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Schools

Invention Convention Inspires Groton Students To Get Creative

Nine Students From Local Elementary School Will Go On To Compete At The Connecticut Invention Convention In May

Limited only by a $25 budget and their imaginations, fifth grade students at S.B. Butler Elementary School were challenged to invent something that would solve a problem in their lives.

The 12th Annual Invention Convention inspired a variety of gadgets, including the “Water Whisperer,” a timer designed to encourage people to take shorter showers, and the “Spill No More,” a device to assist young children with pouring beverages without spilling.

The students worked on their inventions for nearly two months, presenting their  projects Friday morning to a panel of judges that included engineers from local businesses including Millstone and Pfizer, as well as teachers, parents, and a representative from the U.S. Patent Office.

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The goal of the convention is to promote creative problem solving and enhance critical thinking skills, said Michele Holdridge, a fifth grade teacher who has coordinated the event at the school for 12 years.

“With so much emphasis on tests these days, it’s important to focus on the creativity of the children here,” said Chaz Zezulka, a judge for the competition and a member of the Board of Education.

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The children this year found ways to overcome a variety problems, not just in their own lives, but in others' lives as well.

One student designed the “Handy Helper” to assist children at his mother’s physical therapy center. The device is a clip that attaches to crutches and holds papers or other personal materials for an easier, hands-free experience.

Karen Brennan, an Invention Convention coordinator for schools in the area, praised the children for their thoughtfulness.

“You didn’t just think about yourself, you thought about the needs of others as well,” she said.

George Parent, a former teacher and judge of the S.B. Butler Elementary School Invention Convention for the past nine years, has seen the projects evolve.

“I saw quite a bit of passion and enthusiasm this year. It's a different kind of passion than in previous years,” he said.

With so many impressive inventions, judges found it difficult to choose just nine students from the entire fifth grade to receive awards.

“The effort in these projects was tremendous,” said Michael Cote, a judge and engineer from Millstone. “The sad thing is, we have to pick out a top three from all these amazing projects.”

The nine students included three first-place winners, three second-place winners, and three third-place winners.

First place winners included Patrick Brady for his “Human Horn,” Nel McCarty for her balance board device, and Spencer Hann for his project entitled “Umbrell-O-Matic.”

The nine students who will compete in the Connecticut Invention Convention at Gampel Pavilion on the University of Connecticut campus on May 14.

All students who participated were given an opportunity to experience what Parent calls, “the spark.”

“It’s amazing what this little spark can do," he said. "I’ve seen it throughout my years teaching, and when it finds the right person, events (like the Invention Convention) can fan those flames and really inspire children to practice what they love."

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