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Young inventors earn national recognition

by Judd Wilson Staff Writer
| June 29, 2018 1:00 AM

Three students from Kootenai County were honored for their ingenuity at the third annual National Invention Convention and Entrepreneurship Expo in Dearborn, Mich., on June 1.

Winton Elementary School fourth-grader Quinn Holt won the Most Innovative Award, presented by Stanley Black & Decker, for his invention “The Wireless Energy Transmitter.” Holt said his invention “utilizes interfacing with a Tesla coil to create solar energy within easily-installed power cubes. Energy can then be provided for various pluggable devices or fixtures.” To see Holt’s presentation, go to bit.ly/QuinnHolt.

Lauren Stephens’ “Quick Fix” earned her the Health and Medical Technology Award, presented by BD. The Skyway Elementary School fifth-grader explained her invention as “a bandage dispenser that keeps multiple bandages on a roll in a compact space. The bandages are sterile and provide less garbage waste as well as less time to apply than traditional bandages.” Stephens also placed first in the fifth-grade category. To see Stephens’ presentation, go to http://bit.ly/LStephens.

Garwood Elementary School third-grader Addison Forsman placed third in the third-grade category for her “Winter Warmer.” The invention “adapts an old boot dryer to make a snow clothes dryer,” said Forsman. “It is safe for kids to use and solves my problem of having cold wet snow clothes.” To see Forsman’s presentation, go to bit.ly/AForsman.

The event was produced by The STEMIE Coalition, a nonprofit founded to elevate K-12 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education alongside invention and entrepreneurship to a national level.

The National Invention Convention and Entrepreneurship Expo is organized and produced by the STEMIE Coalition and was held at The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Mich. More than 108,000 K-12 student inventors competed from across the United States, Mexico and Canada in local competitions earlier this year.

“This determination to solve problems, now, while they are young, is something we see over and over again in state and local Invention Conventions across the United States,” noted Danny Briere, CEO of The STEMIE Coalition, the nonprofit organizer of NICEE. “K-12 invention education is tapping into students’ innate desires and abilities to identify problems and create meaningful solutions.”

For more information on the STEMIE Coalition, a full list of this year’s award winners, and how students and educators can get involved, visit www.stemie.org.