Students throughout the Capital District in kindergarten through eighth grade were challenged to stretch their minds and come up with an invention to make life easier last month at the Schenectady Museum’s Invention Convention.
Abigail August, a sixth-grader at Scotia-Glenville Middle School was one of 25 finalists out of 1,100 entries for her invention of a vibrating alarm clock.
I don’t really like the sound of the loud alarm clock when it wakes you up, so I came up with a vibrating alarm clock, said August, who invented a clock that provides a pleasant break from slumber.
`I got a bear and I cut a hole in its stomach, and I put a clock in it. That’s basically it,` said August. `You hold on to it during the night, and whenever the time comes in the morning, it vibrates and wakes you up.`
She said that the project took about a week to complete. She bought a teddy bear from Build-a-Bear at Crossgates Mall, figured out how she was going to get an alarm clock in the bear’s stomach (Velcro is key) and then assembled her invention.
`It worked,` said August.
Of the original 1,100 entries, 100 students were chosen to create a display of their model, which was then exhibited at the Schenectady Museum last month. Of those 100 entrants, 25 were chosen as finalists to go on to the State Recognition Ceremony, which will be held this year in Rochester. Finalists from four other regions across the state will join them. This year, the other regional competitions were held in Binghamton, Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse.
Students were invited to submit a proposal of an original idea for a device or a method for solving a problem that can occur in the environment, in technology or industry, in the classroom, home or even during leisure time activities. A volunteer team of scientists, patent lawyers and other professionals from the community evaluated the submissions and chose the top 100 entries.
`[The Invention Convention] is important because it excites children in grades K-8 to use their creativity and imagination to solve everyday problems using STEM skills ` science, technology, engineering and math,` said Kerry Orlyk, executive director of the Schenectady Museum. `At the museum our mission is about inspiring children to use their creativity skills, and we hope that by offering the Invention Convention program that [students] will become excited about the invention process at a young age.`
She said that she hopes that these students will be inspired early in their lives to continue coming up with innovative creations.
The 1,100 students who submitted ideas for their inventions, were judged on various criteria including uniqueness, thoroughness of explanation and the type of problem the invention solves.
The inventions were on display at the museum through Thursday, May 28. The top 25 finalists were then honored at the Regional Awards Ceremony that evening at the Schenectady Museum.
Two of Orlyk’s favorite inventions included a marshmallow that had a piece of chocolate stuck in the middle to ensure more even melting when roasting s’mores. Another invention that she was particularly struck by was a water meter that was placed next to a shower that read how much hot water was left.
`I can relate to this person who had so many siblings that took showers in the morning,` said Orlyk. `They could never tell when they were going to have warm water.`
The water meter told the user whether the water was warm or not, and if there was warm water, how much was left. If there was no warm water, the meter told the user when more could be expected.
`There are a lot of studies that have been done recently that say that informal learning is where students learn the most. It excites them and it inspires them,` said Orlyk. `They want to learn more, and when kids want to learn more they do better.`
For more information, visit www.schenectadymuseum.org.“