The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation has recognized Dr. Kathleen Lanman as one of the Top 10 Innovative Teachers in the country. Lanman is a STEM teacher at J.C. Booth Middle School in Fayette County, Georgia.

She was selected for the award due to her excellence as a STEM educator. Lanman demonstrates the habits of an innovator through her work with the Georgia Tech K-12 InVenture Prize. The competition encourages elementary, middle, and high school students to engage with invention and STEM concepts. Its mission is to make invention education accessible to all students and teachers across the state of Georgia.

“Participating in the K-12 InVenture Prize has been the ideal way to give our students entry into innovative problem solving through the STEM disciplines,” Lanman said.

The competition encourages students to consider all aspects of invention, including environmental sustainability, marketability, and ethical issues. Lanman said she is “constantly amazed at the level of empathy, creativity, and engineering students put into their inventions.” Industry experts and Georgia Tech faculty also provide the students with feedback on how to improve their ideas.

This year, one of Lanman’s students invented “Automatic Magnivision,” a gesture-controlled magnifying headset. “The magnifying visor raises and lowers with the motion of the head,” Lanman said, allowing users to maintain the position of their hands while working.

The student won first place in the middle school division of the K-12 InVenture Prize for his invention. He went on to receive an award at the National Invention Convention and Entrepreneurship Expo (NICEE).

Lanman’s students also received awards at the K-12 InVenture Prize in 2017. One team invented mosquito-repelling laundry detergent and a portable, manual washing machine. Another group invented a flexible locker shelf called “Locker Hammock.” Both inventions went on to compete at NICEE.

In addition, Lanman is a two-time winner of the K-12 InVenture Prize Top Middle School Teacher award.

“I am so thrilled to have Dr. Kathie Lanman in our program,” said Roxanne Moore, Director of the K-12 InVenture Prize. “As a lead teacher, Kathie has helped facilitate professional development workshops for new invention teachers around the state. Not only is she a passionate and enthusiastic teacher in the classroom, she is extremely helpful to our community here in Georgia.”

Lanman’s work at J.C. Booth Middle and beyond demonstrates the importance of accessible STEM and invention education. Georgia Tech’s CEISMC works through programs like the K-12 InVenture Prize to increase STEM opportunities for all students.

“It’s been such a blessing to be a part of the InVenture Prize and to help spread the word of this incredible competition made possible by the hard work of the CEISMC team,” Lanman said. “I hope to be a part of it for many years to come!”

Read more about Dr. Lanman’s achievement in a story published by Fayette County Public Schools.