Around 110 elementary through high school students participated in South Georgia Innovation Day on February 9, presenting their inventions as a part of Georgia Tech’s K-12 InVenture Prize competition. Twenty-three FIRST LEGO Leage Explorer and Challenge students also participated in the event. 

Some of the K-12 InVenture Prize student inventions included: a creative machine that takes the dirty work out of cleaning chicken coops; a dog collar with a built-in fan, sprinkler and air tag; a portable wheelchair ramp; and a backpack designed especially for high school students who carry lots of books and supplies. 

The event took place at Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) in Thomasville. Community leaders from local businesses judged the projects and presented awards. 

“Through the Georgia AIM grant, we are reaching students in Southwest Georgia, helping them see new opportunities for themselves and their communities,” said Danyelle Larkin, director of the K-12 InVenture Prize. “We are bringing Georgia Tech to Thomasville and nearby communities and creating a pipeline and a partnership to expand innovation, AI, and manufacturing education. This grant continues to provide us with opportunities to highlight current and future career pathways in Thomasville and nearby Southwest Georgia communities. Next year, we plan to host even more students as we continue to expand our work in rural communities through Georgia AIM.” 

The Georgia AIM project is supported by a $65 million grant Georgia Tech received in September 2022 from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. The project's goals are to support a statewide initiative combining artificial intelligence and manufacturing innovations with transformational workforce and outreach. The grant is also designed to increase job and wage opportunities in distressed and rural communities. 

“This year’s K-12 InVenture Prize competition was even bigger and better than ever. We had so many great student inventions that really illustrate how creative and productive these kids can be with the right support and with the right opportunities, like this event,” said Willie Allen, SRTC’s director of innovation. “Students also really enjoyed the Georgia AIM/ Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) mobile lab, which allowed them to interact hands-on with so much cool innovative tech ... from robotics and VR, to AI. We are helping our kids from rural Georgia envision a future they hadn’t imagined.” 

The following winners from the South Georgia Innovation Day qualifier are invited to participate in the K-12 InVenture Prize State Finals competition at Georgia Tech in Atlanta on March 12. 

Elementary School Division Winners 

• First Place: CPR (Chicken Poop Remover), Fynlee McKinney, Joshua Brown
• Second Place: The Everything Dog Collar, Alanah White, Gracie Rowland, Paris Bryant
• Third Place: Portawheel, Piper Tillman, Skylar Pinkins, Ava Mills 

Middle School Division Winners 

• First Place: Mic and Costume App, Emma Brannen
• Second Place: M.D.S. (Missile Detection System), Jaxon Godwin, Tripp Carson
• Third Place: The Love Stick, Janiya Ivey 

High School Division Winners 

• First Place: Better Backpack, Amaya Zambrano, Kimber Lane
• People’s Choice Award: The Genius Cane, Violet Sowards, Lily-Ann Bramblett, Willow Lane 

Educators or afterschool program providers interested in participating in South Georgia Innovation Day 2026, can contact Candace Christian at cchristian@southernregional.edu. 

For more information on K-12 InVenture Prize State Finals, click here. 

For more information on the K-12 InVenture Prize competition, click here. 

—Randy Trammell, CEISMC Communications