FAQ

What is Teen Innovators?

Teen Innovators is about connection, community and building confidence. We are a company by teens for teens that strives to offer a fun, interactive environment to teach leadership skills such as communication, networking, executive functioning, and creative thinking in a way where students do not need to do a lot of prep work and are inspired by older peers.

What programs does Teen Innovators offer?

We provide a platform for ideas from teens to be heard, acknowledged, and validated. Our students gain self-esteem by figuring out how to plug into solving today’s challenges. We do this through flexible and fluid 30-minute mentoring sessions that leave middle school students feeling empowered and purposeful. We do this through Leadership Programs that are fun and useful.

One of the goals of the plan is for the student to develop a two-minute pitch of a problem/ solution.

Please check out our Programs Page.

Q: Who is this program for? This Program is For Teens and Tweens age 11-16 who:

desire to connect with and learn from successful older peers, OR
seek to increase future opportunities, OR
want to develop leadership skills that are critical to future success, OR
aspire to help solve global or local community challenges, OR
need a helpful sounding board for their big ideas to take shape

We love to nurture innovative thinking and share our knowledge and leadership skills to create successful leaders of tomorrow.

Q: Who is this program NOT for?

want more homework
don’t like fluid, flexible, self-led schedules
are not willing to push themselves to become successful leaders of tomorrow

Our program is designed to help kids feel happy and expansive, not tied down. There is no homework required, and ideas are developed and honed in our mentor sessions and leadership classes.

How does this differ from a business program?

Teen Innovators differs from a typical business program due to our extreme flexibility and big picture goals. We focus on your child’s enjoyment of the business ideation process and build their excitement to solve real-world problems with their creative thinking and big ideas.

How old do you need to participate in Teen Innovators?

Most Teen Innovator students are between the ages of 11-16; however, any child mature enough to engage in critical thinking with their peers is welcome to join.

What measures are in place to ensure the safety of my child?

All of our Mentors have been background checked and cleared to work with your teens in a safe and fun environment. Your child’s safety is our priority, and our platform is built on measures to protect them and their ideas. Please reference our terms and conditions here.

What is a peer/expert mentor?

A peer mentor is a young adult between the age of 17 and 21 that has excelled in areas of leadership, academics, the arts, and/or sports. Peer mentors have strong communication skills, trained to foster success and accomplishment through your child’s big ideas. On the other hand, expert mentors are business professionals with real-world experience in a professional environment.

How does the TI Student get paired up with a mentor?

The first three sessions will be paired with a peer mentor. The student selects which peer mentor they would like to speak with by looking at our calendar and selecting a mentor who is available the time they want to have the 30 minute call. We encourage students to be open minded and talk to as many Peer Mentors as they can so that they can experience differing points of view and philosophies.

How do I sign up?

Please click here to sign up and complete your application. The first step is to complete a brief survey. The second step is to select a peer mentor to meet with, based on availability.

What is included in my monthly subscription?

The Starter Level includes three peer mentor meetings and two downloadable leadership classes. In total, this equals four hours per month of personalized creative and innovative time.

The Growth Level includes access to an expert mentor meeting and four other peer mentor meetings. You can also attend two in-person zoom classes. You can view unlimited downloadable leadership classes. The growth level offers 8 hours of creative and innovative teaching for your student.

To begin your journey with Teen Innovators, visit our Programs Page.

To enroll in a business contest or leadership program, head to the Our Programs page.

My child missed their appointment, what do I do?

If your child misses an appointment, they can reschedule for a time that fits their schedule. Please note that the initially assigned peer mentor may not be available at that time.

How do I use Zoom?

Please click the link here for our Zoom tutorial.

After a call with the mentors, what is the next step?

TI Students will receive a follow-up email with feedback from their mentor call. They will also receive a survey asking if they want to meet with a different mentor.

When does the student get to participate in the Pitch Contest?

The expectation of our program is for the TI Student to meet with three peer mentors and at least one expert mentor to help discover, explore, create, and practice their 2-minute pitch. After the TI student has successfully met these objectives, they will receive an invite to our business pitch contests if they are a growth subscription member.