Are you tired of long shoelaces getting in the way of your stroll? How about that darn mud and debris that builds up in horse shoes after a long ride? Well, some young minds are at work solving these dilemmas and more by inventing products like a shoe magnet and a lighted hoof picker as part of the Capital District Invention Convention.
More than 1,400 students in schools from Manhattan to South Glens Falls participated in this year’s convention, hosted by The Schenectady Museum. Children in grades kindergarten through eighth submitted written descriptions and diagrams of their inventions. Models of the 100 were on display at the museum through Thursday, May 24 when 25 finalists were announced at a reception there.
“The convention provides an opportunity for the students to engage in creative problem solving and experience the invention process,” said Susanne Door, the museum’s grants and annual fund coordinator.
Beth Hoffman, an education specialist with the museum said that feedback from teachers about the competition has been very positive and that many have utilized the event as part of their curriculum.
The convention started in 1998 as part of the Kennedy Center Imagination Celebration through the New York State Alliance for Arts. Due to funding though, it was taken on by collaboration between General Electric and the museum ten years ago. Other areas in the state have also formed such collaborations for conventions, including The Finger Lakes, Binghamton and Buffalo.
General Electric enlists the help of more than 60 volunteers to talk with students in the schools about how the event works as well as the invention process. They also judge the entries, along with museum staff.
Louis Mazzone, a facilities electrical engineer with General Electric for 38 years has been assisting with the convention since it started and said that it is “a very successful program”.
“Everybody wins…it gets the kids thinking about any problem they may see,” he said.
Kali Nagler, library media specialist at Lake Avenue Elementary School in Saratoga Springs incorporates the convention as part of the library science curriculum she teaches. She said it helps students to “formulate a higher level of questioning and problem solving.”
Andrew Patnode, 11, is a fifth-grade student at Nolan Elementary School. He invented the shoe magnet, which prevents shoe laces from becoming tangled. With the help of a clip magnet placed on the side of a shoe and “some sticky magnetic tape” on the ends of the laces, he seems to have solved the problem.
“I thought of it when I was tying my shoes one day and the shoelaces were really long…it took a couple of hours to make,” said Patnode.
Marie Lehmann, a fifth-grader at Lake Avenue Elementary School in Saratoga rides horses in her spare time and has solved a common problem she encounters. She has invented a light picker, which is like a big dental instrument with a light attached used to get debris out of horse shoes.
“I made a hoof pick to use on the horses at night or when the inside of the stall is dark. It’s like a normal hoof pick, but it has a light on the end so you can see better to get the stuff out of their shoes,” she said.
Prince, the horse she rides should appreciate the innovation.
The other seven semifinalists from Saratoga are: Claire Barton who invented the Hedge Dog Coat, Gary Blanchard who invented Gloves On, Lauren Closson with the Wash Glove, Alla Dalton with Alarm Clock Tickling Blanket, Liam Epstein who invented the Nose Muff, Amanda Leske who made the The Filthy Filter, and Patrick Whiteside with Heat-o-Hat.
The Ballston Spa Central School District had five students chosen as semifinalists. Bairbre McCarthy has been teaching for 15 years and instructs Ballsoton Scholars, using the convention as part of the coursework.
“We do a unit on inventions and I encourage them to enter. I really was so impressed that even third-graders that came up with great ideas,” said McCarthy.
Semifinalists from Ballston Spa are: Shea McNamara invented the Smart Marker, Kaelan Kasowski with an Expandable Clothes Hanger, Robbie Bodien invented a robot to find lost golf balls, Michael Poirier came up with Hot Ski Poles and Matthew Poirier invented a cough drop chewing gum.
For more information on the convention, visit schenectadymuseum.org
