With Our All-Girl Team Working Remotely for the Climate, We Ask: “What Advice Would You Give Your 17-Year-Old Self?”

Share your insight with girls as they create technology.

By Heidi Olinger

Editor’s Note: To skip this full article and post your answer to the question, “What advice would you give your 17-year-old self?” go to the bottom of this page and type your answer under, “Leave a Reply.” You also may email ideas@prettybrainy.com. As our young team moves forward in engineering for change, thank you for staying connected and keeping their spirits high.

Dear Pretty Brainy Friends and Supporters —

Engineering for Change, Remotely, Team Member Bella

MISSion Innovation Team Member, Bella, engineering for change and collaborating with team members, remotely.

In this time of coronavirus and the global response to halt its spread, Team MISSion Innovation continues to come together, now via Zoom, to build tech to help the City of Fort Collins, CO, be carbon neutral by 2050.

Once complete, the team’s product, a scalable, mobile application, will improve your progress and mine in reducing carbon emissions. In engineering for change, the team’s vision is for us all to be more carbon conscious and to know what to do to take action on our new consciousness.

Test the beta version of the app.

The developers building this tech have an average age of 17. The number of developers on the team is four, with additional team members creating content, lending creative content engineering, and conducting UX testing. All are girls or young women. For each, this is her first experience building tech of this scope and challenge.

Girls at Pretty Brainy are engineering for change with the MISSion Innovation App

Girls at Pretty Brainy are building the MISSion Innovation App to help citizens change their behavior to reduce carbon emissions and ultimately advance the Fort Collins Climate Action Plan.

As app developers, they soon will have under their belt a project showing off the skills needed for the most lucrative and sought-after entry-level jobs in the United States today.1

The girls met in person for the last time on Friday, March 13, and two days later took their team sessions online. The four developers and content creators (plus yours truly) come together at least twice each week. The girls share screens of code, report progress, ask and offer help to one another, cite resources, and chart next steps. We share inspiration and cheer on one another.

And I want to bring your inspiration and insight to the girls, too.

The Edge of 17: What Would You Say to Your Teen Self?

Those of you who have met members of Team MISSion Innovation should know that they remember and are grateful to you for making their learning possible.

As they engineer for change, let’s fuel their progress with your insight. Remember when you were 17 and answer the question —

What advice would you give your 17-year-old self?

You may post your insight under “Leave a Reply” or email ideas@prettybrainy.com.

Thanks to your support, girls are building human-centered technology. They are taking action for the climate. They are gaining the resilience that will sustain them in their professional endeavors as engineers, scientists, and technologists, as long as they choose to do so. They are excited to share their progress to date.

While We’re at It, What’s the Recipe for Your Favorite Smoothie?

I also invite you to share your top ways for refueling and recharging. From your prime break activity to your favorite smoothie recipe, what resources can you share?

What’s your best tip for working from home?

What gives you clarity?

Post your insight and advice below under “Leave a Reply.” You also may email ideas@prettybrainy.com.

Your reply will give each girl energy and inspiration.

Learn more about our team and its MISSion. And thank you for staying connected.

Heidi

Author Bio

Heidi Olinger is Pretty Brainy’s founder and president.

1Younger, Jon. “The Best Paying and Most Sought After Jobs for New Grads and Freelancers Now.” Forbes, May 17, 2019. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonyounger/2019/05/17/the-best-paying-and-most-sought-after-jobs-for-new-grads-and-freelancers-now/#47ec2048687d.