Belin-Blank Center

Invent Iowa!

Have you noticed someone having a problem that you think you can fix? Do you have an idea for a product that will make the world a better place? Invent Iowa is the state's foremost competition for budding inventors and entrepreneurs! K-12 students can submit their inventions for a chance to show them off at the state invention convention. If you win big here, you'll earn a spot to represent Iowa at the National Invention Convention, where you will learn more about the invention process and compete for exciting prizes!

About the Program

The Invent Iowa State Invention Convention takes place on April 20, 2020. If you plan to participate, be sure to mark your calendars for these important dates.

State Invention Convention:

January 17, 2020: Registration opens
February 21, 2020: Competition materials are due
March 16, 2020: Students are notified of their qualification status
March 23, 2020: Qualifying students must commit to State Convention in order to attend
April 20, 2020: State Invention Convention in ~~Iowa City, Iowa~~ Proceeding virtually - see the Awards tab to the right.

National Invention Convention:

June 3-5, 2020: National Invention Convention in ~~Dearborn, Michigan~~ Proceeding virtually - See Alerts

Congratulations to all the inventors involved in the 2020 state convention, and a big thank you to all the teachers and parents who support the students and their inventiveness!

Even though we aren't able to hold the Invention Convention in person this year, it's still cause for celebration! We encourage all who entered Invent Iowa to show their inventing pride with this free Inventor window sign.

2020 State Invention Convention Winners

This year's Invention Convention goes virtual! View the winning inventions with the Invent Iowa 2020 Award Tour on Google Earth. Fly through the sky to each winning inventor's school. To view more details about each invention, click on "Present" or a particular invention.

You can access a list of all inventors and their inventions in our 2020 State Invention Convention Program.

Winning inventions will advance to the National Invention Convention, brought to you and hosted virtually by the Henry Ford Museum. A force for sparking curiosity and inspiring tomorrow's innovators, inventors and entrepreneurs, The Henry Ford fosters learning from hands-on encounters with authentic artifacts. The Henry Ford leads the Invention Convention Worldwide community and works to make STEM + Invention + Entrepreneurship (STEMIE) learning accessible to educators and students worldwide. Awards are supported by Invent Iowa and our sponsor, McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC - we thank them for their generosity and support of inventiveness.

Divisions

We are pleased to recognize the winning inventions from each division. The divisions include kindergarten through 4th grade students and 5th through 8th grade students, with the 5th-8th grade students split into two sections. Students who submitted inventions in these topics are part of 5th-8th Grade Category 1:

Safety
Agriculture and Food
Home Organization and Appliances
Sports, Games, and Toys
Transportation
Energy

Students who submitted inventions in these categories are part of 5th-8th Grade Category 2:

Consumer Goods and Fashion
Health and Medical
Earth and Sustainability
Education (Technology, Systems, Tools, Hardware)
Animal Care and Pets
Manufacturing and Tools

How to Participate

Want to join us? We're here to help with all the information you will need in order to participate.

Eligibility

Students in public, nonpublic, home schools, or in after school programs are welcome to participate, as are students who are working independently. Students from outside the state of Iowa are welcome to participate.

Selection

Each submission is evaluated by a panel of judges at the University of Iowa. Judges will use the National Invention Convention Rubric. You will be notified if your submission qualifies to be presented at the State Invention Convention. The top winners at the State Convention will be invited to attend the National Invention Convention at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

Cost

Initial invention submissions require a $10 fee per student. Payment can be made by credit card, purchase order, or checks made out to the Belin-Blank Center.

If an invention qualifies for the State Invention Convention, there is no fee to attend. Our generous sponsors include the Iowa DNA Technologies, McKee, Vorhees and Sease, PLC., and the Belin-Blank Center.

Submitting Your Invention

You can register your invention on this website from January 17 - February 21.

Please submit the following:

Inventor name(s), date, grade, school, city
A copy of the inventor's log. Please note that this copy will not be returned.
Invention registration fee

Submit all materials to:

Invent Iowa
Belin-Blank Center
600 Blank Honors Center
Iowa City, IA 52242

How to Prepare

Want to join us? We're here to help with all the information you will need in order to participate.

Materials

National Invention Convention Curriculum

Invention Convention Rubric:

Inventor's Log Cover Sheet

Invention Log

Why Use an Invention Log?

Local Invention Convention

Schools and groups are encouraged to organize local invention conventions to provide students with the opportunity to share their inventions and receive direct feedback. However, participation in a local convention is not a prerequisite for submitting an invention application to the State Invention Convention. The Belin-Blank Center does not host or sponsor local conventions. Individual students have the option to enter without going through a school program.