Regional Qualifiers
The 2025 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
11 teams competed in the Savannah Regional Qualifier event. Judges representing Coastal Georgia included leaders from the Savannah-Chatham County Public School District, Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, as well as professionals from Georgia Ports, HMTX Global, SSOE, Gulfstream Aerospace and local business and industry consultants.
Read about Savannah's inventions!
| Elementary School Division | Middle School Division | High School Division |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place Tech Can Inventors | Mia Balram and Nina Negron Heard Elementary School, Savannah-Chatham County |
1st Place Fats O Fighters Lunch Locks Inventors | Zoe Karr, Isabella Edenfield, and Olive Bartlett Esther F. Garrison School of the Arts, Savannah-Chatham County |
1st Place MagKnight Inventor | Madeline Folland Effingham College and Career Academy, Effingham Countyy |
| 2nd Place Eraser 2.0 Inventors | Makail Henley, Zarria Bacon, and Lydia Dobson Heard Elementary School, Savannah-Chatham County |
2nd Place Pyra Sleep System Inventor | Annabelle Lee Esther F. Garrison School of the Arts, Savannah-Chatham County |
2nd Place SafetySearch Inventor | Brieanna Pertuz,Shivam Shah, and Viviana Pritchett Richmond Hill High School, Bryan County |
| 3rd Place Retract Eraser Inventors | John Bynum, and Justin Fennell Heard Elementary School, Savannah-Chatham County |
3rd Place Healthy Heat Inventors | Karson Phillips and Hollis Wehner Richmond Hill High School, Bryan County |
South Georgia Regional
44 teams competed in the South Georgia Regional Qualifier event. Sponsors for the event included Thomasville National Bank, Flowers Foods, Check-Mate Industries, Southern Regional Technical College, Georgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing (Georgia AIM), and the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC) at Georgia Tech.
Read about South Georgia's inventions!
| Elementary School Division | Middle School Division | High School Division |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place CPR (Chicken Poop Remover) Inventors | Fynlee McKinney and Joshua Brown Sunset Elementary School, Colquitt County |
1st Place Mic and Costume App Inventor | Emma Brannen Thomasville GA YMCA, Thomas County |
1st Place Better Backpack Inventors | Amaya Zambrano and Kimber Lane Thomas County Central High School, Thomas County |
| 2nd Place The Everything Dog Collar Inventors | Alanah White, Gracie Rowland, and Paris Bryant Cross Creek Elementary School, Thomas County |
2nd Place M.D.S. (Missile Detection System) Inventors | Jaxon Godwin and Tripp Carson Thomasville GA YMCA, Thomas County |
|
| 3rd Place Portawheel Inventors | Piper Tillman, Skylar Pinkins, and Ava Mills Cross Creek Elementary School, Thomas County |
3rd Place The Love Stick Inventor | Janiya Ivey Thomasville GA YMCA, Thomas County |
| Specialty Awards |
|---|
| People’s Choice Award The Genius Cane Inventors | Violet Sowards, Lily-Ann Bramblett, and Willow Lane Cross Creek Elementary School , Thomas County |
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State Finals
The 2025 K-12 InVenture Prize State Finals event was held on Georgia Tech's campus this year with 101 teams competing at State Finals. Judging was conducted live and in judging circles through the RocketJudge platform with 63 judges evaluating student teams.
K-2 Division Placement Awards
Safe Bites
1st Place
Inventors | Lillian (Lily) Michel and Ann Cauthen
Teacher | Valerie King
Kennesaw Elementary School, Cobb County
Safe Bites are engaging, customized allergy cards that take away the stigma of having a food allergy! Designed for kids, by kids, they are cards that list allergies, foods to avoid, and symptoms of an allergic reaction. They can be used in restaurants by simply handing one to the server who can share it with the chef. We want every bite to be safe!
Beautiful Bug Bye-Bye Necklaces
2nd Place
Inventors | Emberly Ballenger and Emily Guerrero
Teacher | Jessica Kirkham
Union Elementary School, Paulding County
We are tired of pesky bugs when we play outside, but also want a safe and natural way to stay protected. We invented light weight necklaces that use essential oils to repel bugs and allow us to play outside.
Litter Critters
3rd Place
Inventors | Keira Kramer and Ji-An Jung
Teacher | Valerie King
Kennesaw Elementary School, Cobb County
Litter Critters are kid friendly litter grabbers that make picking up small litter in parks and communities fun! They also teach kids about how litter can harm animals.
