JTIC27 Educator Guide
Your pace. One deadline. Every team, equal.
Free for all educators worldwide
Students ages 13–18
Final deadline: April 17, 2027
30+ countries
Everything you need to guide your students through the 2027 Jacobs Teen Innovation Challenge — from registration to submission.
FREE
13-18
30+
Apr 17, 2027
1
Full curriculum
Student age range
Countries participating
Final deadline 2027
Registration covers all teams
ON THIS PAGE
Step 1. Get Started
Registration takes five minutes. One registration covers every student team from your program. Anyone over 18 who guides students through the challenge can register: classroom teachers, after-school program leaders, mentors, and parents.
What You Need to Register
Registration takes about 5 minutes. Here’s what to have ready:
- Your name and contact information
- Your school or organization name and country
- A Google account (required to create your free Pactful account)
Who Can Participate
- Students must be ages 13–18
- The registering adult must be 18 or older (teacher, mentor, coach, or parent)
- One registration covers all of your student teams — no need to register more than once
Team Size
There is no minimum or maximum team size, but we recommend teams of 3–6 students. This size brings together diverse skills — researchers, builders, and storytellers — without making coordination difficult.
When you submit your final project, you will list each team separately.
1a. Register for the challenge
Complete the registration form. You will receive a confirmation email with curriculum access and key dates.
- One registration covers all your student teams
- Takes approximately 5 minutes
- Open to educators, mentors, parents, and after-school leaders
1b. Set up your Pactful account
Students brainstorm and evaluate potential solutions. The goal is creative, judgment-free exploration before narrowing to the strongest direction.
Go to app.pactful.org and create a free teacher account.
- Select Create a Class and give it a name
- Save your class code — students will need it to join
- Share the class code so students can create their own accounts and access the curriculum
Already registered? Log in at app.pactful.org to access your class dashboard and the full curriculum.
Step 2. Guide your Students
The Pactful curriculum is free, fully online, and built around three phases of human-centered design thinking. It is nonlinear — you decide the pace, the sequence, and how it fits your classroom. Start in July or start in January. It does not matter.
Understand
Students explore a real-world problem through the lens of the UN SDGs. They build empathy by researching affected people and communities.
Ideate
Students brainstorm and evaluate potential solutions. The goal is creative, judgment-free exploration before narrowing to the strongest direction.
Prototype
Students build a tangible version of their solution: a model, sketch, digital mockup, or service blueprint. They test it, get feedback, and improve it.
Inside each module
After logging into app.pactful.org, click on each module icon to access its three sections:
EXPLORE
DO
DOCUMENT
Step 3. Optional support
None of the resources below are required, and none of them affect judging. They exist because we know some educators want more structure, live coaching, or community connection along the way. Use what helps, skip what doesn’t.
The Innovation Journey Experience
Prefer more structure? The Innovation Journey sends you milestone prompts at three points during the challenge, one for each phase of the design thinking process. Each milestone gives you and your students a built-in benchmark and a deadline to work toward. A great fit for first-time Pactful educators or anyone who wants to connect with our Pactful community.
- Earn digital badges for email and LinkedIn
- Milestone prompts are sent automatically by email
- Skipping has no effect on eligibility or judging
- Sign up at registration
Educator Huddles
Monthly live sessions via Zoom in English and Spanish. Open to all registered educators — drop in when it works for your schedule.
- English: Wednesdays at 7:00 AM PT
- Spanish: Wednesdays at 8:15 AM PT
- No required attendance, no catch-up needed
- Invitations sent via email a week before each Huddle.
Pitch Clinics
Free 45-minute live coaching sessions for you and your student team before they record their final pitch. Spots are limited each window.
- Live feedback on pitch content
- Structure and timing guidance
- Clarification on judging criteria
- Max 1 clinic per window, 2 total per team
Pitch Clinic session windows
Two booking windows are available. Each team may book one session per window, for a maximum of two Pitch Clinics total across the program year. Booking links are sent to registered educators via email before each window opens.
How to book: Booking links will be shared via the JTIC27 educator email sequence before each window opens. Spots are limited. Confirmation is sent automatically via the calendar link.
Fall Window
Nov 18 – Dec 2, 2026
Best for teams in early ideation. Use this session to pressure-test your problem statement and solution direction before moving into prototyping.
Spring Window
Feb 17 – Mar 17, 2027
Best for teams preparing to record their final pitch. Use this session to refine content, improve structure, and build confidence before submission.
Step 4. Submit your Project
The submission deadline is April 17, 2027 — the same for every team in the world. Only the final video pitch and submission form are evaluated by judges. Nothing else affects scoring.
What to include in your submission
What makes a strong pitch
Presents a specific, creative solution or prototype with evidence of testing
Explains the potential real-world impact of the solution
All team members appear or meaningfully contribute to the video
Key dates for JTIC27
All dates are fixed for the full program cycle. Educator Huddle and Pitch Clinic details are sent automatically to registered educators.
Date
Event
July 18, 2026
JTIC27 Registration Opens (STEAM Youth and Community Conference, USD)
August 12, 2026
JTIC27 Informational Session (Zoom)
September 16, 2026
Educator Huddle (Zoom)
October 21, 2026
Educator Huddle (Zoom)
November 18, 2026
Educator Huddle (Zoom) + Fall Pitch Clinics Open
December 16, 2026
Educator Huddle (Zoom)
January 20, 2027
JTIC27 Award Informational Session (Zoom)
February 17, 2027
Educator Huddle (Zoom) + Spring Pitch Clinics Open
March 17, 2027
Educator Huddle (Zoom)
April 17, 2027
Final Submission Deadline — all teams worldwide
May 29, 2027
JTIC27 Award Ceremony (Zoom)
Frequently asked questions
Does it matter when my students start?
No. All teams are judged solely on their final submission, regardless of when they began. A team that starts in December has exactly the same chance as a team that started in July.
Is JTIC27 free?
Yes. Registration, the full Pactful design thinking curriculum, Educator Huddles, and Pitch Clinics are all free for educators and students worldwide.
Do we have to complete the Innovation Journey milestones?
No. The milestones are completely optional. They offer structured support if you want it, and completing them earns your students a digital badge. Skipping them has no effect on eligibility or judging.
Do we have to attend Educator Huddles?
No. Huddles are open to all registered educators but attendance is never required. You will receive automatic invitations once registered and can drop in whenever it works for your schedule.
Can I register multiple student teams?
Yes. One educator registration covers all student teams from your program. List each team separately when you submit your final project.
How do Pitch Clinics work?
Pitch Clinics are free 45-minute live coaching sessions conducted via Zoom. Each team may book one session per window — fall (November 18–December 2, 2026) and spring (February 17–March 17, 2027) — for a maximum of two total. Booking links are sent to registered educators via email before each window opens. Spots are limited.
What ages can participate?
JTIC27 is open to students ages 13–18 worldwide. The educator, mentor, parent, or program leader who registers must be 18 or older.
What subjects does the curriculum align to?
The Pactful design thinking curriculum aligns with STEM, STEAM, humanities, and social studies standards. It works in full classroom settings, advisory periods, and after-school programs. View the Standards Alignment Guide for details.
Still have questions?
Reply to any email from the Pactful team at admin@pactful.org. You can also reach us through the monthly Educator Huddles or tag us on social media with #JTIC27 and #Pactful.