Lemelson-MIT Project announces 2023-24 InvenTeams, eight teams of high school students, teachers and mentors from across the country who will each receive $7,500 in grant funding and other support to develop a technology Inventions to solve their problems of their own choosing. Students’ inventions were inspired by real-life problems they identified in their local communities.
Meet the 2023–24 InvenTeams
InvenTeams were selected by a panel of university professors, inventors, entrepreneurs, industry professionals and college students. Some panelists are former InvenTeam members now working in industry or studying at university. InvenTeams focus on solving problems faced by local communities, with the goal that their inventions will have a positive impact on beneficiaries and ultimately improve the lives of others beyond their community. This year’s participating teams are:
- e3 San Diego Municipal High School, California;
- Cold Spring Harbor Junior/High School, Cold Spring Harbor, New York;
- Calistoga Calistoga Junior/Senior High School, California;
- EMUiNVENT of Ypsilanti, Michigan;
- Incline High School, Incline Village, Nevada;
- Cincinnati Country Day School, Ohio;
- Chattahoochee High School in Johns Creek, Georgia; and
- Amherst Regional High School, Amherst, Massachusetts.
2023-24 InvenTeams are made up of students, teachers, and community mentors who work on year-long invention projects involving creative thinking, problem solving, and hands-on learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). InvenTeams’ prototype invention will be presented at a technical review in its host community in February 2024, and then again as a final prototype at EurekaFest, a celebration of invention taking place at MIT from June 10-12, 2024 .
“InvenTeams is dedicated to solving problems that impact local communities,” said Leigh Estabrooks, invention education officer at Lemelson-MIT. “The team focused their technology solutions (their inventions) on inequalities in health and well-being, environmental concerns and safety concerns. These high school students are not only the problem solvers of tomorrow, but the problem solvers of today, Help our world become fairer, healthier and safer. “
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the InvenTeams Grants Program
The InvenTeams program, now in its 20th year, has helped 17 teams of high school students earn U.S. patents for their projects. Intellectual property education is integrated with invention education as part of the Lemelson-MIT initiative to redress historical inequalities among those who develop inventions, protect intellectual property and commercialize their creations . The program continually strives to equip students from diverse backgrounds with valuable problem-solving skills that will serve them well throughout their academic journeys, professional pursuits, and personal lives. Over the past 20 years, they have worked with 3,883 students in 296 different teams across the country, including:
- Cooperate with intellectual property law firms to provide free legal support;
- Partner with industry-leading companies that provide technical guidance and coaching;
- Provide professional development for invention education teachers;
- Assist teams in identifying resources within their community’s innovation ecosystem to support ongoing inventive work; and
- Publishes case studies and research findings to inform the work of invention educators and policy makers, and to support student engagement in inventing solutions to real-world problems.
The Lemelson-MIT program leads the nation in educating the next generation of inventors and entrepreneurs. Their work focuses on providing people with greater opportunities to learn about the ways inventors discover and solve important problems that improve their lives. Its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion aims to redress historical inequalities among inventors, protect their intellectual property and commercialize their creations.
Jerome H. Lemelson, one of the most prolific inventors in American history, and his wife Dorothy founded Lemelson in 1994 at MIT -MIT project. The project is funded by the Lemelson Foundation and administered by the School of Engineering.