Student Inventors Participate in Program Kickoff

On Thursday, October 16th, the Chicago Student Invention Convention officially kicked off the year by co-hosting a Chicago Ideas Week Lab with the Chicago Inventors Organization at tech incubator BLUE1647.  

Craig Terrill, a Faculty Advisor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, focused on advancing the New Products Development Labs Program and coaching innovation teams, provided pitch coaching for participants. Participants then split into groups and developed pitch presentations for products from Quirky.com. Participants also got to visit the 3D printing lab housed at BLUE1647.  

Three 8th grade student inventors from last year's Invention Convention participated as guest judges during the event.

Congratulations to:
Jeffrey from Skinner West Elementary School
Lilly from Jose de Diego Community Academy
Susy from Irving Elementary School 

The students judged the participant product pitch presentations and gave some great feedback to the participant groups.  The participants were very impressed with all of the student inventors!  In addition, Ms. Prabhakar, an invention convention teacher at Andrew Jackson Language Academy, attended the lab as a participant.

Check out pictures below from this year's lab.  Thank you to the students and teachers that participated in our Chicago Ideas Week lab and helped us kick off the year!

Craig Terrill coaching participants on how to pitch a product to investors

Jeffrey, Susy, and Lilly at the Chicago Ideas Week Lab

Ms. Prabhakar's product pitch group giving a pitch for their product, the Twig 

Jeffrey, Lilly, and Susy providing feedback to a participant group pitching the Memo

Participants touring the 3D printing lab at BLUE1647

A robot printed in the 3D printing lab at BLUE1647

All the lab participants

To read more about the event, please read our press release: http://www.chikidsinvent.org/2014/10/2015-program-kickoff-with-chicago-ideas.html.

2015 Program Kickoff with Chicago Ideas Week Lab!

The CIW Lab “Invent, Incubate, Pitch!” is co-hosted with the Chicago Inventors Organization and will take place on October 16, 2014 at BLUE1647, 1647 S. Blue Island Ave, Chicago, IL 60608.

Chicago, IL – The Chicago Student Invention Convention will kick off the year by co-hosting a Chicago Ideas Week Lab on Thursday October 16, 2014, 6:00-8:30 p.m, at BLUE1647. Co-hosted with the Chicago Inventors Organization, participants in the Chicago Ideas Week Lab “Invent, Incubate, Pitch!” will learn how to pitch a product and use free online 3D design software (https://www.chicagoideas.com/events/336).

Craig Terrill, a Faculty Advisor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, focused on advancing the New Products Development Labs Program and coaching innovation teams, will provide pitch coaching for participants.  Student inventors from the Chicago Student Invention Convention will serve as guest judges for product pitches presented by participant groups.

A representative from the Chicago Inventors Organization will provide a demo and instruction on free online 3D design software.  Participants will then conclude the lab with a tour of BLUE1647, a tech incubator in Pilsen with its own 3D printing lab.

During Chicago Ideas Week, 42 schools across Chicago Public Schools will be recognized via Chicago Student Invention Convention social media channels as participants in the upcoming 2014-2015 Chicago Student Invention Convention program.

About Chicago Student Invention Convention: The Chicago Student Invention Convention empowers students K-8 to solve problems and promotes creative thinking and innovation. The Invention Convention is a flexible curriculum focused on critical thinking, creativity, and innovation.  It is supported by activities and lesson plans and culminates in a final competition of student built prototypes. 

The Chicago Student Invention Convention is a program of Sustain Foundation (http://www.sustainfoundation.org/).  Sustain Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that focuses on community based programs in education and health. 

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