Lakeland inventors get creative

Dozens of Lakeland School District elementary students participated in the statewide Invent Idaho contest this year.

Each school sent its top entries to the school district competition hosted by Garwood Elementary last week. With 55 creative entries to choose from, judges had a tough time picking the winners, according to Beth Brubaker, Idaho Invents North Idaho Regional Coordinator, who was thrilled with the number of entries.

“More students are interested each year, and the quality has risen tremendously,” she said, glancing at the colorful displays lined up along Garwood Elementary hallways. Brubaker was instrumental in creating the Invent Idaho contest in 1989 and sees the contest as valuable because it makes kids think. “The most important part is the problem solving,” she said. They learn to look at the world, not just from test scores, but by applying the knowledge their teachers are teaching. They are learning how to think.”

It was obvious that second-grader Hannah Daniels put a lot of thought into her invention, the “Plastic Predator,” a remote shark that swims throughout the world’s oceans, sensing and eating plastic garbage. Once her electronic garbage predator eats his fill of plastic, which “turns to goo,” in Hannah’s words, he is pumped out and quickly returned to duty, scouring the oceans for marine litter.

Her shark, entered in the Jules Verne Division, a category that includes the futuristic and really far-out ideas, was awarded both Best of Category and Grand Champion by the judges. Following voting by students and other visitors, she was later given the People’s Choice Award as well. Hannah received a plaque, a trophy and a $50 savings bond from Rathdrum’s Wells Fargo Bank for her award-winning display.

Also considered for the top award were Kirsten Streater’s “Suitable Noodle Strainer” and Magen Daniel’s “Bottle Board Landing.” According to Brubaker, judges admired the strainer, a pan with an attached strainer, for its practicality. They recognized the “Bottle Board Landing” entry, a series of platforms made from recycled plastic bottles and placed to give polar bears a safety platform while swimming long distances, for its commitment to environmental concerns.

Throughout the show students and visitors stopped to take a look at the colorful posters like Kennedi Ferraro and Alanna Engle’s “Snap Kalanna’s” (two season slippers); “The 12th Man,” a Seahawks game designed by fifth-grader Clayton Marshall; or Macy Cass’s “Katrina House,” a house structurally designed to just “float away” when a flood hits.

Catchy names like Christopher Jackson’s “Spaghettigetter” stopped a few; while others paused to take a look at Shay Carlock’s “Mouse Trapping System,” Tyler Siegford’s “Super Stinker Stealer, “or Karley Hubbard’s “Don’t Share your Germs” displays. Working models like Kieley Nielson’s “Doggie Pet Bed,” Haley Rotchford’s “Ski Wheels” and Erik Fesler’s “Cable Track,” invited closer inspection.

Some glanced through the Inventor’s Journal included with each display. The journals, a requirement of the contest, included a description of the project, an explanation of how their idea would work and documentation of work from the original idea to the cost of the display, which could not exceed $15. The journals outlined research the student undertook, notes on ideas that didn’t work out, how they named their invention and what help, if any, they received.

Although this was the first time many of the students had participated in the contest, others had returned from last year’s competition eager to get started on their next invention. Fourth-grader Shelby Cass was one of those students. Her “Electro Gym” model actually made enough electricity through hand-generated power to light a small light. Third-grader Emma Von Till was another. Her “Bee Friendly” display included information on why bees are disappearing from beehives all across America, and urged Americans to provide a safe haven for bees in their backyards by planting “bee friendly” flowers and choosing to stop spraying pesticides and insecticides. She entered the contest last year with an invention called “Le Bug,” and when asked, admitted, “Yes, I do like bugs.”

As one mother and her young son looked over the inventions, the two of them made plans for his first project next year – excitedly passing ideas back and forth as they slowly moved down the hall, stopping to look at an exhibit now and then. Watching them, Brubaker said, “Teaching kids to solve problems in a creative way is important – that’s what America is famous for – our inventions, and we need to keep that spirit alive.”

Lakeland winners will compete at the North Idaho Regional contest to be held at Silver Lake Mall on Saturday and Sunday. Regional winners advance to the Idaho Invents state competition to be held at the Discovery Center of Idaho in Boise in March. Visit www.scidaho.org/inventIdaho. htm for more information on Invent Idaho.