PLAYBOOK
You don’t have to wait for the next Creators of Tomorrow Challenge. You can run your own! This Playbook will show you how to design and host your own Challenge Experience tailored to your classroom, community, or club, complete with tips, tools, and inspiration to make it your own.
Welcome!
Hi there, we’re so glad you’re here! Welcome to the Creators of Tomorrow Playbook, your guide for organizing your own Creators of Tomorrow Experience in your community.
Who is this Playbook for?
This playbook is for everyone!
Are you in a classroom, planning a media or entrepreneurship unit for your students?
A library looking for a way to engage youth with technology?
A nonprofit seeking out ways to bring your community together through learning experiences?
An after school club engaging youth with creative projects with technology?
A parent or caregiver looking for ways to engage your kids with technology or the web?
This guide will provide you with how-tos and helpful tips that you can implement in any context.
Let’s get started!
You can think of this Playbook as an ideation partner. All of the ideas are suggestions for you to get inspired, remix, and make your own. This Playbook is purposely flexible to accommodate multiple contexts. So if a suggestion doesn’t work for you, no problem! The goal is to make an Experience that’s uniquely yours.
Creators of Tomorrow Experiences can be as simple as gathering youth in a community space (a classroom, community center, library, or home), or as grand as designing a hackathon with inspirational speakers, swag, and an official program. However, every Creators of Tomorrow Experience - whether big or small, online or in person - will need:
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Youth participants!
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Desktop computers (rather than tablets) with a working internet connection
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Wix.com accounts for each participant (no need to upgrade to Premium; using the free version of Wix is perfectly fine)
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A spirit of innovation and exploration, and a passion to change the world!
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Before you move on the logistics, we invite you to take a moment to create a vision for your COT Experience. (We find that reflecting beforehand helps guide decisions and ground your values before diving in.)
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What do you want your participants to gain during their time with your Experience? (New skills, a project that they’re proud of, a deeper understanding of web creation and design, an expanded connection to their community, experience creating a real world site, or something else?)
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What are your personal goals for the Experience? (Providing ways for youth to create real impact in your community, enhancing youth fluency with technology tools.)
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How do you envision your Experience? What do you see? What do you hear? (I see students collaborating together; I hear brainstorms about solutions to issues that youth care about.)
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How do you want your participants to feel after the Experience? (I want participants to feel engaged, inspired, activated, and empowered.)
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What kinds of projects do you see your participants submitting to the Wix Creators of Tomorrow Challenge? (I envision youth submitting projects that tackle local causes and issues they’re passionate about.)
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1. Pick a context and a project prompt
Some ideas for picking a project prompt:
Here’s a little exercise to help:
Fill out the sentence:
“I am organizing a [type of COT Experience] for [population of youth] in [context of youth] that will focus on [focus of projects].”
For example:
“I am organizing a hackathon experience for 15 year olds enrolled in an entrepreneurship club that will focus on building websites for local small businesses.”
Tips for choosing a project focus
Start with what your participants are already interested in. When students are intrinsically interested in an idea, they’re more motivated to learn! You could build upon previous projects, send out a survey to gauge interest, etc.
Need more inspiration?
Check out last year’s winners of the Creators of Tomorrow Challenge, whose projects range from a small business tackling sustainable gardens, an AI model that enhances cancer detection technologies, and a nonprofit that supports girls’ health.
Before you plan, you’ll need to think about two important questions first:
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Who is your Experience for? (Who is your target audience?)
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What will their impact projects focus on? (Remember, projects should align with one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.)
2.Map out a timeline
Timeline at a glance
How long will your COT experience be? Some ideas:
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A one day hackathon
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A week long workshop
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One month program
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A quarter or semester unit
Tips for choosing a timeline
If you’ve already planned out your calendar for the year, how can your COT experience fit into what you’re already doing? Maybe you infuse it into a unit you’ve already planned or add it on as an option for a community event in the works. You know your community best! What timeline would work well for them?
Registration Period
How and when do participants sign up?
Kick-off: Introduce students to the project together
Workshop Sessions
Will students be learning anything along the way? (for example: editor basics, design principles, marketing/business solutions)
Creation Period
Dedicated time for participants to work on their projects
Showcasing Projects
Will students be learning anything along the way? (for example: editor basics, design principles, marketing/business solutions)
Submit to Wix’s COT!
When students’ projects are ready, they can submit to be part of the Wix Creators of Tomorrow Challenge!
