Starting the week of the 12th February, this activity window will run for 1 week and is designed to take no more than 30 minutes of your time.

As mentors, you’ll be matched with up to 5 student teams. This is your opportunity to:

• Introduce Yourself: Briefly share who you are and your excitement about the journey ahead.
• Encourage and Inspire: Offer words of encouragement. Let them know that perfection is not the goal – it’s about making progress and learning.
• Drive their learning towards the Idea Check-In Phase: Make sure they know that whatever they submit at this stage is better than not taking part, that everything they have done so far can be built on to develop their B!G ideas.

Project Status:

• Your teams are at the very beginning of their journey. They are just starting to form teams and select their challenges.

Your Input:

• At this stage, focus on motivation and encouragement. You could maybe share any helpful resources or tips you think could be beneficial as they start out. Keep it short and sweet! Have fun with it and thank you for being a SUPERSTAR!
• Don’t stress about getting it perfect and have fun with it!

Helping them move their learning forward!

These are some of the key activities/ processes that students are working through for the Idea Check-in (coming in March):

• Solution Categories: Students have been introduced to the different types of solutions they can develop: Products, Services, Spaces and Places, and Tech Solutions. Understanding these categories helps them frame their ideas in a tangible context.
• Hero Profile: Students are learning to empathise with the end user of their solution, termed as the ‘Hero’. They are taught to consider the Hero’s demographics, challenges, goals, values, and fears, which is crucial in human-centred design.
• Empathy Mapping: This process has taught them to put themselves in their Hero’s shoes, to deeply understand what they see, hear, feel, say, and think. This empathetic approach is foundational to crafting meaningful solutions.
• Emotional Literacy: Students have been made aware of the emotional spectrum of the creative process. They’ve learned the importance of resilience, empathy, communication, and collaboration in developing their ideas.
• SWOT Analysis: They have conducted a SWOT analysis to understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to their chosen challenge. This analytical skill is key to strategic thinking and problem-solving.

Remember, your guidance in this initial phase sets the tone for the students’ journey in the B!G Idea programme. Your encouragement can be the driving force behind their learning and creativity. Let’s make this a memorable and empowering experience for everyone involved!

You can always email us at mentors@thebigidea.ie.