National Invention Convention (NIC)

Scandicapped 

Fifth graders Anna Gareau, Cooper Dyson, and Claire Kinnaman won the President’s Choice Award and 2nd place in the 5th grade category with their invention, Scandicapped: “We are solving the dangerous problem of people who illegally park in handicapped spots. Our device is the international handicapped sign with LED lights around it. RFID technology will verify the vehicle parked in the handicapped spot is legal and green lights will illuminate the sign. If an illegal vehicle is parked in the spot, red lights will illuminate the sign which will discourage this behavior and alert police of the illegally parked vehicle."

Soft Storage

Seventh graders Rebekah Bushmire and Isabella Hickey won the Household Organization and Appliances Industry Innovation Award with their invention, Soft Storage. Soft Storage is a sleeping bag with two compartments: “The first one is at the foot of the sleeping bag and that is where you keep your things like clothes. The second compartment is on the top center of the sleeping bag and it is called the snack bag. The snack bag is where you would keep small snacks and it is detachable so it can be easily washed."

Mouthwash Pods Through Spherification 

Tenth graders Katie Bender and Carolyn Lee won 3rd place in the 10th grade category with their invention, Mouthwash Pods Through Spherification: "Our goal is to create a method to eliminate plastic packaging from household liquids like mouthwash. This connects to the Sustainable Development Goal, Responsible Production and Consumption. This is important because most household liquids are not only a mixture of toxic chemicals, but they come in packaging that is very bad for the environment. The process of creation involves the chosen liquid, calcium lactate, and sodium alginate. This product is aimed to be used at not only homes but also for traveling purposes."

Deployable Ballistic Resistant Shield

Tenth grader Noah Martin won the Home and Safety Award presented by Carrier and 1st place in the 10th grade category with his invention, Deployable Ballistic Resistant Shield: "It is for use in school classrooms in the event of an active shooter scenario. The shield not only serves as a bulletproof barricade for the classroom door and windows, but also secures the door to prevent entry by the shooter."

Quic-Cric

Eleventh graders Katherine McNeice, Eric Simon, and Rishab Veldur won the Patent Application Award presented by WilmerHale, a law firm, 2nd place in the 11th grade category with their invention, Quic-Cric: "A Cricothyrotomy is a medical procedure in which an artificial airway is created to allow respiration for patients with severe airway obstructions in emergency situations. The current method requires a multitude of tools and is difficult to do successfully in high-stress environments. The Quic-Cric integrates all tools necessary to perform cricothyrotomies by one paramedic. The device is especially advantageous when the procedure must be performed in an ambulance, helicopter, or other moving vehicles. Furthermore, it allows for the paramedic to be more confident when performing the operation, increasing the likelihood the procedure will be used in the correct circumstances. The Quic-Cric reduces the variables in cricothyrotomies that would otherwise result in failure."

The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation Teacher Innovator Award

Nancy Ernstes, a Cheatam Hill Elementary School Target teacher, is a first-place winner of The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation Teacher Innovator Award. She is the only teacher from Georgia to win this award. The Henry Ford and Litton Entertainment state "the awards recognize the educators who are using the classroom to inspire innovation, creativity, problem solving and critical thinking among their students". The teachers who were presented with these awarded took risks and encouraged students to stay curious throughout their invention processes. Congratulations!