Regional Qualifiers
Regional Qualifiers
The 2024 K-12 InVenture Prize Regional Qualifiers included Savannah, South Georgia, and Coweta, from which winners and competitors from each region moved forward to compete in the State Finals event.
Savannah Regional Qualifier
Elementary School Division
1st Place ES |
SafeT Bike |
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Students | Keith DaCosta, Edward (Levi) Howington |
School | Virginia Heard Elementary School, Savannah-Chatham County |
2nd Place ES |
My Little Baby Helper |
Students | Mia Balram and Zarria Bacon |
School | Virginia Heard Elementary School, Savannah-Chatham County |
3rd Place ES |
The Handy Step Stool |
Students | Addison Pauling and Jermaine Verdree |
School | Virginia Heard Elementary School, Savannah-Chatham County |
Middle School Division
1st Place MS |
The Pocket Extender |
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Students | Ali Fry |
School | Garrison School for the Arts, Savannah-Chatham County |
2nd Place MS |
TCG |
Students | Richardo Diaz, Christian Carter-Johnson, and Keenan Swinton |
School | Garrison School for the Arts, Savannah-Chatham County |
High School Division
1st Place HS |
MagKnights |
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Students | Madeline Folland and Ryleigh Still |
School | Effingham College and Career Academy, Effingham County |
Specialty Awards
Manufacturing Award |
MagKnights |
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Students | Madeline Folland and Ryleigh Still |
School | Effingham College and Career Academy, Effingham County |
Sustainability Award |
SafeT Bike |
Students | Keith DaCosta, Edward (Levi) Howington |
School | Virginia Heard Elementary School, Savannah-Chatham County |
South Georgia Regional Qualifier
Elementary School Division
1st Place ES |
Splash Guard |
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Students | Abigail Bone, Ellie Butler, and Katie Bruce |
School | Cross Creek Elementary School, Thomas County |
Middle School Division
1st Place MS |
See the Future |
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Students | Janiya Ivey |
Affiliation | Butler Mason YMCA Thomas, Thomas County |
High School Division
1st Place HS |
Know Furr-Buddy |
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Students | Tatiana Everhart |
Affiliation | Thomasville High School, Thomas County |
State Finals
The 2024 K-12 InVenture Prize State Finals event was held on Georgia Tech's campus this year with 108 teams competing at State Finals. Judging was conducted live and in judging circles through the RocketJudge platform with 54 judges evaluating student teams. Additionally, this year's State Finals celebrated a Decade of Discovery, the 10th anniversary of K-12 InVenture Prize.
This year, we invited six incredible past educators and student inventors to discuss why patents are an important part of the invention process and answer questions from current K-12 inventor attendees.
State Finals Panelists
Panelist Katie Chastain
Katie Chastain is an educator and entrepreneur passionate about how entrepreneurial thinking can improve communities.
Panelist William Susskind
William Susskind is one of the high school inventors of Door Bully, the mechanical-only and digital lock for classroom doors to mitigate emergency lockdown situations.
Panelist Rohan Kumar
Rohan Kumar is one of the high school inventors of Door Bully, the mechanical-only and digital lock for classroom doors to mitigate emergency lockdown situations.
Panelist Nancy Ernstes
Nancy Ernstes is a retired Cobb County teacher and piloted the first iteration of grades 4-8 K-12 InVenture curriculum with her 5th grade students and helped grow the K-12 InVenture program.
Panelist Kathleen Lanman
Dr. Kathleen Lanman is prior educator and currently an Education Program Specialist at the Office of Education at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Panelist Marc van Zyl
Marc van Zyl is an engineering student at Georgia Tech and a veteran K-12 InVenture Prize alumn.
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State Finals Winners
K-2 Division Winners
1st Place Totally Tubular
Students | Mia Gonzalez, Grace Kerns, and Emery Russell |
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Teacher | Valerie King |
School | Kennesaw Elementary School, Cobb County |
We redesigned a toothpaste tube by making a smaller nozzle so only the right amount of toothpaste is dispensed, added a roller to the bottom of each tube so every last drop of paste is used intentionally and added a zipper like piece on the edge so when a toothpaste tube is empty, it can be "unzipped" cleaned out and used to make a tooth fairy pouch.
