Southwest CT Winners of K-12 Student Invention Competition Announced
Ingenuity was on display at the Connecticut Invention Convention State Finals on June 10 as K-12 students from throughout the state presented their inventions and innovations. The competition included nearly 240 students representing over 70 towns. This year, over 11,000 Connecticut students participated in local and regional invention competitions.
Congratulations to Norwalk student Leela Chadha, Erica Chen, Leo Contreras, Ishnoor Kaur, Anusha Mundra, and Bo Rebbechi for taking home awards!
Winners from Southwest Connecticut
Maxwell Anstett, 7th grade, Redding
Award: CT Science Center Awards; CASE Award; The General Dynamics Electric Boat Underwater Innovation Award; David Bushnell Award
Invention: Fishstalker
“The Fishstalker is a remote controlled fishing sonar to detect fish underwater from the shore.” Video
Sierra Asfar, 5th grade, Fairfield
Award: CT Safety Society Awards
Invention: Disguise Accident Rescue Team (DART)
“This is Sierra Asfar's Invention Convention 2023 video describing the Disguise Accident Rescue Team (DART) system for safety around highway accidents. Sierra is in the fifth grade at North Stratfield School in Fairfield, CT.” Video
Robert Belanger, 4th grade, Easton
Award: CT Environmental Forum Environmental Awards; US Nationals Finalist
Invention: Shower Time
“Shower Time is a shower timer for
Kids that tells you what to do and when to do it saving time in the shower and saving hot water” Video
Tali Cerrone, 4th grade, Stratford
Award: SWE Innovator Award; US Nationals Finalist
Invention: The Cone Throne
“The Cone Throne allows you to eat an ice cream cone, put it down without fear of it tipping over, and without drips running all over your hand.” Video
Francesca Catalano, 5th grade, Ridgefield
Award: US Innovator Challenge
Invention: Frantastic Bottle Balance
“Water bottle that stakes into the ground and stays upright so as to not be contaminated with pesticides, animal waste or other contaminated on grass and/or fields.” Video
Leela Chadha, 3rd grade, Norwalk
Award: US Innovator Challenge
Invention: Partner Paw Pad
“Partner Paw Pad is a pad that sits on your lap when you sit in your car and your dog sits right on top of it. It protects your legs against scratches or them getting hurt by your dogs sharp nails. It also protects your pants from getting ruined by dirty dog paws. It is lightweight and comfortable for you and your dog. The dog feels sturdy on the pad and won't slip all over the place. Your clothes will stay clean and your legs will not get hurt by your dogs paws anymore.” Video
Erica Chen, 4th grade, Norwalk
Award: BI Cares Foundation Award
Invention: Cool Cloth Band-Aid (C. C. Band-Aid)
“A pouch that has a rectangular hole at the side. The pouch is for a band-aid, while the pouch is for an ice pack.” Video
Jade Collins, 8th grade, Redding
Award: CASE Award
Invention: Double It Up
“Double It Up is a stackable cupcake pan that allows you to use the space in you oven more productivly to get more cupcakes in one go. Its space and time saving.” Video
Leo Contreras, 5th grade, Norwalk
Award: US Innovator Challenge
Invention: The Drying Tornado
“Boxing wraps drying invention” Video
Gianna Damico, 6th grade, Hamden
Award: ASML Small Patterns, Big Impact; US Innovator Challenge
Invention: Feel-ets
“Feel-ets are a set of two double-sided bracelets. Each of the four colors represents an emotion and a desired reaction. Students can use the bracelets to communicate to their teachers and peers how they are feeling throughout the school day in a quiet, discreet way.” Video
Parker Dawson, 5th grade, Fairfield
Award: Fire Marshal Award; CT Safety Society Awards; CT Science Center Awards
Invention: Lights-On Ladder
“It is crucial that during fires people have added safety measures when escaping their homes, especially during the night. My Lights-On Ladder invention will save many lives. It’s the only escape ladder safe for nighttime emergencies. Each step on the ladder lights up bright with LED lights and there are also reflectors to enhance visibility when smoke and darkness make it hard to see. Firefighters will also be able to quickly spot the ladder and assist in rescuing people.” Video
Samantha Heffern, 4th grade, Stratford
Award: Samuel Morse Award
Invention: The Never Lets Go Bookmark
“A book mark that never falls out! The Never lets go bookmark” Video
Cameron Higgins, 4th grade, Stratford
Award: US Nationals Finalist
Invention: The Defender - Hockey Neck Guard
“The Defender is a hockey neck guard made of ballistics material and thick flexible foam for the most neck protection you can get.” Video
Noah Hoffmann, 5th grade, Fairfield
Award: US Nationals Finalist
Invention: The Connect O' Ramp
“The purpose of my invention is to help people with wheelchairs access places.” Video
Ishnoor Kaur, 5th grade, Norwalk
Award: US Nationals Finalist
Invention: Baby Safety Monitor/Baby Fall Shield
“A safety monitor that alerts caregivers of young children when they engage in high risk behaviour, particularly when they try to climb over rails of cribs, baby gates or playpens.” Video
Steven Kerr, 3rd grade, Rowayton
Award: US Innovator Challenge
Invention: Need a Hand?
