GEARED UP Mentor Conference

One of the most important early steps in approaching design is helping students make sense of the challenge before rushing into solutions. This session explores how mentors and educators can support teams in breaking down the challenge, identifying key problems to solve, and moving into prototyping in ways that keep students at the center of the process. The focus is on creating structures for ideation, design, testing, and iteration that strengthen student agency and ownership rather than shifting decision-making to adults. Participants will consider strategies for guiding analysis, supporting productive team discussion, and building a design process where students lead the work of turning ideas into action.