Competition Day

20th Annual Invention & Innovation Expo

2020 Dates

List of 3 items.

Invention Expo

Thursday, March 5, 2020
1-3 p.m.
Graland Fieldhouse
Finalist Presentations

Friday, March 6, 2020
9-11:30 a.m.
Fries Family Theater
Awards

Friday, March 6, 2020
2:20 p.m.
Graland Fieldhouse

Competition Day

At the expo, students are prepared to display and discuss their hard work from start to finish.

List of 3 items.

Judging Process
1. At the expo, judges speak with each inventor to evaluate the entries before selecting 10-15 finalists.
2. The following day, finalists make individual presentations to the panel of judges using additional support material such as slide presentations to describe their invention and process in more detail.
3. Judges sequester to determine the contest winners.
Cash awards up to $500 are given in both the Grades 5/6 and Grades 7/8 categories.
Criteria
All entries are judged on four criteria:
- Functionality
- Creativity
- Marketability
- Clarity of Communication
Patent Support

In exceptional cases, judges may award a "patent nod" to a particular invention. Those projects receive additional funding for more in-depth research, design and guidance through the patent process.

2020 Competition Finalist & Winners

5/6 Division:

First Place: Safety Cut - Sophie Freyer and Hadlee Wolf
Second Place: Suitcase Aid - Elle Guillot, Cate Whalen
Third Place: Adjust-A-Brush - Hugh Brophy, Nate Romo-Nichols, Josh Wolff
Honorable Mention: Package Box - Andrew Summers and Alex Warot

Finalist:

Easy Crutch - Ava Jacobson and Dylan Milo
Tip Stick - Oliver Nelson
Water Can - Do - Bianca Morris and Anna Wang

7/8 Division:

First Place: Buckle Leash - Kate Hughes and Sophia Johnson
Second Place: Safe Step 2.0 - Charlie May and Sam Weisberg
Third Place: The 3MC - Quentin Labbett and Julian Swett

Finalist

Itchy Casty - Ryan Mandes and Jackson Turner
Briefboxx - Samantha Brenner
SOS House Finder 2.0 - Jackson Lieberman, Luca Siringo, and Reid McCarty

Competition Day Judges

Ken Parks

Ken Parks is an engineering and technical consultant for Arcadia Group International. He previously served as senior vice president of engineering/ research and development for the Gates Corporation.
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Steven Chalmers

Steven Chalmers is a dedicated and prolific tinkerer, and the inventor of a unique cat drinking fountain called the AquaPurr.
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Kyle Judah

Kyle Judah is the Executive Director of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at CU Boulder’s College of Engineering & Applied Science where he works with students, faculty and researchers to help them launch world changing startups in and out of the classroom.

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Bill Waelke

Bill Waelke is vice president of investor relations at the Gates Corporation, where he develops investor communications and maintains relationships with the investment community.
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Xiao-Jing Wang

Xiao-Jing Wang MD, PhD, is a professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and an internationally renowned expert on skin biology and oral cancer.
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Adam Wilson

Adam Wilson is a Colorado native who grew up obsessed with all things robot. He's the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Sphero, headquartered in Boulder.
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Graland Country Day School

55 Clermont Street | Denver, CO 80220 | 303-399-0390

Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1924, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.