STEM teachers invited to apply for InventTeam Awards

February 20, 2009

By hammersmith

High School Teachers and Students Invited to Apply for Lemelson-MIT InventTeam Awards

Deadline: 4/24/2009

Amount: varies

Type: Education, Science & Technology

Description: Created by the Lemelson-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Program, the InvenTeam initiative gives high school students an opportunity to cultivate their creativity and experience invention.

InvenTeams are comprised of high school students, teachers, and mentors who invent technological solutions to real-world problems. InvenTeam students rely on inquiry and hands-on problem solving as they apply lessons from science, technology, engineering, and math to develop invention prototypes. InvenTeam projects span many fields, from assistive devices to environmental technologies and consumer goods. Applicants are encouraged to consider the needs of the world’s poorest people (those earning $2 or less per day) when considering ideas.

Up to thirty-five finalists will be selected from the initial pool of applicants to continue to the next level. The high school teachers of these teams receive Excite Awards and are invited to EurekaFest, a multi-day event celebrating invention at MIT in June. Travel, food, and lodging are provided.

Up to fifteen teams will be selected from the finalists to receive grants of $10,000 each for the 2009-10 academic year. Grant funds may be used for research, materials, and learning experiences related to the project. Any teacher who facilitates an extracurricular project may allot up to $2,000 of an InvenTeam grant toward a teacher’s stipend.

Science, math, and technology teachers at public, private, and vocational high schools are eligible to apply. An InvenTeam can be composed of a small group of students as an extracurricular activity or an entire class. The optimal size for teams is considered to be five to fifteen students. The teacher, assisted by students, is required to apply for the grant. The teacher also recruits students, monitors funds, and supports students through the process.

For the 2010 InvenTeams program, the early feedback deadline is March 20, 2009. The initial application deadline is April 24, 2009. Visit the MIT Web site for complete program guidelines and information on previous team projects.

Website: Link to RFP