USF Young Innovator Competition
Innovation is a tough business. A small segment of society looks to improve things they see around them. These individuals are fountains of ideas, most of which will never be materialized. That is probably a good thing since only a small fraction of new inventions become profitable. However, without motivation to take risks and think differently we would not have the wonders of modern medicine, computers or spacecraft.
Credit is due to a special 10-year old that conceived of the Innovation Express vision. Anna's new inventions come forth on a daily basis. Having a patent attorney as a father poses benefits and frustration to a child. With each invention new challenges and problems are identified that require solutions. Those new problems drive the need for research, learning and further exploration. Invention is not a single act but a process that can last a lifetime.
Innovation comes in incremental steps and, sometimes, in leaps of genius. While Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relatively may be considered the supreme intellectual achievement of the human species, he was only ten years old when a family friend, Max Talmud, introduced him to key science, mathematics and philosophy texts.
By nature, children are creative and unconstrained in their thinking. However, creativity and talent are not enough. Without the foundation of a quality education innovative minds lack the tools to bring their inspiration to life. Thus, our objective is to simultaneously foster the creative spirit with an appreciation for the core education needed to make childhood dreams a reality.
Working in cooperation with the University of South Florida, the annual invention contest encourages children not just to understand science and technology, but to learn how to innovate and bring new inventions to market.