Frequently Asked Questions

Forming a Team

I am a high school student in the USA and interested in participating. What should I do next?

You should talk to your teachers and identify a team coach. Your team coach can then apply the team for the challenge. You should also recruit team members from your school for the challenge.

Can our team have fewer than 2 students or more than 5 students?

We strongly discourage single-student teams, and teams that have more than 5 students. We have historically had a few teams with more than 5 students, but coordination becomes extremely difficult, and often not worth the team size. If you have that many students, we would encourage you to split up into two teams. The teams may work with the same co-designer if appropriate.

Do all team members have to be from the same school?

No, but all team members should be from the same geographical area so that you will be able to work together in person.

Can the team roster change during the season?

Yes, team members can be added or dropped during the season. Team members that drop do not need to do anything. Team members that are added need to fill out the same acceptance and media release form as other members of the team. The team rosters provided during the final project submission at the end of the season will be what we use as the official roster. Please remember when changing your team that we still recommend a 2-5 person team size.

Do co-designers count as part of the 2-5 person limit?

Co-designers are very much part of their teams, but do not normally count towards the 5-person limit. The only exceptions are the uncommon cases where they are also 1) high school students and 2) actively working on the design of the product apart from user testing and feedback. We generally do not encourage this overlap because some separation between user and designer can be very helpful in the kind of product design process that is being taught in this course.

I am interested in participating but we do not have enough team members. What should I do?

You should consider reaching out to other high schools and/or community centers/organizations/programs to identify a team coach and recruit other students.

Can one of our parents serve as our team coach?

Yes.

Can there be more than one team coach for a team?

Yes. If your team is accepted then please ask additional team coaches to fill out the team acceptance form.

Are we allowed to have more than one team from our school?

Yes.

Team Eligibility

I am home-schooled. Will I be able to participate?

Yes, so long as you are a high school student.

I am a high school student attending a high school outside the USA. Will I be able to participate?

It depends. Our course content is publicly available, and you are welcome to enroll in the Edly course to follow along. However, full participation in the Challenge, including use of the Discord server, and participation in our design reviews and events may not be possible due to MIT regulations on interactions with certain countries and foreign entities. We will let you know if this limitation is relevant to you when you apply.

I am a high school student attending school in the USA, but am not a US citizen or permanent resident. Will I be able to participate?

Yes, and your team may be considered for direct support.

I am a middle school student. Can I participate?

If you are able to assemble a team and find a coach and co-designer, please contact us. We are focusing our direct support on high school students, but we can work with you to see how you might be able to participate.

I am a university student. Can I participate?

We are working on an undergraduate option with a trial period in the 2024-2025 season. Stay tuned!

Are there prerequisites for a student to have taken certain classes before signing up for this challenge?

There are no prerequisites but we expect students to be interested in STEM and the topics covered in the challenge and to be committed to learning throughout the challenge.

Resources for Participating

How much does it cost to participate in the challenge?

Participation in the challenge is free thanks to donations from our generous sponsors!

I am on a participating team, how do I receive funding?

If your team is based in the United States and needs funding to build your AT product, please indicate this in your registration form, and we may be able to provide your team with a grant. Teams requesting a grant will be able to do so after their first mentor design review.

Teams requesting funding should submit a bill of materials as part of their first mentor design review. The bill of materials and associated presentation will be reviewed, and funding will be issued if the materials are approved. We may reach back out to you for further clarification or justification if we have questions about your request, so the better the bill of materials is tied to the submitted presentation, the quicker the process will be.

At the moment, we are only able to provide grants to US-based teams.

What materials do I need to run the classroom activities?

The materials needed for classroom activities are mostly common household items, such as paper, Popsicle sticks, cloth, hot glue, scissors, etc. Most, if not all, can be substituted for other similar items if needed. We will provide a suggested list for each activity.

What computer resources would I need to participate in this challenge?

Laptop/computer (including Chromebook) with camera/microphone and internet access. A mouse will also be much more user-friendly for some of the CAD activities than a trackpad. Other computer resources that we use heavily include Google Workspace (Forms, Sheets, Docs) for assignment submission, and Discord (for general communication).

If you cannot access Google Workspace products due to country-level blocking, please email us at bwsi-create-challenge@mit.edu for alternatives. Unfortunately, we do not have an alternative for Discord, though all of our major announcements are made on both Discord and email to team coaches.

I do not have the necessary resources. What are my options?

If your team is selected then you will be able to indicate in the acceptance form which computer resources you require. We have a limited number of loaner laptops made available to students who need them. If your school or organization requires access to devices such as a 3D printer, please contact us at bwsi-create-challenge@mit.edu and we will try to work with you.

Co-Designers

Do co-designers need to fill out the media release forms?

While all participating students and coaches need to fill out the Beaver Works media release form, we do not require co-designers to do so. We understand that some co-designers may not feel comfortable with information about their status or challenges being made public, and we do not want that to prevent participation in the Challenge. Teams with co-designers who are not consenting to media release will be instructed on how to create documentation that does not contain personally identifiable information (PII), and we will cross-reference teams' co-designer media release status before any team submissions containing PII is released.

If co-designers want to fill out a media release form, they can do so here: https://mit-bwsi.formstack.com/forms/create_individual_form_release. It is the same form we use for teams and coaches.

Applications for Supported Teams

What criteria will be used in selecting the teams that receive direct support?

Selection criteria include, but limited to, the following:

Skill background for successfully completing the challenge
Commitment from all team members (including co-designers and coaches) to successfully participate and complete the challenge
Need for technical and/or financial support
Diversity of team members
Plan for leveraging this experience to teach other students in the future

The Selection Criteria includes “Skill background for successfully completing the challenge.” What is the technical background needed for the selection of a team?

The technical background required will vary strongly depending on what kind of project you choose to tackle. Skills that previous students have found helpful include:

computer-aided design
3D printing, laser cutting, hand and machine tools
wood- and metal-working
drawing and sketching
sewing and clothing design
computer programming, mobile app development, and web design
electronics, particularly Arduinos, sensors, and actuators
familiarity with classical mechanics and mechanical structures

You do not need to be familiar with all of these to do well. We are looking for a good match with the rough category of your project.

My team does not have all of the technical background described in the selection criteria. Can we still apply?

Yes! The Challenge is intended to be a learning experience. We do not expect you to know how to do everything ahead of time. However, think about putting together a team with a mix of skills. A team with a diverse mix of technical experience will have the best chance of success in this challenge. Also, think about how you might learn some of the skills you might find yourself needing.