Elementary School Division Placement Awards
The Cleanomatic Birdbath
1st Place
Inventors | Laura Diaz Ossa and Kabir Junega
Teacher | Julia Varnedoe
Sope Creek Elementary School, Cobb County
Mold, fungus, and bacteria in dirty birdbaths make birds sick and endanger the ecosystem. The Cleanomatic Birdbath uses a simple drain system to make the chore of cleaning much easier. Simply pull the plug and dirty water is gone.
Micro Plant
2nd Place
Inventors | Leo Sonmezer, Pranav Marru, and Jake Deng
Teacher | Sarah Covington
Murdock Elementary School, Cobb County
Have you ever encountered big clumps of plastic waste on the coast? Our invention is a mobile plastic recycling device that will take recyclable metals and plastics and turn them into plastic chips and metal ingots. These can be collected like a trash bin for raw material by companies and local governments that need it. This invention is not meant for civilian use but, the impact of this invention will positively impact us all by clearing plastic out of the environment and saving tons of lives and marine creatures.
The Electric Safety Door Cover
3rd Place
Inventors | Affan Chishti, Caleb Mitchell, and Grayson Wise
Teacher | Denise Orr
Frey Elementary School, Cobb County
The invention is called the Electric Door Of Doom . It is a retractable metal sheet that comes in any color, and in any size. It comes in perfect camouflage that blends in with the door and is 150 volts; enough to shock the intruder, robber, shooter, or anyone else who is being violent to anyone or anything. It can roll up or down for storage.
Middle School Division Placement Awards
Refuge Radar
1st Place
Inventor | Amir Feniza
Teacher | Amy Harris
Amana Academy, Fulton County
Homeless people can have trouble finding a homeless shelter that can provide for their needs, especially since homeless shelters are non-profit and have trouble with funding. My app allows the de-homed community to select a service they might need, and see all the homeless shelters nearby with those services!
The Lock Block
2nd Place
Inventors | Hardt Foster and Lucas Fahrni
Teacher | Austin Russell
Sutton Middle School, Fulton County
The ultimate fix for broken or missing restroom locks! Designed for public spaces, this portable lock ensures privacy, security, and even emergency lockdown capability—simple, strong, and essential.
Magnetie
3rd Place (tie)
Inventors | Adeline Smith, Claire McKenzie, and Jocelyn Barrere
Teacher | Kelly Zern
Blake Bass Middle School, Coweta County
The Magnetie is a magnetic scrunchie-like hair tie that can clip and unclip, so that it doesn’t get stuck in your hair. The magnet makes the hair tie detachable, so that you can get it out of your hair easily. This prevents all of the pain that comes with putting up, and taking your hair down.
Steady Sip
3rd Place (tie)
Inventors | Annie Lai, Joelle Bishara, Sanah Mathan, and Neha Rao
Teacher | Marwa Crisp
Dodgen Middle School, Cobb County
In our community we noticed that metal water bottles were falling over and denting while disrupting class. Using elements inspired by our research, we made a virtual model. We are eager to keep iterating and have many future plans.
High School Division Placement Awards
Replacing Traditionally Manufactured AA6061 Aluminum with 3D-Printed AA6061 for Martian Rovers
1st Place
Inventor | Raaga Sundar
Teacher | Seth Bishop
McIntosh High School, Fayette County
Using 3D-printed AA6061 aluminum, we can cut rover costs by $1.5 billion per mission while maintaining strength and durability. My research tests whether 3D printing can revolutionize Mars exploration, so why aren’t we doing it yet?
PathScan
2nd Place (tie)
Inventor | Uddip Kashyap
Teacher | Scott Robinson
FCS Innovation Academy, Fulton County
PathScan is a novel device that can detect cancers for a fraction of the cost of our current methods. PathScan scans and magnifies cells on microscope slides from biopsies and can then process the images through its AI-classifier to detect all types of cancers! Not only that, its the only current device that can accurately detect rare cancers. PathScan is reproducible, portable, and efficient, and costs just $122. These capabilities make it possible for PathScan to aid in low-income areas, worldwide as a new gold-standard of diagnosis!
The Corder
2nd Place (tie)
Inventor | William Tyler
Teacher | Angela Wood
Kennesaw Mountain High School, Cobb County
The Corder is an easy to play, educational string instrument. We have worked for the past 4 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 worked to design a curriculum that covers all four of the Georgia Department of Education standards for 4th and 5th grade music education. Each lesson will include a song that can be played on the Corder that focuses on one factor of music. We also refined our manufacturing process to scale up future production.
