about 1 year ago

T-1 HOURS: Final Words of Advice, GRAND FINALS LINK & Best of Luck :)

Hello Climate Change-Makers! WE'RE ALMOST THERE!! Our team is SO pumped to check out these projects & know that y'all wii do a FAB job... We are too that there's been so so much to process these last two but as a summary of some key lessons, will share here a couple FINAL PIECES OF ADVICE:

DO check the WORKSHOP RECORDINGS folder & also the RUBRIC (link here)... Use it as a cross-check to ensure your video has covered the core points, that there is a balance & that there aren't any big gaps in your submission; look at things holistically,
DON'T test us about the 4 MINUTES, please try to stay within time & while we sometimes give a slight grace out of our over-over-niceness, please know that we will be asking judges not to view submissions beyond maybe a 10-second grace.
DO highlight your problem statement research, and especially any work engaging directly with stakeholders to validate that your project is addressing a real need.
DON'T listen to every piece of advice you may have gotten, from mentors, judges or even/ especially us... Listen to the feedback you get but be critical about what you can & cannot implement.
DO use the written part of the Devpost submission, as we highlighted in our earlier sessions. It may be difficult to cover everything you could in the video, but there is some strategy there in using the written components to complement the rest & feel free to even create new headings if needed.
DON'T be over-technical in what you submit... You're welcome to share code but that's more a bonus, remember that this challenge is inclusive to many types of innovation & our judges come from varied backgrounds, so tailor your submissio to your average person evaluating.
DO keep us informed about challenges... We believe centrally in a principle of equity & are open to making accommodations when needed, so keep up communication lines & let us know ASAP re: submission issues or the like (no later than EOD tomorrow), we'll do our best to help.
DON'T hesitate to reach out with questions & especially if you haven't engaged as much with us or mentors in the past. We are here to help, know that there's a lot to keep in mind at a challenge like ours. And it is SO OKAY to feel at least a little bit nervous, it's part of the process.
And finally, DO have fun... There's SO many incredible pitches & so many incredible ways to compellingly, so do take some time to admire some of your peers' submissions when the gallery goes live & stay tuned for the FINALS on MARCH 2ND, CANNOT WAIT peeps!!

Oh wait... Did we just announce something? We suuure did & guess what folks, we've got the GRAND FINALS ON MARCH 2ND, 2025 @ 10 AM EST = 3 PM GMT = 8:30 PM IST. Link will come later :)