Minnesota Aspirations in Computing Technology Exploration Award
Award recipients are selected based on their completion of interviews with technology practitioners, with the goal of learning about different careers, career paths, and life advice.
This award is designed to help students explore different career options in the technology field and enable them to learn more deeply about various technology careers. Students are encouraged to explore areas of technology that are interesting to them, as well as roles and jobs with which they have limited or no familiarity. They can also begin to think about their future career path in order to be better prepared to enter the workforce. Through meeting with technology practitioners, students will ask questions and further their understanding of various roles, as well as build their professional networks. Although there is a specific deadline for this award, the connections built during the process of completing the application are not designed to solely benefit students during the award submission period. Instead, students are encouraged to maintain the relationships they create so these relationships bring ongoing value.
Another important aspect of this award is that students will learn about life lessons that technology practitioners wish they had known when they were the student’s age. Through this process, students will gain life advice from practitioners who have experience working in the technology field, with the goal of increasing career awareness and informing future education and career decisions. Benefitting from the key lessons that others have spent years learning, students can reduce the time it takes to learn similar lessons and, instead, focus on achieving their goals.
Eligibility
Minnesota students in grades 9-12 who identify as women, genderqueer, or non-binary who submitted their AiC award application by the November 8 deadline are eligible to participate.
Award Criteria
Award decisions are based on an individual’s completion of the following:
-
- The student must conduct interview meetings with 5 technology practitioners between January 6 and March 16, 2025
These interviews:
-
- Must be initiated and conducted by the student
- Cannot be with family members
- Must be at least 45-60 minutes each
In the process of setting up and conducting meetings, the student must:
-
- Directly request the meetings with practitioners
- Send the following link to practitioners prior to interviews: view the letter here
- Send thank you emails after the completion of interviews
The student uses the electronic form to write about the takeaways from each meeting with the following requirements:
-
- 250 words (minimum) about the practitioner’s job (in detail)
- 150 words (minimum) about the practitioner’s career path (e.g., education, prior jobs, inspiration, etc.)
- 100 words (minimum) about the life advice that the practitioner shared
Interviewed practitioners may be contacted to verify that the award requirements were met. Failure to complete the tasks above may result in disqualification of the interview.
What is a Technology Practitioner?
An eligible practitioner is someone who provides technology skills and services in a part-time or full-time capacity and has at least 2-years of technology related work experience.
Prizes
Each award recipient will receive a certificate. If a recipient is also recognized for another AiC award, special recognition will be given at that designated award ceremony in the spring of 2025. If a Technology Practitioner Exploration Award recipient isn’t in attendance at a spring award ceremony, the award certificate will be sent to the honoree.
Application Information and Timeline
Express your interest in applying for the Technology Practitioner Exploration Award by filling out the form below by December 15, 2024
Watch for follow-up award information including a one-hour virtual orientation meeting on December 19, 2024.
Access to an electronic interview form and submission process (information will be provided in advance of the application submission period which is January 6 – March 16, 2025)
Award recognition occurs in April, 2025
How to Get Started
Fill out this brief form to let us know you are interested. You will be invited to a follow-up call to provide more information on best practices, how to begin, and timelines.
