Students showcase skills at Idaho Exhibition of Ideas

TWIN LAKES — Students from across North Idaho exhibited creativity and ingenuity Friday, March 13, during the Idaho Exhibition of Ideas Student Showcase at Twin Lakes Elementary School.

The Idaho Exhibition of Ideas is a multi-week, team-based digital design and fabrication competition in which students learn and practice design, iteration, and rapid prototyping skills using 3D printing technology. Student teams brainstorm, develop, and prototype solutions that address the year's challenge theme. The 2026 theme was Sports Science. IDX culminates in a regional Student Showcase, where teams present their solutions to a panel of judges and compete for prizes. This year, the Junior Division comprised fifth and sixth grades, and the Senior Division comprised seventh and eighth grades.

Here are this year's IDX Student Showcase winners and their projects:

Junior Division

First place - Southside Elementary: The CleatMasters' IDX changeable cleat design has a removable cleat sole that attaches to the bottom of the shoe. That allows athletes to switch out the sole for different sports, making the shoe interchangeable. This design helps solve the problem of parents spending a lot of money on multiple pairs of cleats for multi-sport kids.  

Second place - Twin Lakes Elementary: Students created the A.C.T.I.V.A.T.E. system, an affordable prosthetic with interchangeable treads that fit into a wearable socket. It can be 3D printed at home and uses a unique clipping mechanism for quick changes. This project helps foot amputees stay active in sports.  

Third place - Lakeland Middle School: Because of the number of concussions and brain injuries due to impact sports, the Cranium Crushers developed a sensor for a band worn in the skull cap of any sports helmet. The sensor shows the impact/pressure on the head and brain. This information can be reported back to coaches, players or sports enthusiasts. 

Judges' choice - John Brown Elementary: Students designed the Impact Guard. The Guard will absorb the shock and pressure in running, walking or any situation in which a person is moving. The design is based on the mantis shrimp, which has punching power comparable to that of a .22-caliber bullet. The students used this design to model their insoles. Their insoles would do the same for runners, walkers and all athletes.

Senior Division

First place - Lakeland Middle School: A new twist on a hot/cold pack for athletes: The Polar/Pyro pack is in a flexible, 3D-printed sleeve that can be strapped anywhere on the body. The pack is initially cold on the strained or sore area, and then the athlete can press a button to heat it. No wasted time, ready when needed, and users can still do their workouts.

Second place - Timberlake Middle School: Brace for Impact: This ACL product alerts athletes when they are placing undue stress on their ACL. This device can prevent strains or tears. 

People's choice award: Polar/Pyro Sleeve, Lakeland Middle School. All the students on the project picked this award as the best.  

    From left, Lakeland Middle Schoolers Westley Ngo, Galena Ngo and Lydia Smith came in first place in the Senior Division at the Idaho Exhibition of Ideas for their Polar/Pyro Pack, contained in a flexible, 3D-printed sleeve that can be strapped anywhere on the body.
  

    The Timberlake Middle School team came in second in the Senior Division for its Brace for Impact design, which alerts athletes when they are placing undue stress on their ACL. Pictured from the left are Alex Henry, Jeremiah McLachlan and Micah Miller.
  

    Twin Lakes Elementary School's A.C.T.I.V.A.T.E. system earned the team second place in the Junior Division at the Idaho Exhibition of Ideas Student Showcase. Pictured from left are William Porter, Pete Nagel, Owen Siegel, Ruby Sogge and Teagan Rohrback.
  

    IDX first-place Junior Division winners from Southside Elementary School, from left: Jack Balch, Kalon Stanke, Zainan Ziegler and Carter Hutchens.
  

    Lakeland Middle Schoolers came in third place in the Junior Division at the Idaho Exhibition of Ideas for designing a sports helmet sensor that reports pressure and impact exerted on the head and brain. Back row, from left: Ivy Wright, Griz Magnus and Marshall Comstock. Front row: Ayla McKenzie, left, and Ava Tucker.