The Invention Convention - Getting Started.

It's easy to get started. The first thing that you need to do is to make sure that your district has been invited and accepted the invitation to participate in the Invention Convention.

We contact the Superintendent of each eligible school district in the area to invite their students and schools to participate. Many interested teachers also request the program and ask their superintendents to sign up their schools. We need your school districts acceptance to include your school in the program. The program is open to all students K-8.

If you teach at a non-participating school, but are interested in using our program or material please contact Cherylyn Rushton. This program is for all kids, to help them learn, think and create. Any kid anywhere can invent, they just aren't eligible to compete at an Invention Convention...yet.

Implementing the program is easy! Every school district implements the program differently and the program is designed to be flexible. You can run it in class, after school, as part of an invention week (or two), in specific classes or grades or schools. It's up to you and you school district, and what works best for you is the way to go.

We've gone green, so materials are available on-line. There are 4 main pieces: The Teacher Lesson Planning Guide, The Student Workbook, The Student Journal, and a chronology (which we no longer update). Many schools have an assembly to introduce the program to students. You use The Teacher Lesson Planning Guide to take your students through the program.

We will contact each coordinator about how many finalists can be sent to the regional competition, and each district determines their finalists. We supply each coordinator with the final registration information for each student. Students and Coordinators fill out the student registration forms, sign them and get them back to us.

Then its on to The Regional Invention Convention! Students come to the regional competition to show off their inventions, we talk with the students, determine the winners, and present the awards.

Here's what you need:

  1. Your Superintedent's Permission.
  2. Students to Inspire.

Here's what you do:

  1. Superintendent signs up your district.
  2. Superintendent assigns a coordinator.
  3. Coordinator contacts us about participation. (New 'Coordinator Corner' coming soon!)
  4. Coordinator uses on-line materials.
  5. Students come up with great ideas, and invent a prototype.
  6. Coordinator determines finalists for the regional competition.
  7. We invite students to the event.
  8. Come to the event to support your students, watch them get recognized and reward for their (and your) hard work!
  9. Celebrate!