Judges
Mentor an Inventor!
Hundreds of young inventors from all over Connecticut need your help. The Connecticut Invention Convention is the largest K-12 Invention Convention program in the U.S.
We need judges to evaluate student work for both online and in-person formats. Judges help us award outstanding projects, provide project feedback, and identify CIC inventors who should represent the state at national events.
We have a rubric for our judges to evaluate inventor submissions, and we train our judges on how to use the rubric and our judging systems. We need judges from many diverse career paths to view projects through their own professional lens as they provide scores and feedback to young inventors.
All judges must be 18 years or older.
If you are interested in becoming a CIC judge, please contact:
Kerry Macfarland kerry@ctinventionconvention.org
Judging Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be an inventor or engineer to be a judge?
No! We welcome and encourage judges from all backgrounds and professions. Having a diverse range of judges ensures that projects are viewed from different perspectives and gives a better overall picture of a project's success. All judges must be 18 years of age or older.
What is the time commitment for judging?
Registration (5 minutes)
A registration link will be provided to you when judges' registration opens.
Judge training webinar (approximately 45 minutes)
A judge training webinar will be offered to provide all the information you need to assess student inventions. Webinar recordings will also be made available.
For online judging (2-3 hours over a period of two and a half weeks)
Semi-finals judges participate in online judging each spring. The judging process takes no more than a few hours and can be done at your convenience and/or spread over multiple sessions during the open judging window.
For in-person Judging (approx. 1/2 day in late spring)
Our in-person Finals event occurs annually in late spring in Connecticut.
What materials will I be judging and how does it work?
You will be given access to a judging rubric to help evaluate projects. For online judging, you will have access to student videos and invention logs. For in-person (finals) judges, you will be able to speak with inventors, view display boards and prototypes.
From a Former CIC Inventor....
My time with Connecticut Invention Convention was truly life-changing for me. Six years later, I have not forgotten the judges who made young inventors’ dreams a reality and a program that created something wildly successful and empowering for young minds. Invention Convention leaders have taught me effective communication and listening skills, problem solving, and collaboration that will continue beyond CIC and into my own dreams. Please consider judging for CIC and helping other young inventors, like me, feel empowered!
- Erin Russell
Erin is a high school student who participated in Invention Convention in grades 7 and 8. She is currently using the skills she learned at CIC to help her pursue a degree in Communications and Journalism!
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