GRAYLING – On Saturday February 29 thirty-three Grayling Elementary third and fourth grade inventors traveled to Central Michigan University to participate in the regional Invention Convention competition. Invention Convention is a national competitive activity that tasks students with identifying a problem, devising a solution, building a prototype and giving a presentation on their work. The students have been working since September to research a problem, come up with a solution, and build a prototype. Students could work on their own or with a partner. Projects ranged from a pillow alarm to dog kennel with a built in vacuum.
At the regional event students explained the problem they were trying to solve and demonstrated their prototype to a panel of judges. Over 150 students in grades 3-8 participated and three Grayling projects were selected to move on to the state competition at the Henry Ford Museum on April 25. The three regional winners are Leah Gardner with a net to catch Christmas tree needles; Ayden Rach and Jonas Englehardt, designers of the bunk bed with a crank; and Wyatt Ault and Daniel Kabbe who invented a Water Glider.