GrowCast
3rd Place
Inventors | Akshaj Dewan, Lewi Bayssa, and Sait Babanazarov
Teacher | Scott Robinson
Innovation Academy, Fulton County
Traditional plaster casts, while effective, are fragile, uncomfortable, and environmentally unsustainable. This innovation introduces a novel 3D-printed PLA cast with a mycelium core (3DB-M) as a stronger, more sustainable, and cost-effective alternative.
Specialty Awards
Eco-Pestaway
Agriculture Award
Inventors | Krishti Pathak and Emma Jones
Teacher | Sherreen Bahr
Addison Elementary School, Cobb County
This device is a pest repellant that is eco-friendly and still keeps those pesty bugs away from flowers and vegitation.
The Cleanomatic Birdbath
Animal Care Award
Inventors | Laura Diaz Ossa and Kabir Junega
Teacher | Julia Varnedoe
Sope Creek Elementary School, Cobb County
Mold, fungus, and bacteria in dirty birdbaths make birds sick and endanger the ecosystem. The Cleanomatic Birdbath uses a simple drain system to make the chore of cleaning much easier. Simply pull the plug and dirty water is gone.
Oral Detect
Best Display Award
Inventors | Liya Damji and Sara Zafaneli
Teacher | Christopher Smith
Atlanta International School, Fulton County
Oral Detect is a toothbrush featuring biosensor detectors that detect bacterial colonies in the mouth.
Beautiful Bug Bye-Bye Necklaces
Consumer Goods Award
Inventors | Emberly Ballenger and Emily Guerrero
Teacher | Jessica Kirkham
Union Elementary School, Paulding County
We are tired of pesky bugs when we play outside, but also want a safe and natural way to stay protected. We invented light weight necklaces that use essential oils to repel bugs and allow us to play outside.
Novel Solar Tracking System
Energy Award
Inventor | Prakash Gupta
Teacher | Shelley Seagraves
Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology, Rockdale County
This novel system improves the efficiency and efficacy of photovoltaic solar panels, hopefully reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, and easing our move towards renewable energy.
The ScentiDo
Environmental and Sustainability Award
Inventors | Luca Arena-Camarillo and Strafford Stevens
Teacher | Sherreen Bahr
Addison Elementary School, Cobb County
We made a device that will trap mosquitos so they can NOT spread any illnesses to humans or pets.
PathScan
Health Award
Inventor | Uddip Kashyap
Teacher | Scott Robinson
FCS Innovation Academy, Fulton County
PathScan is a novel device that can detect cancers for a fraction of the cost of our current methods. PathScan scans and magnifies cells on microscope slides from biopsies and can then process the images through its AI-classifier to detect all types of cancers! Not only that, its the only current device that can accurately detect rare cancers. PathScan is reproducible, portable, and efficient, and costs just $122. These capabilities make it possible for PathScan to aid in low-income areas, worldwide as a new gold-standard of diagnosis!
Safe Bites
Manufacturing Award
Inventors | Lillian (Lily) Michel and Ann Cauthen
Teacher | Valerie King
Kennesaw Elementary School, Cobb County
Safe Bites are engaging, customized allergy cards that take away the stigma of having a food allergy! Designed for kids, by kids, they are cards that list allergies, foods to avoid, and symptoms of an allergic reaction. They can be used in restaurants by simply handing one to the server who can share it with the chef. We want every bite to be safe!
The True Fair Three-Sided Coin
People's Choice AwardSports, Games, and Toys Award
Inventor | Corin Staples
Teacher | Seth Bishop
McIntosh High School, Fayette County
This niche die is used as an alternative method for three decisions, more than a coin and less than a D4. Omegaball, three-teamed soccer, and D&D can be benefited by a tri-decision making device.
Using Magnets to Replace Traditional Static Automotive Suspension
Technology of Tomorrow Award
Inventor | Gavin Reece
Teacher | Shelley Seagraves
Rockdale County Magnet School For Science and Technology, Rockdale County
This proposed automotive suspension system hopes to achieve greater energy disposition than the traditional spring suspension system using magnets, thus increasing safety and part/component lifetime. Mainly by doing what the traditional static components can’t do, which is achieve both a smooth ride and optimal handling performance. Also setting up for a future project using electromagnets to fully achieve the goal of totally eliminating static components from the modern suspension system in order to create the most efficient suspension system yet.
