We give students everything they need to develop their best and boldest innovations for Expo showcase!
The Magenta House Accelerator supports student projects for successful Expo showcase.
The Magenta House Accelerator helps middle school students develop ingenious water conservation and power efficiency projects for premiering at the Magenta House Expo.
The Accelerator roots STEAM-centered, project-based learning in a framework of social entrepreneurship focused on civic engagement.
It’s the first time that a full-range project accelerator has been coupled with a science fair-like opportunity for sustainability.
Go here to see the ingenious work the Accelerator and Expo program produced over the spring semester of 2022.
The Accelerator opens in early January and runs until the Expo in April.
The Accelerator operates virtually, with possible hybrid opportunities. Students may use any of the Accelerator tools, in whole or in part.
The program begins with an introductory event on the history of water/power in LA County. Afterwards, we host educational events in brainstorming, impact assessment, project management, and presentation design.
The Accelerator offers structured project development and implementation with mentor support and a full-range of resources.
Resources:
–a specially-created project management system to help students track progress with their projects from beginning to end;
–a pitch deck template to help students create compelling project presentations;
–mentors and specialist advisors who inform student work, run educational events, and host office hours;
–student project funding to underwrite costs up to a $250 cap, and
–participation prize for all schools and cash prizes for top winners.
How it works
The Magenta House season begins every year in the fall with outreach to middle schools throughout the LAUSD system. Teachers apply for the opportunity to enroll spring-semester courses or clubs in the Magenta House program. We provide a full curricular framework and a broad range of resources. The program is offered free of charge.
See Overview deck below for a full description of the program, timeline, and events. Instructors, see Teachers' deck for additional information on curricular resources. Students may access the Students' deck directly.
Toolkits
Our toolkits help students in three critical aspects of project development: project management, impact assessment, and presentation design. Toolkits help students better prepare for the Expo showcase and learn critical skills.
The process is capped with project showcase opportunities at the Magenta House Expo
FAQ
For teachers, what’s the expected time commitment?
We want to make it as easy for teachers to be involved as possible, and so we handle the introductory presentation, the creative brainstorming, and the Expo to showcase student projects. We even provide a project management system to help guide and support student work along the way.
This means that teachers may spend as little or as much time as they wish, and integrate it with their curriculum as they see fit.
Can I do this in collaboration with other faculty?
That’s a great idea! Any sort of collaboration is possible.
What will mentors and advisors do?
Each project team is assigned a mentor, who checks in with students at specified periods during project development.
Advisors are specialists in various areas of expertise (e.g., rain barrels, solar panels, urban gardens, etc.) who are available for project advice on an as-needed basis. Mentors will reach out to advisors for project assistance as teams may need.
How will the $250 project budget be allocated to teams?
Teachers or youth leaders who enroll the students have ultimate say on the use of project funds. We allocate $250 per class in order to alleviate student concerns about funding their ideas.