Invention Education
Ecosystem Leader Wants to Ensure That Every Child Has Goals, Hope and Pathways Xan Black has a quote at the end of her emails from Winston Churchill. It reads, “Never, never, never give up.” While they were Churchill’s words, they are Xan’s life and work. Xan, who retired in March as the executive director of the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance, […]
An Interview with Arthur Daemmrich, Director of the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation Starting out Arthur Daemmrich, director of the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, wants to empower students to think critically and creatively, well beyond the limits of their classrooms. His work examines the emergence of technology-based industries, explores the relationship […]
Mother, Wanda Ray, beams with pride about her daughter’s invention and the impact it had on her confidence. As a kid, Wanda played with dollhouses and Barbies. She doesn’t recall doing any inventing when growing up. Podcast host, Jeremy Shorr, reminds Ray that creative play is a very powerful form of invention. Ray’s daughter Naomi, during her junior year, with […]
SwineTech CEO, Matthew Rooda, shares how his company is helping to save the world Voice recognition is a very big part of life at SwineTech. Leveraging voice recognition, SwineTech listens to little baby piglets and identifies when one is in danger of being laid on and crushed by its mother, which is actually a very common problem to happen within […]
An interview with Oakland Park, Florida Educator Clara Mabour Clara Mabour teaches biology, marine science, and global perspectives at her alma mater Northeast High School in Oakland Park, Florida. As a 2017 Lemelson MIT Invent Teams teacher, she advised a group of students who developed an invention that prevents mosquitoes from breeding in stagnant water. In fact, Mabour’s been working […]
Oregon educator, Katrina Hull, is preparing the next generation of problem solvers Katrina Hull looks back and doesn’t know how she ended up as a CTE teacher. “I think I just kept saying yes, over and over,” says Hull, who said “yes” to implementing an after- school engineering program and getting more funding and opportunities for her Title I students. […]
Teacher, Doug Scott, shows us how to get the disconnected kids involved Rocket Boys “I had four students that participated on our Lemelson MIT event team in 2013 and 2014 – Ford, Jason, Nick and Jim,” says Massachusetts teacher Doug Scott, reflecting on their underdog status. Some of the members of the team were D-level students, much like his own […]
An interview with mechanical engineer and entrepreneur, Katelyn Sweeney Mechanical engineer and entrepreneur, Katelyn Sweeny is pretty convinced that everybody has an internal venture with which they’re born. As a child visiting the Kennedy Space Center on a vacation to Florida, Sweeny was appalled when she learned the astronauts didn’t have a snack pocket on their space suit. She was […]
Raul “Rudy” Reyna Credits Early Invention Experience for Life’s Successes Dr. Raul “Rudy” Reyna was in high school and he asked his geometry teacher a question that would change his life: “What is a computer?” This was decades ago and the teacher responded candidly to Reyna, “I have no idea.” The teacher wasn’t satisfied with the answer she provided and […]
An interview with Portland, Oregon Educator Kristin Moon Testing the boundaries When Portland, Ore. teacher Kristin Moon taught in middle school, her classroom was directly above the school office. One day, her class was learning about engineering invention and began to test some apps measuring sound and force that the students found. It was only a matter of time when […]