The Invention Convention celebrated 40 years this year at Cinnaminson schools. Elaine Mendelow-Pinchuk (far right) spent 35 years “building, nurturing, and propelling” the event forward. The annual convention was named after Mendelow.
For six to 10 weeks, students in the Cinnaminson school district transformed into the “movers and shakers of the next generation” for the annual Invention Convention.
On April 1, students were able to showcase their “amazing inventions,” displayed in the township high- school gymnasium for all to see throughout the school day and the evening.
“Our students have been working on identifying problems in their day-to-day lives, coming up with possible solutions, how to solve them, prototyping them, testing them, refining them, in a series of iteratives, steps that is really demanding, but really innate to them,” said Lauren Coker, coordinator of the Invention Convention and teaches technology and engineering to grades K-2 at New Albany Elementary School.
During the school day, students met with judges – made up of teachers, retired teachers, alumni and community members – to talk about their invention.
“The students did an amazing job using all the right vocabulary, explaining their process and how they approached things,” Coker said. “When it comes from personal experience, it is not a presentation, you are talking about a problem you’ve experienced. It becomes a very natural process to them.”
Also during the school day, it was a full day of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities with representatives from Home Depot as well as high school students and chaperones.
Coker said she simply “plants the seed” that allows them to take a deep dive into what they are curious about from a problem that they experienced or witnessed.
“It really hits home with a lot of students,” she said. “Parents see their curiosity in their kids’ eyes and it propels students forward to ask questions that they wouldn’t normally ask.”
This prompts students to start exploring the science, technology, the engineering, the math components, Coker said.
“So often we address things backwards,” she said, noting they give students “the science, the math, and the technology. “But the why isn’t there … this event is the why.
“The understanding of the world around us and the problems that people face. And have empathy on approaching [these problems] to make the world a better place and do something amazing with our abilities to make a shift.”
The guidelines to participate in Invention Convention, which is a K-12 event, are wide open and often times students realize that it’s not a project that can be done overnight.
“We had about 50 participants,” Coker said. “It’s a process. A lot of students drop out last minute because they realize how extensive of the process it is. It’s not something you could do overnight.”
Students who participate are investing their own desire and time in the project.
“I teach [grades] K-2 so I plant the seed,” Coker said. “I talk about invention, innovation and their differences. We look at some inventions and they have a good ability to come up with a new Crayola invention in class to kind of spark their curiosity about invention.
“We talk about all the problems with Crayola crayons and Crayola markers to kind of kickstart that process to think about problems around us. ‘What are the small things that bug you?’ Or the inconveniences that could be much bigger problems, inconveniences for other people [including] people with disabilities [and] older, younger people. ‘How can I make this better?’
“It’s an amazing process to witness.”
“I really make sure that the students are identifying a problem and following the invention process to identify a problem, research that problem, develop multiple possible solutions, refine a solution, test that solution and find a why to propose a redesign,” Coker said. “Some students take it as far as coming up with a secondary prototype. Some students say, ‘Well I tested it and these are some issues that I’m having so for the next version of it, it would include this technology.'”
The convention celebrated 40 years this year. Elaine Mendelow-Pinchuk spent 35 years “building, nurturing, and propelling” the Invention Convention forward.
“Over the years, this event has become a cornerstone of our district’s educational experience and it is because of her vision and tireless efforts that we are all here tonight, celebrating the ingenuity and creativity of our students here in Cinnaminson,” Coker said.
“… The Invention Convention she founded 40 years ago at Cinnaminson Memorial School has become a national model, drawing attention from media outlets like Good Morning America and local news, all thanks to her unrelenting passion and leadership.
“Her ability to inspire students to think ‘outside the box’ and embrace the joy of learning is a gift that has shaped countless lives,” Coker said.
Mendelow-Pinchuk stepped away in 2020 and passed the baton to Coker.
“In the last few years, [the invention convention] kind of died out,” she said. ” I had left the district for two years when my family relocated. Elaine kind of entrusted me with it and I felt terrible when leaving it, but my first negotiation point when I came back is ‘I have to run the invention convention.'”
And to honor 40 years and Mendelow-Pinchuk, Coker announced the Invention Convention was renamed the Elaine Mendelow Invention Convention, a surprise for Mendelow, who was present at the evening presentation with her closest friends and family. A banner of the new name was rolled out.
Invention Convention winners:
K-2
- Third place: The Dog Superstar Bag made by Yiannis Giannopouls
- Second place: The Silverware Saver made by Enzo Caposecco
- First place: The Frozenator made by Steven Kajkowski
In 3-4 division:
- Third place: The Snack Saver, Isabella Mosley
- Second place: The #1 Pencil made by Elizabeth McCoy
- First place: The Cushy Socks Made by Emma Caposecco
- In the middle school division, long-time participant and first-place winner was Adian Arkainno
High school division:
- Third place, The SleepSmart: Smart pillow and sleep app by Michael Grindhard
- Second place, The self-watering led pot made by Tamiah Pottinger
- First place, Lower Limb Prosthetic Innovation made by Catherine Smith and Charlotte Zoog
