2023

2022-2023

Online qualifiers return along with in-person State Finals! K-12 InVenture Prize partners with Georgia AIM, a new statewide initiative combining artificial intelligence and manufacturing innovations with transformational workforce development and K-12 outreach.

2022

2021-2022

The program expands again with a new regional partnership and qualifying event in South Georgia. In-person awards return and the first Invention Convention Worldwide global competition is held.

2021

2020-2021

The kindergarten curriculum is created. The COVID pandemic occurs, which brings in-person events for the competition to a halt.

2020

2019-2020

The competition holds the first online qualifier event, making the program even more accessible to students throughout the state. The curriculum for grades 1-3 is completed and posted online while progress is made in further developing curriculum for grades 9-12.

2019

2018-2019

The program expands yet again, partnering with Georgia Tech’s Savannah campus to begin work on the first regional qualifying event for the competition. The program’s curriculum for grades 3-5 is completed and made available on the K-12 InVenture Prize website. The K-12 InVenture Prize Board Game is created, bringing a fun, competitive approach to engage students in invention education topics.

2018

2017-2018

The program is rebranded as “The K-12 InVenture Prize.”

2017

2016

2015-2016

IronCAD joins as program partner to sponsor a new specialty award for the competition and provides CAD software to participating schools. State finalists move on to compete at the first National Invention Convention and Entrepreneurship Expo. The program opens to middle schools.

2015

2014-2015

The program takes a big leap forward, expanding to include elementary schools. TAG Manufacturing steps up to sponsor a new manufacturing award, the first sponsored specialty award of the competition.

2014

2013-2014

The pilot year for the program, known as “The K-12 InVenture Challenge,” launches strong right out of the gate with teacher PD, Mock Pitch and a State Finals competition!

2013

Summer 2013

The idea to expand Georgia Tech’s InVenture Prize competition becomes reality when Georgia Tech’s retired Vice Provost and Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering Ray Vito secures a donation from the Fitzgerald Foundation to pilot the program competition for Georgia high schools. CEISMC then organizes the first summer professional development (PD) with 10 teachers participating.

2012

Summer 2012

Teachers Amanda Baskett (now Director at Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology) and Dean Landers (now Director of Strategy for CRB) complete CEISMC’s Georgia Intern-Fellowships for Teachers program to develop and pilot the first high school InVenture curriculum.