Tips for showcasing projects
No matter how students show off their work, make it a celebration! You can invite family and community members and even provide snacks. In a more informal environment, you can design a gallery walk where students present their project at stations. In a larger Experience, you might invite students to “pitch” their projects one by one.
For online Experiences:
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Which meeting platform will you use?
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Will you utilize breakout groups, or stay in the main room together?
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How will students collaborate on projects?
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How will you support students with diverse learning, disabilities, and accessibility needs?
3.Pick a venue
For in-person Experiences:
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Does your space allow for collaboration? (Consider round tables or other arrangements that help students work together.)
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What tech tools will you need to run the Experience? (ex: wifi, outlets, screens, microphone, speakers, etc.)
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How will you support students with diverse learning, disabilities, and accessibility needs?
How long will your COT experience be?
Some ideas:
Where will your COT experience take place? Will you be in a physical location, conducting an online Experience, or a hybrid Experience? Here are a few ideas to consider:
4.Determine facilitation roles
If you’re running a larger Creators of Tomorrow Experience, consider dividing up facilitation roles.
Here are some ideas:
Coordinator: Oversees the logistics and operations of the Experience, point person for student questions. This person might also keep track of potential costs and budget out the Experience (if considering food/snacks, swag, venue costs, etc.).
Facilitators / Wix Experts: A group of people who help students during the creation phase of their project. (Helpful for a hackathon context!)
Marketing & Communications: Responsible for spreading the word about the Experience and maintaining communication with the community.
Tips for dividing roles
Facilitation roles are just a suggestion! The most important thing is that your Creators of Tomorrow Experience is easy and makes sense for your context. No need for roles? No problem!
Tips for budgeting
You might consider working with sponsors or working with in-kind contributions from your community, such as a meal donation from a local restaurant.
5.Spread the word
Who is your target audience?
Where do they usually get information about local events? (Social media, their guardians, school, etc.)
How will you reach them?
Consider social media, email, local media, school announcements, online parent groups, and physical flyers or one pagers.
How will students register for your Experience?
Will they register online in a form? What medium will you use?
Time to spread the word about your Experience! If running a small COT Experience, this step might not be needed. It’s up to you!
Consider marketing to help spread the word about your COT Experience, gather interested students (before the Experience), and/or as an opportunity to invite people to your student showcase.
Some ideas for picking a project prompt:
Tips for getting marketing support
Partners can be helpful for spreading the word about the Experience by helping coordinate, sponsoring the Experience, providing space, and/or leveraging their communities. You might reach out to educational institutions, nonprofits, libraries, community organizations, or local businesses to partner with.
1.Kicking off your Experience
Begin your COT Experience with a bang! If running a larger Experience, you might start first by gathering your team. Consider organizing a celebratory welcome meeting for your participants with an icebreaker activity, a debrief on logistics, and even an inspirational speaker. Whatever you choose, keep it light and joyful!
2.Learning and creating together
Tips for new website creators
Check out our website components checklist in the resources section of this playbook.
Tips for engaging participants
Creating a positive and supportive environment is central to Creators of Tomorrow. How will you create a feeling of community among your workshop participants? You might provide ways for participants to get to know each other, provide inspiration, opportunities for peer feedback, check-ins and office hours, and even swag! A team shirt goes a long way 🙂
Tips for facilitators
Document, document, document! Capture “ah-ha” moments, before and afters, and even quotes along the way. Documentation helps young learners reflect on their creation journeys, and can also provide joyful ways to celebrate together after the Experience.
Will your COT Experience include additional opportunities for students to learn more about web design and Wix? What learning resources will you use?
Here are a few ideas for workshops:
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Check out the workshop videos on the Creators of Tomorrow site to learn more about Wix basics, business solutions, and marketing.
Brainstorming project ideas that leverage the web for social impact
An inspirational session with a person who has created an impact solution with technology
Website planning and information architecture
User experience design & human-centered design
Incorporating trends into your design
Accessibility and inclusive design
3.Sharing projects and celebrating
Here are a few ideas for showcasing student projects:
Organize a Pitch Event (great for hackathon contexts)
While not all Experiences will need to host a formal event, organizing a local pitch event, either in person or hybrid, can provide students with a valuable opportunity to share their work publicly and practice professional communication. These events can include guest speakers, local professionals, or community partners to create networking opportunities and inspire students.
Conducting a Gallery Walk (great for in-school contexts)
If in an in-person context, such as a computer lab or classroom, you might have students sit at stations and present their projects as others walk through the classroom. Viewers might be equipped with post-its to provide positive written feedback and give suggestions.
