the Technovation Alumna Changemaker Award, you must:
- Be 18 years or older*, by the time you submit your application
- Have submitted a project to the Technovation Girls competition between 2010 and 2022 (This submission does NOT need to have been related to gender equity or the environment)
- Worked on an environmental** or gender equity related problem between May 2022 and the present; please note that the project itself may have started earlier than May 2022.
Please note: Individual alumnae may apply for this award on their own behalf OR as a group, if they have worked with fellow Alumnae on a project. If Alumnae apply as a group and are selected to win, the prize will be split equally among the Alumnae group members.
*If you worked with fellow Technovation Alumnae(e) on this project, and are applying for this award as a group, ALL Technovation Alumnae must be 18 years of age or over to be qualified for this scholarship.
**Problems/solutions related to recycling are NOT eligible
Check out these examples of eligible projects to get an idea of what sort of projects we’re looking for
- Researching/organizing planting of native trees to combat invasive species and promote permaculture (e.g. Everyday Gandhis)
- Contributing to local efforts to monitor water quality (e.g. Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative)
- Community education initiatives— writing a curriculum and teaching about local environmental issues in local elementary schools
- Educating local children about growing vegetables and setting up a school or community garden
- Creating an educational program that provides tech industry certification and job connections for young women
- Building an app that connects girls and women who are walking alone at night with volunteers who are willing to accompany them. The app could also provide information on safe walking routes and tips for staying safe.
- Developing a platform on which young women can connect with female STEM professionals for career mentorship
*Please note:
- Problems/solutions related to recycling are NOT eligible
- Problems/solutions do NOT need to be technology based
- Problems/solutions do NOT have to be the same project you originally submitted to the Technovation Girls competition
How do I apply for the Technovation Alumna Changemaker Award and what should I include in my application?
Please note that the 2023 Technovation Alumna Changemaker Award application is now closed.
The application asked for:
- A clear and evidence-based statement of the problem you are trying to solve and why it is urgent
- Your proposed solution to the problem and how it is sustainable and innovative
- Your solution’s measurable impact on the community
- An item that demonstrates your project in action (this can be a photo, video, audio clip, presentation, or document)
- A YouTube video of yourself explaining the goal of your project and how you achieved it (maximum length: 2 minutes)
- The name and email address of a reference
- Optional: any links to content that will help us understand you or your project (a LinkedIn profile, personal website about your solution, or any other URL relevant to your work)
Who won the first Technovation Alumna Changemaker Award?
The 2022 Alumna Changemaker Award recognized an alumna who had addressed an environmental issue in her community. Last year we presented the award to Winnie Msamba. Winnie won for her submission entitled Morogoro Cocopeat, an initiative to help small farmers switch to the more environmentally-friendly cocopeat (a 100% organic growing medium made from coconut husks).
Do you have a question we didn’t answer here?
Please email us at [email protected] with the Subject Line: Question about the Alumna Changemaker Award