2nd Place 2 in 1 Heat Cutter and Sealer
Students | Ethan Havens, Angela Nguyen, and Joseph Williamson |
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Teacher | Amber Woolley |
School | Tritt Elementary School, Cobb County |
People are experiencing growing frustration due to their inability to open or close food packaging. Introducing the 2 in 1 Heat Cutter and Sealer, a revolutionary solution that will effectively seal your food packages. Say goodbye to cumbersome clips and hello to hassle-free packaging!
3rd Place The Unspillable Cup Lid
Students | Khadijat Otunba-Aliu, Le'Azia Green Olivia, and Rogers-Beckley |
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Teacher | Audrey Jinks |
School | Powder Springs Elementary School, Cobb County |
A lid that can be put on any size cup to prevent spills. Don't worry about forgetting your sippy cup when you visit friends the Unspillable Cup Lid. This lid can be used with any size up and is easy to transport.
Elementary Division Winners
1st Place Micro-Fill
Students | Avyanna Bihani, Krisha Tripathi, and Aaradhya Singh |
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Teacher | Kelly Radaszewski |
School | Sawnee Elementary School, Forsyth County |
A drain storage device that can store all the micro beads that come in the water as it passes down the drain using ferrofluid with non-toxic iron oxide powder that can be used to remove microplastics from water, since it’s a magnetic liquid.
2nd Place H2 Whoa
Students | Peyton McClendon and Vivian Wheaton |
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Teacher | Jennifer Studdard |
School | Lillian C. Poole Elementary School, Paulding County |
The H2 Whoa is a portable water filtration system. With its features, people all around the world will stay safely hydrated with clean water.
3rd Place tie Firepron
Students | Emerson Teilhet and Shaambhavi Kartik |
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Teacher | Julia Varnedoe |
School | Sope Creek Elementary School, Cobb County |
2,775 people die in house fires every year. People are dying because of small fires. They panic, and don't know what to do. While they are running around, trying to find a solution, the fire spreads causing more problems. The Firepron solves that problem. It puts out small house fires. All you have to do is lay it on the fire. It has multiple layers, so you don't burn yourself.
3rd Place tie ECO Ball
Students | Anna Fisher, Royce Herrin, and James Martin |
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Teacher | Kristen Moore |
School | West Side Elementary School, Marietta City Schools |
Only 24 % of public schools in America recycle. We believe the reason for this is it is too expensive, requires too much time and energy, and may be due to lack of education surrounding recycling. ECO Ball is a game that keeps score of trash reduction efforts by allowing students to participate in recycling in a fun and rewarding way. ECO Ball is accompanied by a group of ECO Ball club members who are responsible for developing educational content aimed at addressing common misconceptions related to recycling and monitoring scores to reward grade levels for their efforts and participation.
Middle Division Winners
1st Place Allergen Avenger
Students | Michael Baker, Andrew Steskal, and Danny Johnson |
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Teacher | Scott McCord |
School | Mabry Middle School, Cobb County |
Using a vacuum, our product exposes air-born protein particles to molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) to detect allergens in food.
2nd Place Recyling Pro
Students | Mithra Murphy, Anna Farah, Benjamin Hansen, and Soren Pates |
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Teacher | |
School | Mabry Middle School, Cobb County |
Recycling Pro is an app dedicated to fixing the issue of plastic pollution and recycling.
