On February 15, 2024, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the MTU Waste Valorization Research Group volunteered to judge third- through fifth-grade Invention Convention projects at Baraga Elementary School.
Invention Convention Worldwide is a K-12 invention education program that teaches students problem-identification, problem-solving, entrepreneurship and creativity skills and builds confidence in invention, innovation and entrepreneurship for life. Prior to the competition, the Baraga students developed inventions that would impact their community.
SWE Advisor Gretchen Hein and members Skyler Brawley (senior, computer engineering) and Maci Dostaler (junior, software engineering) paired up with Assistant Teaching Professor Fei Long (ME-EM) and Research Engineers Shiying Cai and Adeyinka Adekunle (both ME-EM) to evaluate the inventions. The judges were impressed with the students’ excitement when describing their projects and the range of creative solutions.
The inventions included:
- Snow plow for a strider bike
- Snow plow for a remote controlled car
- Motorized fishing lure that moved in the water
- Shoes that would grow as the wearer grew
- Multistation pencil sharpener
- Hover car that would move based on the placement of magnets in the road
- Pollution Vacuum Filtering Device
- Basket Land board game
- Handy Dandy Light Switch
- Magic Pen 55
- Spectacular Butter Lipstick
- Upside Down gaming controller accessory for kids
- Phone Holder 5000
- Catnap Paw Covers
- Keep-Away Can to keep dogs away from the trash can
- Safari board game
- Kai’s Numbing Hair Gel
The judges thank the teachers and staff, along with the enthusiastic student inventors, for inviting us to look over and judge at the Invention Convention. SWE and the MTU Waste Valorization Research Group would enjoy returning to evaluate projects next year.