Sponsored Awards
GrowCast
GIPA Patent Award
Inventors | Akshaj Dewan, Lewi Bayssa, and Sait Babanazarov
Teacher | Scott Robinson
Innovation Academy, Fulton County
Traditional plaster casts, while effective, are fragile, uncomfortable, and environmentally unsustainable. This innovation introduces a novel 3D-printed PLA cast with a mycelium core (3DB-M) as a stronger, more sustainable, and cost-effective alternative.
GasBuster
GIPA Patent Award
Inventors | Sophie Lin, Keefer Lin, Srinidhi Chebrolu, and Paola Leal
Teacher | Lin-Chiou Lee
Chattahoochee High School, Fulton County
Long-term exposure to cooktop emissions has been well known as a cause of health problems, especially those who have respiratory diseases, exacerbated by the presence of methane and nitrogen dioxide. 40.5% of households in our community rely daily on gas stoves, exposing them to harmful methane and nitrogen dioxide emissions daily, which we discovered also occurs with the stove turned off. The GasBuster’s mission is to tackle the harmful emissions from gas stoves, especially prevalent in Atlanta. We hope to decrease the amount of methane in homes, to make people more aware of the problem of methane in homes, and to create a cheap and sustainable invention for homeowners.
Spectro Stroke
GIPA Patent Award
Inventor | Bhavya Alapati
Teacher | Scott Robinson
Innovation Academy, Fulton County
Currently, lab spectrophotometers are used to provide measurements that can determine a sample’s compounds. They perform various tasks from chemical analysis to food quality control. Lab spectrophotometers, however, are expensive and require trained lab technicians to operate. This means that predicting diseases like stroke through spectrophotometry is unrealistic as it may take weeks to receive results. My invention, SpectroStroke, is a minimized spectrophotometer that allows for accurate one-step measurements to be completed by patients to predict diseases like stroke that currently have no methods of prediction. The portability, combined with the fine-tuned detection enables it to be revolutionizing in fields like environmental monitoring, medical diagnostics, and chemical testing.
Speuro: Kudzu Based Supramolecular Polymers for Neuroregenerative Therapy
GIPA Patent Award
Inventor | Lara Otico
Teacher | Seth Bishop
Mcintosh High School, Fayette County
With this targeted, patient specific, biodegradable, affordable, and efficient treatment, we can save lives, the environment, and encourage responsible use of our planet through introducing alternative materials in regenerative medicine. From invasive vines, to polymers, to life-changing treatments for people all around the globe; this is Speuro.
TremorTech: A Stabilizing Glove for Parkinson's Disease Tremors
GIPA Patent Award
Inventor | Aadi Vaidya
Teacher | Seth Bishop
McIntosh High School, Fayette County
TremorTech uses a gyroscope, accelerometer, vibration motors, and a proprietary shock absorber system to reduce the debilitating effects of Parkinson's Disease tremors.
Better Blade
IronCAD Award
Inventors | Sashwat Lalas and Iyana Watson
Teacher | April Bryant
Sedalia Park Elementary School, Cobb County
A better product, the better blade. Did you know millions of marine animals are getting hurt or killed every day from the harsh, sharp ends of boat propellers that fatally attract them. Our product helps solve this problem by making the blades out of a plastic/rubber and making smooth edges so it doesn’t hurt the fish. It also has 3 holes on each blade so the airflow is improved and drag resistant unlike other smooth-edged blades that can only go a few hundred RPMs.
Replacing Traditionally Manufactured AA6061 Aluminum with 3D-Printed AA6061 for Martian Rovers
IronCAD Award
Inventor | Raaga Sundar
Teacher | Seth Bishop
McIntosh High School, Fayette County
Using 3D-printed AA6061 aluminum, we can cut rover costs by $1.5 billion per mission while maintaining strength and durability. My research tests whether 3D printing can revolutionize Mars exploration, so why aren’t we doing it yet?
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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.
Representatives
Cameron Schriner
IronCAD Representative
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(s) using CAD in their design and prototyping.
Michael Frnka
GIPA Representative
The Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance (GIPA) is a proud partner with K-12 InVenture Prize and sponsor of the GIPA Patent Award, which supports awardees with a professional patent search and, if feasible, a patent filing.
Ed Khalili
Founders Legal Representative
Alongside the Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance (GIPA), Founders Legal is a proud partner with K-12 InVenture Prize and sponsor of the GIPA Patent Award, which supports awardees with a professional patent search and, if feasible, a patent filing.
State Finals Speakers
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Thank you to our partners and sponsors for another incredible year!
The following companies support this program. The listing of corporate logos on this site do not constitute an endorsement by Georgia Tech.
Partners
Sponsors
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