High school students across Iowa came to the University of Iowa campus on Friday, April 17, for DesignDash: Specialty Program with Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center. Students worked in teams, alongside mentors from UI Healthcare and the local community, to tackle cancer-related problems that are real and relevant to teens.
Students worked on problems including adaptive apparel, cosmetics, financial burden, mental health, pesticides, screening. They formed teams and came up with innovative solutions to conquer cancer. At the end of the day, teams pitched their concepts and presented posters to a panel of judges.
Results:
Fastest to 20 Discovery Interviews: Open Thread (Adaptable Clothing)
Fastest to Early-Stage Concept Validation : Stronger Everyday (Mental Health)
Pitch Pit 1:
Best Understanding of the End-User: Open Thread (Adaptive Clothing)
Best Innovation: Breakaway (Smoking)
Best Pitch: Tanning Teen Safety Act (Tanning Beds)
Pitch Pit 2:
Best Understanding of the End-User: Sun-Kissed (Sun Exposure)
Best Innovation: Farmer Education Program (Pesticides)
Best Pitch: Geonomies (Screening)
Investor's Choice: Breakaway - The Smokin' Scientists (Smoking)
$43,000 invested from $403,000 total
The following schools participated:
- Cedar Rapids - Washington
- Cedar Rapids - Wilson
- Indianola
- Iowa City - Liberty
- Iowa City - Tate
- Keokuk
- Lenox
- Lighthouse Schools
- Linn-Mar
- Lone Tree
- Melcher-Dallas
- Norwalk
- Sigourney