The eighth annual Invention Convention U.S. Nationals competition, sponsored by Raytheon Technologies, took place this week. The event is held at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation where more than 300 students from across the country gathered to display their inventions alongside some of the greatest innovations in American history. The multi-day competition came to a close on Friday, June 9 with an awards ceremony hosted by The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation correspondent Albert Lawrence, with astrobiologist and aquanaut Alyssa Carson as keynote. More than 80 awards, including cash prizes, trophies, medals and patent applications were handed out to some of the greatest young minds of our nation.
East Pike student Avery Schneider, whose invention was the "SEL Simmer Seat," a bench with different sections representing different emotions. Avery's idea is that students can sit on the section that represents how they are feeling to communicate their emotions without having to vocalize them. His design gained the attention of several experts in the field after he won1st place at the state-level Invention Convention competition as well as the People’s Choice Award, earning him a spot at the national competition. Dr. Mark Greenburg, the Emeritus Bennett Chair of Prevention Research and Founding Director of the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center at Penn State, reached out to talk with Avery about his idea, to congratulate him on his work, to encourage him to keep caring and innovating, and to wish him luck at the national competition. This past Friday, Avery did not disappoint, bringing home the top prize in his grade level as well as the K-12 overall award for the best Innovation in Education.
Invention Convention Worldwide is a K-12 invention education program aligned with national and state educational standards that teaches students problem-identification, problem-solving, entrepreneurship, and creativity skills. The program builds confidence in invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship for life. Thousands of K-12 inventors from across the country participated in this year's Invention Convention Worldwide programs, with the hopes of advancing to the U.S. national competition. Avery's invention proved to be the best of more than 166,000 entries!
We are so very proud of Avery's outstanding work. But what makes us even more proud is the fact that his invention was designed to help others. His caring and thoughtful nature is an example for us all. We are not sure if "Joyful" is one of the emotions on his SEL Seat, but that is where we would be sitting because of Avery's tremendous accomplishment! Please click here to watch the award ceremony at the convention.
Congratulations to Avery Schneider - Invention Convention National Champion!