“The Need a Hand helps people who have a broken arm or arthritis have improved handwriting without straining.” Video
Evelyn Klimowicz, 5th grade, Ridgefield
Award: US Nationals Finalist
Invention: Hound Hoodwinker
“I have invented the Hound Hoodwinker which gives your dog a second job when you come home, or someone comes to your house. This will occupy them while you are busy and keep your entryway chaos-free." Video
Addison Marino, 4th grade, Stratford
Award: US Innovator Challenge
Invention: All In One Hairbrush
“The ALL In One Hairbrush is a tool for dancers on the go. It has a mirror, brush, elastics, and even hairspray all attached to one tool. There is no need to waste time searching for all materials needed to get ready for dance class!” Video
Michela Messina, 5th grade, Southport
Award: US Nationals Finalist
Invention: Pitching Pro
“Softball Pitching rubber with a 3D printed torsion spring holder to retract a measuring string underneath. The pitching rubber is designed to measure the right distance for pitching in softball, especially when there is no mound set up ahead of time, or in the middle of a field. This is a working prototype for 10U pitchers at a distance of 35 feet.” Video
Anusha Mundra, 5th grade, Norwalk
Award: US Innovator Challenge
Invention: My Calm Vibes
“My Calm Vibes is a tool for kids to help them feel calm and safe in settings that could cause stress and anxiety, like school or other difficult settings. My Calm Vibes is a resource to help kids identify their feelings and use tools to calm down. This can be done quietly on their own or with the help of someone else. My Calm Vibes can be used quickly to bring kids back down to a baseline feeling whenever they feel they need it.” Video
Edoardo Porzio, 6th grade, Easton
Award: Dependable Power
Invention: Pen-Ninja
“The Pen-Ninja is a pen designed to help relieve stress in students with anxiety or ADHD in the classroom, but also being less distracting in the classroom, unlike other fidget toys. This pen has silent or more quiet fidgets around the pen. This allows students with anxiety or ADHD to still reduce stress, but also do their work and focus without being a distraction to others.” Video
Carwyn Pullen, 5th grade, Fairfield
Award: US Innovator Challenge
Invention: The Write Way
“The Write Way is a device that enhances writing for the visually impaired.” Video
Elliott Rahner, 4th grade, Easton
Award: CT Science Center Awards; Innovation in Chemicals; US Innovator Challenge
Invention: Solar Controller
“The Solar Controller is an X-Box controller than uses solar energy to charge its batteries. 70% of American kids play video games and almost all controllers use batteries, which end up in landfills and decompose and release toxic chemicals like mercury and lead. The Solar Controller uses a small solar panel to recharge batteries, reducing the amount of batteries that end up in landfills.” Video
Bo Rebbechi, 3rd grade, Norwalk
Award: US Innovator Challenge
Invention: Need a Hand?
“The Need a Hand helps people who have a broken arm or arthritis have improved handwriting without straining.” Video
Ripley Robinson, 8th grade, Redding
Award: The Avangrid Innovation Award
Invention: The Cocobag
“The Cocobag is a strong, reusable or compostable bag. It is made with the environment in mind from the husk of a coconut, a material that would be discarded under normal circumstances. The Cocobag is a more biodegradable alternative to the classic paper bag that won't rip or cut down any trees in the process.” Video
Mila Rotondi, 5th grade, Fairfield
Award: US Innovator Challenge
Invention: DiscoDog
“DiscoDog is a rechargeable LED Harness with lighting to keep pets safe and to see better during walks at night.” Video
Elyse Sacco, 4th grade, Hamden
Award: CT Science Center Awards; NASA Rising STAAR Award
Invention: Eazy Peezy
“The Eazy Peezy is a toilet adapter that allows home gardeners to easily capture human urine, store it, and apply it directly to their gardens.” Video
Vijeesh Senthil Nathan, 5th grade, Fairfield
Award: Dependable Power
Invention: The Eco Friendly Charger
“My idea allows Electric vehicles to consume a lesser amount of Electricity to charge their batteries by also using wind power as a source of Energy. In this design Electric motor vehicles will have wind turbines on top of them in order to produce Electricity. The Gears and Shafts of the Wind Turbine are then connected to a Generator. The Generator is then connected to a Vehicles battery and charges it.” Video
Isaiah Silvestri, 6th grade, Trumbull
Award: Dependable Power Award
Invention: Forget Me Not
“Forget Me Not reminds you to turn on or off your alarm before bed. When you put your head on your pillow, a lever goes down releasing a disk-shaped ratchet. A rock on one end of a long dowel acts as a counterweight, making a sign on the other side pop up.” Video
Connor Spence, 4th grade, Stratford
Award: CT Science Center Awards
Invention: The Marker Saver
“My invention is a container with a sponge that holds markers. If a marker dries out, my invention will restore the markers ink.” Video
Luke Varughese, 5th grade, Fairfield
Award: Push For Entrepreneurship Sports and Fitness
Invention: Slide-on-Shield
“The Slide-On-Shield protects you from impact-related foot injury no matter what footwear an individual is wearing. The primary focus is to prevent pain/injury from being "cleated" in a sporting event (i.e., when one player is stepped on by another player who is wearing cleats).” Video
Since 1983, the Connecticut Invention Convention, an educational organization, has encouraged Connecticut students to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills to solve real-world problems through invention and entrepreneurship. By utilizing these skills and lessons from their school’s STEMIE (STEM plus Invention and Entrepreneurship) curriculum, students create an invention that solves a problem in their lives. Their work culminates in this state final competition during which students will be recognized with awards and prizes for their efforts. The program is currently open to all of Connecticut’s K-12 students and is rapidly growing.
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