Lemelson MIT awards 2024 25 InvenTeam grants to eight teams

The Lemelson-MIT Program proudly announces the 2024-2025 InvenTeams, featuring eight innovative teams of high school students, educators, and mentors from various regions across the United States. Each team will be awarded a grant of $7,500, along with comprehensive support throughout the year to create technological inventions aimed at addressing pressing societal issues they’ve identified in their own communities.

These InvenTeams were chosen by an esteemed panel comprising university professors, industry professionals, inventors, entrepreneurs, and even former InvenTeam members. Their projects are particularly focused on the unique challenges faced by local populations, with the overarching goal of fostering positive change and improving lives well beyond their communities.

This year’s selected teams include:

• Battle Creek Area Mathematics and Science Center (Battle Creek, Michigan)
• Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
• Colegio Rosa-Bell (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico)
• Edison High School (Edison, New Jersey)
• Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science (Worcester, Massachusetts)
• Nitro High School (Nitro, West Virginia)
• Southcrest Christian School (Lubbock, Texas)
• Ygnacio Valley High School (Concord, California)

Comprising students, teachers, and community mentors, the InvenTeams engage in year-long invention projects that incorporate creative thinking, problem-solving, and hands-on learning, centered around science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The culmination of their efforts will be showcased at a technical review in their local communities in February 2025, followed by a grand unveiling of their prototypes at EurekaFest—an exciting invention celebration set to take place from June 9 to 11, 2025, at MIT.

“The InvenTeams are dedicated to tackling issues that are crucial to their communities,” shares Leigh Estabrooks, the invention education officer at Lemelson-MIT. “These students are not just future problem-solvers; they are actively working to create healthier, greener, and safer environments today.”

This year is particularly noteworthy for the Lemelson-MIT Program and its InvenTeams grants initiative, marking several important milestones. For the first time, a team from Cambridge, Massachusetts, will represent its local community on the national stage, embodying the spirit of innovation. Moreover, this year welcomes its inaugural team from Puerto Rico, showcasing the expanding influence of InvenTeams initiatives across diverse regions. These trailblazing teams highlight the program’s commitment to diversity and creativity as key drivers of invention.

Now in its 21st year, the InvenTeams grants initiative has successfully helped 18 high school student teams secure U.S. patents for their inventive projects. By integrating intellectual property education with invention training, the Lemelson-MIT Program aims to address historical inequities in the invention space. Their continuous efforts empower students from various backgrounds, providing them with essential problem-solving skills relevant to their academic and professional journeys. To date, the program has engaged over 4,000 students through 304 InvenTeams nationwide, including substantial partnerships that offer:

• Pro bono legal assistance from intellectual property (IP) law firms;
• Technical guidance and mentoring from leading industry companies;
• Professional development opportunities for teachers focused on invention education and IP;
• Resource identification support within local innovation ecosystems to bolster ongoing invention efforts;
• Published research and case studies to guide educators and policymakers in fostering student engagement in solving real-world challenges, thereby stimulating the U.S. innovation economy.

The Lemelson-MIT Program stands as a national leader in nurturing the upcoming generation of inventors and entrepreneurs, striving to broaden learning opportunities that enable inventors to discover and address critical problems to enhance lives. A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is central to the program’s mission to rectify historical disparities for those involved in development, protection of intellectual property, and commercialization of their innovations.

Founded in 1994 by prolific U.S. inventor Jerome H. Lemelson and his wife Dorothy, the Lemelson-MIT Program is supported by The Lemelson Foundation and housed within the MIT School of Engineering. For inquiries, please reach out to Leigh Estabrooks.