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News and Upcoming Events
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CIC News and Upcoming Events Need a ADOBE ACROBAT READER for PDF files? Visit Adobe.
TEACHER TRAINING SESSIONS: LEARN OUR NEW CURRICULUM... come to the new Teacher Training Session Aug. 20, 2008 or Sept. 20, 2008 FILL OUT the REGISTRATION FORM AND SEND INTO: CT Invention Convention, P.O. Box 230311 Hartford, CT 06123-0311 Attn: Teacher Training Workshop Keynote Speaker will be: Dr. Karl M. Prewo, Founder of CT Center of Advanced Technology, and will conduct a tour of the CTCAT Advanced Laser Technology Laboratory.
NEWSLETTERS: UConn Celebrates 10th year with CIC; CIC 25th Birthday!
PRESS RELEASES
Press Release 12-29-06 RECIPE FOR A NEW ECONOMY CALLS FOR YANKEE INGENUITY
OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST One Student takes on School, implements CT Invention Convention Singlehandedly Gabriella's Opinion of the CIC A First Grader's View of CIC 2004 in Her Own Words and Drawings CIC 2004 in Frontiers magazine from the UConn School of Engineering CT Business Article on CIC (151 KB PDF)
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CIC 2006 List of Award Winners
CIC 2005 List of Award Winners
CIC 2004 List of Award Winners
CIC 2003 List of Award Winners
CIC 2002 List of Award Winners
CIC 2001 List of Award Winners
CIC 2000 List of Award Winners
JAY LENO WOWED BY CIC STUDENTS August 11, 2004
The inventors are Levi French, a fifth grader who invented an illuminated toilet; Stephen Hawes, a fourth grader who developed a hands-free umbrella for grilling; and Britta Lower, a sixth grader who created a signaling shopping cart. Remarkably, all three students are from Marlborough, although inventors from across the state and around the country were considered. Leno gave Stephen Hawes’ umbrella a test with a simulated rain shower. Inventor and burgers remained dry, which caused the host to exclaim, “Cool!” After meeting Britta Lower and her “Blinker Cart,” Leno unveiled a full-sized duplicate made by the show. Britta then tried out the show’s model and made a run at Leno, who fortunately saw the signal in time to avoid an accident. Finally, the host introduced Levi French and his “Light and Go” toilet. A lights-out demonstration drew rave reviews from Leno and the audience. The show contacted the Connecticut Invention Convention (CIC) in June after reading about the event and then finding the organization’s web site, www.CTInventionConvention.org. Ron Lizzi, CIC Vice President and a senior engineer at Timex Corp. of Middlebury, said that the show was looking for children with outgoing personalities and unusually creative inventions. “I polled our judges and teachers for suggestions and then made a list of kids and inventions that might appeal to the show,” said Lizzi. A producer then requested short video tapes of the students presenting their inventions. After reviewing the tapes and conducting phone interviews, the show settled on the three young inventors for a segment on the late night talk show. Although the CIC is a serious educational program, CIC President, Charlie Baumgartner of Plainville-based GE Consumer and Industrial, is ecstatic with the attention from the entertainment show. “The exposure should not only be great for the kids, but the program as a whole,” he said. “This will be the third appearance on national TV in our 21-year history,” he added. The CIC was last featured on PBS’ Zoom, an educational program for children. The CIC is a nonprofit organization that provides a curriculum for teaching inventing to children in grades K - 8, in the hope that many of the students will eventually pursue careers in science and engineering. Approximately 10,000 students go through the program annually in 90 schools across the state. Participating schools send their top inventors to the state convention, held at Gampel Pavilion at UConn and sponsored by UConn’s School of Engineering, United Technologies, GE, CL&P, Phoenix Investment Partners, Ltd., and the Connecticut Space Grant College Consortium. Baumgartner added, “Just a couple years ago, we were wondering if we were going to continue the program, because money was tight. We rely on corporate donations, in-kind support, and volunteers, so I’m hoping that this raises awareness about our program and encourages more sponsorship along with a greater number of participating schools.” Karen Brennan, CIC board member and teacher of the star inventors at Marlborough Elementary School, said, "It was a thrill to see kids I taught on national TV." Brennan has taught inventing using the CIC curriculum for several years and has become a champion of it. “I wish every school participated,” she said. “It’s just wonderful for the kids to apply themselves to solve problems that they can see.” Lizzi sees the attention given to the young invertors as being an important part of the CIC’s mission. “While education is certainly at the core of what we do, we also want to make a statement,” he said. “Our convention at UConn and this show send an import message to all the kids about how society values creativity and intelligence.”
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