Educators - Invention Project

Enhance Middle School Learning With Invention Project

Present inventor-inspired challenges
Boost confidence and creativity
Encourage entrepreneurship and financial literacy

Prepare middle schoolers for lifelong success

The Invention Project® program helps students see themselves as inventors and entrepreneurs by bringing the wisdom, ingenuity and inspiration of National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF) Inductees and Collegiate Inventors Competition® participants into the classroom. By introducing students to real-word innovation, you can increase the chances they will become innovators themselves.1

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Build 21st century skills

Present relatable challenges to help students gain confidence while fostering skills they’ll use throughout their lives, from teamwork, communication and collaboration to economic literacy.

Explore intellectual property

Show middle schoolers how to bring their ideas to market and provide opportunities for these young entrepreneurs to see the value in their own and others’ intellectual property.

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Discover the Invention Project modules

Invention Project gives students the opportunity to sketch, incubate, build, test and refine their ideas through activities that promote self-expression and self-confidence. Plus, they’ll gain the entrepreneurial knowledge, financial literacy and innovative skills they need to succeed in the marketplace.

Participants meet NIHF Inductees, as well as Collegiate Inventors Competition finalists and winners, through personalized video challenges. Students are challenged to create inventive designs, but they must also consider business concepts like rapid prototyping, market research, shipping and profit. At the same time, Instructors learn how to incorporate entrepreneurship and best business practices into their classrooms. 

The Invention Project program provides the curriculum and materials for 15 to 30 hours of programming, depending on the number of modules implemented at your school. Participating students will experience each of the modules you implement.

In Transit™

Innovators receive brainstorming inspiration from Post-it® Notes co-inventor Spencer Silver and a personal transportation device challenge from Steadicam® inventor Garrett Brown, both of whom are NIHF Inductees.

Extreme Shoe™

Teams are inspired by the work of Nike® co-founder William Bowerman to develop innovative shoes and create a marketing strategy to sell them.

Move It™

Innovators create their own kinetic sculpture and generate chain reactions using gears, motors, pulleys and more.

Mod My Sunglasses™

Fred Allen, Leadership Editor of Forbes, gives innovators leadership tips, which they apply to rapid prototyping sunglasses and navigating a leadership communication game.

On the Circuit™

Innovators receive a video message from the Collegiate Inventors Competition finalists who created the Titan Arm — a bionic arm that enhances human strength — challenging them to create their own wearable tech.

Tech Messaging™

Teams use adaptive innovation to evolve text messaging while discovering their own personal problem-solving style.

Video Game Design™

Innovators are challenged to promote health and wellness through innovative video games that will hook a venture capitalist.

Mini-Bot™

Teams explore circuitry basics as they design and challenge their own motor-powered creatures and meet H.E.R.A.L.D., a search and rescue robot made by Collegiate Inventors.

Programmable Bot™

Innovators learn about networking and then team up to build and program robots, design unique courses and develop branding for RoboLand.

Innovate™

The sky is the limit as innovators look for what inventions are missing in the world while receiving inspiration from NIHF Inductee Garrett Brown.

What can educators expect from Invention Project?

Flexibility

Developed as a series of 90-minute sessions, Invention Project is available as an afterschool program or as a summer enrichment program. It can even be integrated into a yearlong science or STEM program.

Support

Our curriculum and materials work with Next Generation Science Standards to combine science concepts with innovation and creativity. All modules align with national and state education standards and have a third-party evaluation available for reference.

Funding

Invention Project qualifies for Title I, Title II, Title III, Title IV, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Migrant Education, as well as state and local district resource funding. Parent paid options are also available.

Continuing Education

Invention Project Instructors receive a letter of recognition from the United States Patent and Trademark Office and a certificate representing applicable CEUs.*

Bring Invention Project to your school district

Request a meeting to learn more.

Contact us at 800-968-4332 or [email protected].

References

Bring this program to your district