Empathize
Empathize
You will conduct interviews with fellow high school students, community mentors, and organizations to uncover their needs and challenges related to accessing internships, jobs, and volunteer opportunities, using these insights as the foundation for your solution.
Days 1 - 3
Define
Define
You will synthesize your research by pinpointing specific challenges high school students in San Diego face when accessing internships, jobs, or volunteer opportunities and craft a concise problem statement that can guide the development of your app/website solution.
Days 4 - 6
Ideate
Ideate
You will brainstorm creative solutions to make internships and volunteer opportunities more accessible for San Diego high school students, working collaboratively with peers and engaging in constructive discussions while drawing inspiration from community partners and your mentor.
Days 7 - 10
Prototype
Prototype
You will develop a prototype of your app/website, engage in collaborative critique sessions with peers, mentors, and community partners to gather iterative feedback, and refine your solution based on practical insights and reflections to ensure its accessibility and effectiveness for high school students seeking opportunities.
Days 11 - 15
Test/Present
Test/Present
You will demonstrate the app/website to community partners, peers, and mentors, gather feedback for future refinement, and reflect on your learning and growth throughout the project while showcasing your solution’s real-world impact.
Days 16 - 20
Empathize
Days 1–3
Day 1
Kickoff Empathy Interviews with Partners
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 2
Document Early User Needs
Deliverable
90m
Day 3
Frame Access Challenges for Student Opportunities
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Define
Days 4–6
Day 4
POV and HMW Pack
Deliverable
60m
Day 5
Interview Mentors to Discover Access Gaps
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 6
Translate Findings into User Needs Statements
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Ideate
Days 7–10
Day 7
Empathy-Driven Concept Sketching
Deliverable
90m
Day 8
Internship Access Concepts
Deliverable
60m
Day 9
Structured Peer Feedback Prep for Prototype
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 10
Iterate Prototype with Mentor Feedback
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Prototype
Days 11–15
Day 11
Prototype Critique & Feedback Loop
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 12
Prototype Iteration Sprint
Deliverable
90m
Day 13
User Testing Playbook
Deliverable
60m
Day 14
Plan Partner Demo and Questions
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 15
Create Structured Feedback Form for Partners
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Test/Present
Days 16–20
Day 16
Implement UI/UX Improvements Based on Feedback
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 17
Practice Run-Through with Community Partners
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 18
Reflection, Artifacts, and Assessment Prep
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 19
Partners Demo and Feedback Reflection
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 20
Final App Presentation
Assessment
October 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
19
Day 1
Empathize
Kickoff Empathy Interviews with Partners
20
Day 2
Document Early User Needs
21
Day 3
Frame Access Challenges for Student Opportunities
22
Day 4
Define
POV and HMW Pack
26
Day 5
Interview Mentors to Discover Access Gaps
27
Day 6
Translate Findings into User Needs Statements
28
Day 7
Ideate
Empathy-Driven Concept Sketching
29
Day 8
Internship Access Concepts
November 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
2
Day 9
Structured Peer Feedback Prep for Prototype
3
Day 10
Iterate Prototype with Mentor Feedback
4
Day 11
Prototype
Prototype Critique & Feedback Loop
5
Day 12
Prototype Iteration Sprint
9
Day 13
User Testing Playbook
10
Day 14
Plan Partner Demo and Questions
11
Day 15
Create Structured Feedback Form for Partners
12
Day 16
Test/Present
Implement UI/UX Improvements Based on Feedback
16
Day 17
Practice Run-Through with Community Partners
17
Day 18
Reflection, Artifacts, and Assessment Prep
18
Day 19
Partners Demo and Feedback Reflection
19
Day 20
Final App Presentation