NE Ohio Students to Participate in State Invention Convention

(Columbus, OH) - Two Ohio Connections Academy (OCA) students have been invited to be among 400 students from all over Ohio who will participate in the Invention League’s Invention Convention state showcase during the 2019 Ohio State Fair.

Lorelei Sullivan, a seventh grader from Painesville and Marlaina Gilliam, a third grader from Chardon, each qualified for the program by identifying a problem and presenting their solutions and prototypes before OCA faculty and Invention League judges.

Invention League is a nonprofit organization aligned with the STEMIE Coalition and the National Invention Convention program which challenges students to seek out problems, find solutions, develop a prototype and consider ways to market the product.

Lorelei presented a product she developed called the Chicken Tree House. Lorelei and her family raise chickens and after losing several to ground and aerial predators, she researched ways to better protect them.

The Chicken Tree House is an enclosed structure that includes a tree-like feature on the interior where the chickens can roost. On the exterior there is reflective materials, such as old compact discs, that are hung on each corner to make noise and visually confuse predatory animals.

Marlaina presented a prototype she calls the Sock Clock which helps to keep socks matched, organized and prevents them from getting lost. She said she was inspired to create this invention because her brothers are always losing their socks.

The Sock Clock looks pretty much like a conventional clock with clothespins attached to a round board where the numbers would be located. The product is designed to hang from a wall where the user could simply clip their socks to keep them organized.

Ohio Connections Academy teacher Jessica Hussey brought the Invention Convention opportunity to the school to give students the chance to use their problem-solving skills to develop ideas and come up with a marketable prototype.

“Most of our students are already highly motivated so I thought what a wonderful opportunity for them to use their research and design skills to identify a problem and come up with a solution to solve it,” Hussey said. “The way this program is laid out is a fun experience for students and we hope to get more participants next year.”

Ohio Connections Academy is a free, fully-online virtual public school that students in grades K-12 attend from home. OCA delivers high-quality, personalized education for students that combines certified teachers, a proven curriculum, as well as technology tools, and community experiences—online and in person—to create a supportive environment for children who want an individualized approach to education. Enrollment for the 2019-20 academic year is currently open.

More information about Ohio Connections Academy is available at www.OhioConnectionsAcademy.com. To learn more about the Invention League, visit www.inventionleague.org.