The Lemelson-MIT Program today introduced the 2017–2018 InvenTeams, 15 teams of high school students nationwide, each receiving up to $10,000 in grant funding to solve open-ended problems they’ve recognized from their local communities. Two examples of the types of technological solutions to problems InvenTeams are creating include reducing the population of mosquitoes due to flooding after hurricanes and ways of preventing biodiesel fuel from gelling at lower temperatures so that it will be a viable alternative to fossil fuel in more geographies.
The InvenTeam initiative, now in its 15th year, inspires youth to invent technological solutions to real-world problems of their own choosing. The 2017–2018 InvenTeams are comprised of students, teachers and community mentors that will pursue year-long invention projects. The InvenTeam initiative engages students in creative thinking, problem-solving and hands-on learning opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). InvenTeams apply their learnings and experiences to build an invention that will be showcased at EurekaFest at the Massachusetts Institute Technology in June 2018, and after a mid-grant technical review within their home community in February 2018.
Visit http://lemelson.mit.edu/news for a list of the selected teams.