Here’s a great opportunity to engage your students in innovation and inspire their creativity. ePals and the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation are holding the second annual Spark!Lab Invent It Contest, where students create their own unique inventions and compete with others around the world to win prizes from LEGO, Smithsonian, ePals and Camp Invention, a program of Invent Now, Inc. During the process, students can learn about the history and process of invention from creative idea to successful marketing and may even have a patent application filed in their name.
The contest is open now and entries are due January 4, 2013. Finalists will be announced on January 17, Kid Inventor Day, after which nominees may campaign for the rest of the month to garner votes. Winners in each age category will be announced on February 4.
Learn more about the contest rules, deadlines and prizes here and check out other resources and projects from Smithsonian on ePals here.
Disclosure: ePals is an advertiser on Free Technology for Teachers.