2023 Year-In-Review

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 Our Belief. At the Connecticut Invention Convention, we believe that invention and innovation are crucial not only to help better acknowledge and address the problems of today, but also to meet the challenges of tomorrow. We believe that equipping the next generation with a strong skillset in creative-problem solving is imperative, and that it must be done in a way that is accessible to all walks of life, all kinds of minds, and without the barriers that limit so many students from pursuing STEM today. 

Programmatic Impact 

• Number of Students Reached: The Connecticut Invention Convention brought 11,500 students through full length Invention Convention programs, with 400 students competing at its State Finals event. 

• Number of Educators Reached: The Connecticut Invention Convention trained or supported 350 educators as they brought the programs to students across the state. 

• Number of Volunteers Enlisted: The Connecticut Invention Convention was supported by 689 volunteers as it deployed its programs across the state, including dozens across partner brands. 

• Diversity, Access, and Inclusion: This year, 34% of CIC inventors self-identified as inventors of color, 54% self-identified as female, and 85% came from below-average-income areas of the state. 

New and Exciting: 2023-2024

To capstone a school-year with programmatic growth of 65%, the Connecticut Invention Convention

was excited to invite the top 7% of young inventors to compete for prizes and recognition at the University of Connecticut. 

New and Improved Curricula

At the heart of the Connecticut Invention Convention is the curriculum, which provides the roadmap

by which educators and facilitators can bring Invention Convention to their classrooms. The CIC is

proud to announce a variety of expansion and improvements efforts to its curriculum which will take

place in 2023-2024, including some of the following:

➔ A state-funded Learning Management System to provide a more in-depth innovation experience

➔ A whole new set of activities and lesson plans for 9-12 learners

➔ New and refreshed content for K-8 learners

➔ New curricula for both at-home and non-traditional learners (homeschool, etc.)

Invention Convention: College Edition

Through a partnership with Trinity College, the Connecticut Invention Convention is excited to pilot

the first-ever College Invention Convention program in Connecticut, bringing Invention Convention

experiences to 100 Trinity Freshman. This program will also provide the opportunity for the CIC to

develop and pilot content for College Inventors, with an eye towards expanding to further colleges

in future years. College students at Trinity will not only create their own inventions and showcase

them in a campus Invention Convention, but will also be encouraged to connect with existing

entrepreneurial resources at the institution.

Invention Convention At-Home

The Connecticut Invention Convention is excited to launch a new programmatic wing of the

institution dedicated to reaching inventors at home. This may include students who are being

homeschooled, who are part of a micro-school or learning pod, are on temporary leave from school,

or who simply do not have Invention Convention programs offered at their school. Leveraging the

Virtual Inventors Club as a pilot environment, the Connecticut Invention Convention is excited to

launch a variety of initiatives designed to reach at-home learners, including some of the following:

➔ Eight professionally produced e-learning videos for kids to walk young inventors through the

Invention Convention process at home

➔ A curriculum and program pathway designed for at-home learners

➔ An expansion of the Virtual Inventors Club, more than doubling the number of students

served and expanding the diversity of audiences reached