3rd Place Magnetie
Students | Claire McKenzie, Jocelyn Barrere, and Julia Nalin |
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Teacher | Kelly Zern |
School | Bass Middle School, Coweta County |
High Division Winners
1st Place WaterCleanse: Engineering of Automated Water Purification and Testing Machine
Students | Roderick Sneed |
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Teacher | Scott Robinson |
School | Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology, Rockdale County |
The prototyped machine can provide real-time, accurate data on water conditions, empowering individuals and authorities to proactively address water safety concerns. Encompassing prototyping and rigorous testing, ensuring the device's accuracy and reliability. Calibration procedures have been fine-tuned to accommodate variations in water sources, ensuring versatility and applicability across diverse environments. Safeguarding our most precious resource – water.
2nd Place Yuno: AI-Powered Research Organization
Students | Vineeth Sendilraj and Ryan Du |
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Teacher | |
School | Lambert High School, Forsyth County |
What if you could research without 30 browser tabs and overwhelming note docs? Try Yuno, a streamlined method to snip anything from anywhere and effortlessly build a searchable knowledge base, transforming your scattered searches into organized, shareable notes.
3rd Place BioGrow
Students | Nysha Reddy |
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Teacher | Orla Thomas |
School | Northgate High School, Coweta County |
Specialty Award Winners
IronCAD Award HS Division WaterCleanse: Engineering of Automated Water Purification and Testing Machine
Students | Roderick Sneed |
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Teacher | Scott Robinson |
School | Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology, Rockdale County |
The prototyped machine can provide real-time, accurate data on water conditions, empowering individuals and authorities to proactively address water safety concerns. Encompassing prototyping and rigorous testing, ensuring the device's accuracy and reliability. Calibration procedures have been fine-tuned to accommodate variations in water sources, ensuring versatility and applicability across diverse environments. Safeguarding our most precious resource – water.
IronCAD Award MS/ES Division The Vortex
Students | Emory Landrum, Boden Bergmans, and Daniel Cheeves |
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Teacher | Andrew Nase |
School | Evans Middle School, Coweta County |
Manufacturing Award Firepron
Students | Emerson Teilhet and Shaambhavi Kartik |
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Teacher | Julia Varnedoe |
School | Sope Creek Elementary School, Cobb County |
2,775 people die in house fires every year. People are dying because of small fires. They panic, and don't know what to do. While they are running around, trying to find a solution, the fire spreads causing more problems. The Firepron solves that problem. It puts out small house fires. All you have to do is lay it on the fire. It has multiple layers, so you don't burn yourself.
Constellation Energy Award Biomass Battery: Using Camellia sinensis in Fuel Cell Electrodes
Students | Keira Lee |
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Teacher | Seth Bishop |
School | McIntosh High School, Fayette County |
This battery is made from tea! The graphite anode (place where electricity flows) is replaced with a more sustainable carbon derived from tea leaves. This carbon solves three problems at once- climate change, food waste, and graphite mining impacts!
Health and Medical Award Allergen Avenger
Students | Michael Baker, Andrew Steskal, and Danny Johnson |
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Teacher | Scott McCord |
School | Mabry Middle School, Cobb County |
Using a vacuum, our product exposes air-born protein particles to molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) to detect allergens in food.
Agriculture and Food Award BioGrow
Students | Nysha Reddy |
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Teacher | Orla Thomas |
School | Northgate High School, Coweta County |
Consumer Goods and Fashion Award Julacen Backpack Comforters
Students | Gracen Smith and Julia Seiger |
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Teacher | Jessica Kirkham |
School | Union Elementary School, Paulding County |
Our device is a stylish, comforting addition to any backpack. It helps add padding to the shoulder straps to alleviate strain. We also plan on varying styles and patterns for a stylish element.
Animal Care and Pets Award Cool Dog Coller
Students | Ivy Clapper and Isla Farlow |
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Teacher | Bhavika Singletary |
School | Crosscreek Elementary School, Thomas County |
Hot weather can be very dangerous to dogs when they are outside. The risk from too much sun exposure can cause seizures, heat stroke, or burned paws or skin. The Cool Dawg Collar helps dogs of all ages cool down in the unforgiving summer heat.
