Welcome as a STEM4US! Mentor or Hackathon Team Coach

Congratulations and welcome to the STEM4US! Hackathon Leadership Team! Thank you for volunteering your time and expertise to support our youth in the STEM4US! Virtual Ag-Tech & AI Youth Hackathon.

We have waived all financial and sponsorship commitments for our Mentors and Team Coaches. Your greatest contribution is your active presence, technical guidance, and leadership as our youth build innovative solutions in Ag-Tech, Cyber, and AI.

What You Can Expect as a Volunteer Leader:

  • Direct Youth Impact: Engage directly with global student teams (4–5 students per team) to guide their technical builds, problem framing, and presentation pitches.

  • Flexible Engagement Options: Choose between 20-minute Speed Mentoring Sprints (rotational Q&A & feedback) or full event Team Coaching (hands-on project guidance).

  • Network & Community Recognition: Connect with fellow industry leaders, sponsors, and educators across the STEM, AI, and cybersecurity sectors.

  • Recognition & Alerts: Email newsletter highlights, event recognition, and exclusive alerts for upcoming cyber events, grants, and industry opportunities.

Overview of Roles & Full Event Hours:

1. Mentors (Speed Mentoring Sprints)

  • Friday Kickoff Session: Friday, Oct 9 at 8:05 PM EST (additional sessions Saturday at 3:30 PM & Sunday at 1:45 PM EST).

  • What You Do: Join assigned virtual rooms with 5 students for 10-minute rapid rounds. Introduce yourself, ask youth to share their ideas, take questions, and offer direct career and project advice.

2. Team Coaches (Full-Event Build Guidance & Student Focus)

  • What You Do: Partner with an assigned student team to provide hands-on technical guidance (Glide app prototyping, Google Gemini AI prompts, and pitch deck preparation).

  • The "Stay Tuned-In" Duty: Coaches should be prepared to be present and actively engage their teams across the entire event schedule. A core part of coaching is keeping students energised and focused on the STEM4US! platform—competing with video games and distractions to ensure they cross the finish line with a completed prototype!

  • Full Event Hours:

    • Friday, Oct 9: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM EST

    • Saturday, Oct 10: 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM EST (Main activities run through 9:00 PM with optional late-night build lounge)

    • Sunday, Oct 11: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM EST

  • Key Scheduled Coaching Checkpoints:

    • Friday, Oct 9: 8:45 PM – 9:00 PM EST — Evening Team Alignment & Saturday Roadmap

    • Saturday, Oct 10: 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM EST — Saturday Morning Feature & Wireframe Checkpoint

    • Saturday, Oct 10: 6:45 PM – 7:15 PM EST — Saturday Evening Prototype Strategy Checkpoint

    • Sunday, Oct 11: 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM EST — Sunday Morning Working Prototype Health Check

    • Sunday, Oct 11: 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM EST — Post-Presentation Debrief & Portfolio Next Steps

To complete your volunteer registration and select your preferred team and role, please fill out the short information form below.

We look forward to working together to inspire our next generation of tech leaders!