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Program
Gates Invention & Innovation Program

Competition Day

Over 20 Years of Gates Innovation

2021 Dates

List of 3 items.

  • Virtual Invention Expo

    April 5-7, 2021
    More information to come

  • Virtual Finalist Presentations

    Thursday, April 8, 2021
    Recording will be posted Thursday afternoon

  • Virtual Awards Ceremony

    Friday, April 9, 2021
    8:30 a.m.
    Zoom information to come

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.

Competition Finalist

Finalists will be announced on April 8th at 6 p.m.

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. 
    Read More
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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.