Environmental and Sustainability Award Micro-Fill
Students | Avyanna Bihani, Krisha Tripathi, and Aaradhya Singh |
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Teacher | Kelly Radaszewski |
School | Sawnee Elementary School, Forsyth County |
A drain storage device that can store all the micro beads that come in the water as it passes down the drain using ferrofluid with non-toxic iron oxide powder that can be used to remove microplastics from water, since it’s a magnetic liquid.
Sports, Games, Toys Award The Corder
Students | Nathan McKee and William Tyler |
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Teacher | Rex Kienel |
School | Kennesaw Mountain High School, Cobb County |
The Corder is an easy to play, educational string instrument. Our team has worked for the past 3 years to design the Corder to make music more accessible. The current music education system is wrought with unengaging instruments and songs. The Corder solves this issue by offering an instrument that is easy to learn and can play popular songs. This is made possible by our capo system, a system of four buttons that allow you to seamlessly change chords while playing. This year we are utilizing CAD and 3D printing to develop a tuning system to make it easier to play in different keys. It does this with a handle which turns 3 tuning sockets, tuning all 3 strings simultaneously.
Inclusion Award Team Grocery Eyes
Students | Nellie Klodner and Anna Borsh |
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Teacher | Karyn Hunt |
School | (Sam D.) Panter Elementary School, Paulding County |
Help people who are blind become more independent shoppers with the Grocery Eyes App! The app will help make a grocery list and then use GPS to guide the user to the correct aisle. Once in the aisle, the app uses the camera to locate the specific product that the user is looking for. This allows greater independence for people who are blind.
Technology of Tomorrow Award MagKnights
Students | Madeline Folland and Ryleigh Still |
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Teacher | Aaron Parker |
School | Effingham College and Careeer Academy, Effingham County |
Hidden magnets pose a threat to a person with a pacemaker/defibrillator, so Magknight would detect these magnets and alert the user when they are too close.
Best Display Board ECO Ball
Students | Anna Fisher, Royce Herrin, and James Martin |
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Teacher | Kristen Moore |
School | West Side Elementary School, Marietta City Schools |
Only 24 % of public schools in America recycle. We believe the reason for this is it is too expensive, requires too much time and energy, and may be due to lack of education surrounding recycling. ECO Ball is a game that keeps score of trash reduction efforts by allowing students to participate in recycling in a fun and rewarding way. ECO Ball is accompanied by a group of ECO Ball club members who are responsible for developing educational content aimed at addressing common misconceptions related to recycling and monitoring scores to reward grade levels for their efforts and participation.
People's Choice Award Splash Guard
Students | Abigail Bone, Ellie Butler, and Katie Bruce |
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Teacher | Daneen Ingles |
School | Cross Creek Elementary School, Thomas County |
Our product solves the problem by not letting the dog splash us.
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State Finals Sponsored Awards
State Finals Sponsored Awards
While all participants of the K-12 InVenture Prize State Finals receive a participation medal and certificate, winners in select divisions and categories are also awarded prizes, some of which are sponsored. IronCAD and GIPA are two partners and sponsors whom award specially sponsored prizes. This year, IronCAD and the Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance awarded six incredible inventor teams.
State Finals Sponsoring Award Representatives
Panelist Cameron Schriner
IronCAD is a proud partner with K-12 InVenture Prize and sponsor of IronCAD software to participating K-12 InVenture Prize teachers and students over the course of the year. IronCAD also sponsors the IronCAD Award, which is awarded to the top team using IronCAD in their design and prototyping.
GIPA Representative Michael Frnka
The Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance (GIPA) is a proud partner with K-12 InVenture Prize and sponsor of first place division winners awarded a professional patent search and, if feasible, a patent filing.
Founders Legal Representative Ed Khalili
Alongside the Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance (GIPA), Founders Legal is a proud partner with K-12 InVenture Prize and sponsor of first place division winners awarded a professional patent search and, if feasible, a patent filing.
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Thank you to our partners and sponsors for another incredible year!
Georgia Tech Partners and Sponsors
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