The Franklin Township School District in Somerset County was honored as a recognized program in the 2024 School Leader Awards for its “Invention Copetition Program.”
The Invention Competition fosters creativity and innovation among students, particularly from communities underrepresented in STEM fields. The program encourages students to leverage their knowledge in computer science, design thinking and other STEAM disciplines to develop solutions to problems.
The competition involves students from multiple grade levels across several schools. All schools in the district and any student can participate. Here is how it works:
For Grades 3-5:
- Each school (10 total) holds its own competition to determine the best invention in grades 3-5.
- After the school-based competition, the top student representative) from each school is chosen.
- School champions from all 10 schools then compete in a district-level event to win awards.
For Grades 6-8:
- Similar to the 3-5 competition, each school holds a competition for grades 6-8, and the best teams or individuals are selected to represent their schools.
- These representatives from the middle schools then compete against teams from the high school.
- Ultimately, a district champion is selected from the 6-12 competition, with teams from both levels involved.
The 2023-2024 competition showcased innovative ideas across various grade levels.
Team JAWNS, representing the middle school, stood out for its innovative sneaker prototypes, focusing on durability. Its marketing, including a Google site, demonstrated the team’s commitment to the testing process.
On the high school level, Team TRASHBOT presented an innovative robot designed to combat environmental pollution. The robot uses high-resolution cameras and object-tracking software to autonomously detect and clean litter, with plans for future upgrades, including a robotic arm for picking up trash.
Results of the 2022-2023 competition were equally impressive.
On the elementary grade level, the fifth-grade team from Franklin Park took third place with the “Compost Garbage Bin,” which drew high marks for its engineering.
The fourth-grade team from Pine Grove Manor was the runner-up with its Jelly-O-Cleaner invention. The champion was Conerly Road School’s fifth-graders, who presented “PCB” (Process Chemosynthesis Biomimicry), an environmentally-friendly water-cleaning method inspired by tube worms.
On the middle school level, teams from Hamilton Street and Sampson G. Smith schools both contributed footwear-related inventions. Hamilton Street’s eighth-grade team introduced the “Magic Shoe,” while Sampson G. Smith’s team showcased the “Renew Run.”
The competition has grown rapidly. The program started in 2022 with seven K-5 schools. The competition now includes middle school (6-8) and high school (9-12) students, reaching approximately 7,200 students in the district. This growth highlights the district’s commitment to providing all students with opportunities to showcase their innovative ideas.
An essential contributor to the program’s success is generous financial support from the community.
“Building strong relationships with community partners is crucial. Once these connections are established, the community can identify successful initiatives and leverage them to create positive outcomes. Amazing things can happen in school programming when there is the freedom and flexibility that comes from having financial support,” said Dr. Daniel Loughran, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
He added, “Our community partner, the folks who have given so generously to our students via the Invention Competition, is the Sodhani Foundation. Vimal Sodhani oversees the foundation, and he has been our very generous benefactor.”
Looking ahead, the district plans to continue expanding the competition by recruiting more academic clubs and classes to participate.
“The focus is on fostering both individual and collective growth through diversity, mutual support and education,” Loughran said.
Through this program, Franklin Township is helping to shape the next generation of innovators, equipping students with the skills, confidence and experience they need to excel in the rapidly changing world of STEAM fields.
Ann Marie Smith is NJSBA’s assistant editor and program Specialist.
