Today we announce the 2020 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize winners who are recognized for their technology-based inventions as graduate students or undergraduate teams in one of four categories: “Use it!,” “Move it!,” “Eat it!,” and “Cure it!” The national effort is sponsored by The Lemelson Foundation. “We congratulate this year’s winners for their outstanding work tackling global problems in order to improve lives around the world,” said Carol Dahl, executive director at The Lemelson Foundation. “These students are an inspiring example of how young minds across the country can solve problems through invention.”
Prize winners and the young inventors we have worked with from high schools across the U.S. cite the importance of having opportunities for learning the unique ways inventors find and solve problems. These opportunities (referred to as ‘invention education’) develop human skills needed for the workforce and prepare young people to be creative problem solvers in their communities and beyond. We invite you to explore the examples of young inventors on this site and to get started on the pathway to inventing by picking an activity in whatever category fits your personal interest and passion.
Have fun inventing!
2020 “Move it!” Lemelson-MIT Student Prize Undergraduate Team Winner
MPG: Celestine Ananda, Bennett Bartel, Nicholas Bartel, Cassandra Bossong, and Taylor Peterson, Carthage College. The modal propellant gauging, or MPG technology, is a way of gauging the amount of fuel left in a tank (like in spacecraft or airplanes).
We recommend you read the Letter to Grades 6-12 Students first. You don’t need to work through the activities in order. Every category includes (1) explorations of inventions created by Lemelson-MIT Student Prize winners and InvenTeam grant recipients, (2) a hands-on activity, and (3) brainstorming of your own invention projects. Remember, inventing is just plain fun! We hope you’ll have lots of fun this week!
Explore “Move it!” Inventions
In this activity, you will explore a few “Move it!” inventions, technology-based inventions that involve transportation or mobility, and see how these inventions help improve people’s mobility.
Sneaker Challenge
Imagine you were asked to design and create an earth-friendly sneaker that not only is comfortable for your feet but also completely recyclable. What would you design?
Think Like an Inventor
Now that you have learned about inventors and the invention process, how about doing some problem solving? This activity introduces you to a technique called SCAMPER. You can use the SCAMPER guide to brainstorm your ideas.
Share
Don’t forget that you can share your invention ideas using the Full STEAM Ahead forums or on social media using #MITFullSTEAM (with parent permission).