Creating an Online Showcase (great for online contexts)
Post student projects online to share with caregivers, community members, and more! You might send out a newsletter with a link to view all of the projects, or post about it on social media (with permission, of course).
Tips for framing presentations
No matter the format, make it clear that every student will be submitting their work to the Wix Creators of Tomorrow Challenge, and that the showcase event is a chance to build confidence, gather feedback, and celebrate the journey so far.
Tips for celebrating together
When it’s a celebration, there’s always food! If in person, you might provide a snack or a meal for participants to make it a celebratory experience. Play some music, include some swag, and make it a showcase party! You might also provide certificates of participation as an added takeaway.
Once your students have completed their projects, it’s time to share and celebrate together! Here are a few ideas for presenting work and creating community through sharing. These ideas are optional, but we hope you build in some time for students to show off and be proud of what they’ve created. The goal here is not to select “winners,” but rather, to celebrate all participants.
Showcasing student projects
Consider offering a variety of formats for students to share their ideas, such as video presentations, slideshows, written descriptions, or live demonstrations. This flexibility allows students to highlight their strengths and creative approaches in a format that works best for them. The ultimate goal is for every student to submit their final project to the Wix Creators of Tomorrow Challenge, so encouraging thoughtful and polished pitches can help set them up for success!
Evaluating projects and providing feedback
Though not all Creators of Tomorrow Experiences will want to evaluate student projects, you might use our rubric to help guide feedback sessions and make expectations transparent for students. If providing feedback, think about how feedback will be shared (through one-on-one conversations, written notes, or peer review) and how it can be framed as both supportive and actionable. Regardless of scores or rankings, every student should feel seen and celebrated for their creative efforts! Consider incorporating reflection or self-assessment elements to give students ownership over their growth.
Submitting to the Wix Creators of Tomorrow Challenge
Next up, the Wix Creators of Tomorrow Challenge! Encourage all students to submit their final projects to the Wix Creators of Tomorrow Challenge in the Spring. This national platform offers students the opportunity to showcase their creativity, problem-solving skills, and digital design talents to a wider audience. Participation not only celebrates their hard work but also connects them to a larger community of global creators. By submitting, students take the final step in a meaningful project journey, transforming their ideas into something they can proudly share with the world.
Reflecting and sharing together
Feedback and reflection
Once the projects are submitted, take time to reflect on the process with both students and facilitators. A student survey can be a helpful tool for gathering feedback on what they learned, what challenged them, and how the Experience could be even better in the future.
For organizers, hosting a short reflection session allows space to discuss what worked well and to document ideas for improving or expanding the event in years to come. These reflections are essential for sustaining and strengthening the impact of your COT Experience.
Gathering testimonials and sharing stories
Student reflections and testimonials can be powerful tools for capturing the spirit of your COT Experience. Encourage participants to share their experiences, favorite moments, and what the project meant to them. These stories can be used in a variety of ways to inspire future students, promote your program, or build awareness in your community. Be sure to collect photos, document quotes, and gather highlights throughout the process!
Sharing with your community
Celebration doesn’t end with project submission! Take time to recognize student efforts by promoting their work across your community’s communication channels. Share winning projects and outstanding submissions on your website, social media, or newsletters, using the hashtag #WixCreatorsofTomorrow to join the global conversation. Publicly acknowledging students’ creativity and commitment not only builds their confidence but also shines a spotlight on the positive impact of youth-led innovation.
Once the projects are submitted, take time to reflect on the process with both students and facilitators
Building a lasting community
Keep the momentum going by staying connected with past participants. Consider creating an Alumni Network: a community space (virtual or local) where students can reconnect, collaborate, and continue growing as creators. Engaging alumni through future events, mentorship opportunities, or storytelling campaigns can help foster long-term involvement and inspiration. The Wix Creators of Tomorrow Challenge is not just a moment. It's a starting point for a lifelong creative journey.
Resources
Keep the momentum going by staying connected with past participants. Consider creating an Alumni Network: a community space (virtual or local) where students can reconnect, collaborate, and continue growing as creators. Engaging alumni through future events, mentorship opportunities, or storytelling campaigns can help foster long-term involvement and inspiration. The Wix Creators of Tomorrow Challenge is not just a moment. It's a starting point for a lifelong creative journey.
Sample communication templates
Sample Email Templates
Checklists
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