On Wednesday, January 16, 2019, young inventors throughout the state will celebrate National Kid Inventors Day in the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda. From 12:00 to 3:00 PM, the public is welcome to experience for free the innovation of twenty youth inventors with displays and demonstrations. Formal remarks will take place at 1:30 PM.
In 2018, 480 students from Ohio participated in the State Invention Convention. The statewide event is hosted by the Invention League, the Ohio affiliate of The STEMIE Coalition, a nationwide initiative to nurture innovation and invention among kindergarten through 12th-grade students. Last year, two dozen Ohio students advanced to the 2018 National Invention Convention & Entrepreneurship Expo, which took place in May at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan.
Some of last year's Ohio inventors included:
- 11-year-old Claire Rhodes from Worthington invented the “Tolietizer 2.0”, which won top honors at the Ohio Invention Convention and garnered the Most Visionary Award at the 2018 National Invention Convention & Entrepreneurship Expo. She was also invited to present her invention to engineers and designers at Georgia Pacific in Atlanta, Georgia.
- 14-year-old Jianna Nichols from Tipp City, inventor of “Red Dye Dector” & “Blindly Smart”, who won Best Display Board at the 2018 National Invention Convention and the top Toy & Game Invention at 2018 Ohio Invention Convention
- 12-year-old Makiyla Carrico from Columbus City Schools, inventor of the “You Get it All” insulin plunger. She earned the top prize, the Edison Award, in Grades 5-8 of a $2,500 College Advantage 529 Saving Plan at the Ohio State Invention Convention and earned an invitation to the 2019 National Invention Convention at The Henry Ford Museum.
- 13-year-old Jude Wilson from Brunswick, inventor of “EZ Sheets”, who won in her 6th-grade category as well as the Industry Award for Household Tools at the 2018 National Invention Convention & Entrepreneurship Expo.
About the Invention League
The Invention Convention program, provided by the Invention League, is a free, STEAM-aligned educational program aligned with Ohio’s Learning Standards, National Science Standards and is the only pathway for Ohio students to the National Invention Convention and Entrepreneurship Expo (NICEE). The Invention League is a 501c3 that, in addition to hosting the Invention Convention program, also provides Inventor Experiences and multiple continuing-education opportunities for educators. The Invention League, “Where problem-solving is our superpower!”
Invention League Sponsors
Ohio Tuition Trust Authority College Advantage 529, Honda Manufacturing of Ohio, AEP Ohio, AT & T, Education Projects and Bodi Law.
