Invention starts here
Invention helps students identify problems that matter to them and create solutions the world hasn’t seen yet. They don’t need all the answers, just the right questions.
Incorporating invention helps students:
- Build confidence through hands-on learning across STEM and beyond
- Explore their curiosity and experiment with ideas
- Learn resilience through prototyping, trial and error, and problem-solving
- Make real-world impact at a young age
- Understand how to think bigger—integrating innovation, invention, and entrepreneurship
- Ask what problems need solving
- Use design challenges to spark creativity
- Celebrate the process and iterations, not just the final product or final results
A powerful pair
Together, invention and entrepreneurship give students the tools to become creators, not just consumers.
Invention
- Teaches how to generate ideas
- Focuses on idea generation and problem-solving
- Cultivates curiosity and creativity
- Encourages iteration and prototyping
- Starts with “what if?”
- Asks “what needs fixing?”
Entrepreneurship
- Teaches how to launch ideas
- Focuses on value creation and market strategy
- Cultivates risk-taking and business acumen
- Encourages scaling and commercialization
- Moves toward “how do we?” and “who will buy?”
- Asks “how do we bring it to people?”
3 Curriculum Toolkits for Teaching Invention
No matter where you are in the U.S., we are here to support your journey of incorporating invention into your teaching. Register for the curriculum toolkit that best suits the age of your students and your goals. All can be used in-person, hybrid and virtually. These are equipped with teacher notes, a slide deck, and student activity worksheets for each unit.
These resources are free for Iowa educators and available for purchase for non-Iowa educators.
KidInnovator
- Taught over one semester or the entire school year
- 1 track model: teach invention OR entrepreneurship
- 2 track model: teach invention AND entrepreneurship
BizInnovator Startup
- Taught over one semester or the entire school year
- Focuses on entrepreneurship—invention infused in select lessons
- Designed with the business and marketing teacher top-of-mind
Invent It Kit
- Taught as a lesson, after-school program, or camp
- Focuses on invention
- Designed to provide a direct path to Invention Convention
Iowa Invention Convention
Nationwide program
Invention Convention Worldwide, a competition from the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, is a national program dedicated to inspiring and empowering young inventors in grades K–12 through hands-on invention education.
Statewide support
By extension, the statewide program called Iowa Invention Convention is run by the Jacobson Institute—offering Iowa students a direct path to the national program, with local support.
We’ll host a statewide competition for students to showcase their inventions—winners advance to U.S. Nationals.
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YOUTH INVENTORS COMPETED AT 2025 RTX INVENTION CONVENTION U.S. NATIONALS