Inventive Group : Kids Apply Their Brains to Tough Tasks for Novel Competition

Move over, Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell.

More than 300 elementary-age inventors from schools throughout San Diego County displayed the fruits of their imaginations Wednesday and Thursday for Invent America!, an invention convention specifically for students.

Among the inventions was a device to eliminate ice cream cone drip, an earring-back finder and a see-through refrigerator door. In all, 302 individual creations, designed by students ranging from kindergarten through seventh grade, were displayed in the War Memorial Building in Balboa Park. The convention was the first of its kind in San Diego.

Invent America! is the brainchild of the United States Patent Model Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Washington.

Decline in Patents

The aim is to encourage creativity and analytical thinking in America’s youth because of a dramatic decline in patents issued to U.S. citizens over the last 20 years.

“This started because 45% of the patents issued in this country are not issued to United States citizens,” said JoAnne Schaper, elementary science resource teacher for San Diego city schools and coordinator of San Diego’s Invent America!

In February, one month after the patent foundation announced plans for a nationwide contest, Schaper and 500 other U.S. teachers gathered in Washington for training. Within five weeks of her return to San Diego, Schaper and her steering committee had lined up contributions from local businesses as well as the involvement of teachers and students countywide.

Invent America! began to gel in March, when students were approached by their teachers with the question: “What kinds of things are problems to you?”

Height seemed to be the problem for many of the young inventors, who worked on ways to reach things. A sixth-grader who practices piano invented a pedal pusher--a shoe with a long pointed toe that would reach the pedal. After a first-grader said her mother always complained to her about not hanging up her clothes, she created a hanger with a long handle that would hook easily on the closet rack without her having to stretch.

Other inventions included a sock sorter, fruit-flavored gloves to be worn by dentists who spend all day putting their hands in people’s mouths, and an economical traveling jewelry case made from an egg carton.

Each display was a scaled-down model of the real thing, Schaper said. Diagrams and written explanations of how the invention worked accompanied the exhibit.

About $1,800 was contributed for prizes and equipment by the Kiwanis Club, San Diego Trust & Savings Bank, Great American First Savings Bank, SDG&E; and the San Diego Patent Lawyers Assn. These groups also supplied people to judge the inventions and award prizes at the concluding ceremonies Thursday night.

Prizes for the most marketable inventions ranged from $100 U.S. savings bonds to toothpaste with the appearance of green slime, a gooey substance children play with. First- and second-place winners from each grade level were awarded cash prizes and, in a sporting gesture, all high finishers received a ribbon.

Finding a problem, coming up with a solution and then marketing it combines all school subjects, Schaper said. “This is the perfect way of synthesizing knowledge with practicality,” she said.

Since its inception in January, more than 10 million students have participated nationally in Invent America! San Diego competitors, if they choose, can go on to the regional contest in Portland, Ore., and perhaps from there to a weeklong Invent America! that kicks off June 21 in Washington.

When asked if any of the San Diego inventions were actually patentable, Schaper replied, “Absolutely. I’ve spotted two or three that could be patented in a minute.”

“I would say that we have seen many things that, if they aren’t patentable, they sure are great ways to solve problems,” said Audrey D. Benson, communications director of the patent foundation. “If we start with children at a young age, teach them to use their thinking skills, there is no limit to what they can do to help business so we can meet future competitiveness in the United States.”