Inventionland Course and Contest Leads to Product License for Middle School Students

Two eighth-grade students in the Grove City (PA) Middle School have garnered a product license for their invention following completion of Inventionland’s K–12 Innovation Curriculum course and winning both their middle school and regional contests. The course, which Inventionland describes as a “cross-discipline STEAM toolbox,” uses the same proprietary nine-step invention process the company follows in its own commercial applications.

The Innovation Curriculum is divided into elementary, middle, and high school sections, with age-appropriate activities for various grades. Students work in teams to develop a new product. Upon completion, teams can enter their inventions in local, regional, and national contests. Inventionland also helps schools to design and reconfigure classrooms and underutilized spaces into “innovation labs” that facilitate immersive learning.

In Inventionland’s nine-step process, steps 1 to 3 focus on discovering a problem and inventing ideas to solve it using STEAM skills. In steps 4 to 6, students sketch and create concept models of their invention. In steps 7 to 9, they make a working model, create packaging, and develop a marketing presentation.

They are then ready to enter their inventions in contests, starting at the local level, with winners moving on to regional and national levels, as the Grove City students did. Inventionland’s founder, George Davison, impressed with the two girls’ invention, contacted a product distribution company, who offered a licensing agreement.

Visit this page for more background on Inventionland’s history and its education curriculum. See a video about how Grove City Middle School implements the Innovation Curriculum.

About the Author

Kate Lucariello is a former newspaper editor, EAST Lab high school teacher and college English teacher.

Featured

  • AI-powered individual working calmly on one side and a burnt-out person slumped over a laptop on the other

    AI's Productivity Gains Come at a Cost

    A recent academic study found that as companies adopt AI tools, they're not just streamlining workflows — they're piling on new demands. Researchers determined that "AI technostress" is driving burnout and disrupting personal lives, even as organizations hail productivity gains.

  • three silhouetted education technology leaders with thought bubbles containing AI-related icons

    Ed Tech Leaders Rank Generative AI as Top Tech Priority

    In a recent CoSN survey, an overwhelming majority of ed tech leaders (94%) said they see AI as having a positive impact on education. Respondents ranked generative AI as their top tech priority, with 80% reporting their districts have gen AI initiatives underway, or plan to in the current school year.

  • blue AI cloud connected to circuit lines, a server stack, and a shield with a padlock icon

    Report: AI Security Controls Lag Behind Adoption of AI Cloud Services

    According to a recent report from cybersecurity firm Wiz, nearly nine out of 10 organizations are already using AI services in the cloud — but fewer than one in seven have implemented AI-specific security controls.

  • lightbulb

    Call for Speakers Now Open for Tech Tactics in Education: Overcoming Roadblocks to Innovation

    The annual virtual conference from the producers of Campus Technology and THE Journal will return on Sept. 25, 2025, with a focus on emerging trends in cybersecurity, data privacy, AI implementation, IT leadership, building resilience, and more.