We’ve been getting a lot of emails asking what Startup Weekend EDU is all about, how it works, etc. It’s almost exactly like a traditional Startup Weekend (if there is such a thing as a “traditional” Startup Weekend), but with a few tweaks:

1. All of the pitches on Friday and companies demoed on Sunday will be designed to solve problems in the education space, broadly defined–not restricted to K-12 or other “formal” education.
2. EDU events add a fourth crucial participant category: educator. Who better to speak about problems in education than teachers? In fact, they’re so well-suited to this task that we give them the authority to “teacher approve” Friday night pitches before they’re opened up to general voting and team selection!

You may still be thinking, “As interesting as that sounds, I don’t know how a regular Startup Weekend runs.” If so, here’s the scoop:

Startup Weekend is no ordinary event. It where like-minded entrepreneurs gather for a weekend of company creation. In 54 hours, you take an initial idea from the Friday night pitches through to a mind-spinning startup company at the Sunday night finale.

Just don’t think it’s only developers; this isn’t a mere hackathon. Hackthons produce products or features; Startup Weekends produce companies. Startup Weekenders are marketing maestros, design gurus, business development wizards, legal geniuses, and the specialists of startups, the jack of all trades coming together as one, creating a harmony that can only be envied by the corporate world.

OK – so that may be slight sales mode, but it truly is all about bringing together knowledge of the local entrepreneurship scene and helping those in need find their footing in the world of startups.

Friday night is all about networking and the pitches. Those with an idea who are brave enough will stand in front of 150 strangers and give a 1-minute elevator pitch to the crowd. The ideas that people like–and want to work with–then get created over the remainder of the weekend (and often beyond). You and your self-selected team will have approximately 48 hours to deliver a product and plan that can stand up to the harsh light of day. Mentors will be on hand throughout the time to help you fine tune the idea from a fledgling concept into a working company with huge potential in less than two days.

Sounds intense? It is!

Sunday night is where the jury panel comes in. Seasoned professionals who have been through the startup mill many times over will scrutinize and find the holes in the plan to evaluate your chances of real world succession.

From there? Well, it’s all up to you. Startup Weekend can only help you start your dream. It’s up to you to live it out.

Go on, what are you waiting for? Head over to the ticket section here to find out for yourself what it’s all about! After all, the best way to learn entrepreneurship is by doing.