Sponsored by the Lemelson-MIT JV InvenTeams program, more than 100 inquisitive high school students toured the University of Houston College of Technology labs and the College of Architecture on April 14. Houston’s stormy skies did not dampen their spirits as they enthusiastically interacted with technology faculty, staff, and student ambassadors.
The students and their advisors came from several Houston area high school campuses, which included KIPP Sunnyside High School, KIPP Houston High School, Cypress Springs High School, The Energy Institute, Waller High School, YES Prep West Campus, Galena Park High School, and Sharpstown International School.
The Lemelson-MIT Program celebrates outstanding inventors and inspires young people to pursue creative lives and careers through invention. It recognizes students who show promise as emerging inventors that impact important sectors of the global economy, and honors mid-career inventors with a prestigious cash prize. The program also encourages youth to invent and develop their hands-on skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through two national grants initiatives for grades 9-12 - JV InvenTeams and InvenTeams.
The opportunity to work with the Lemelson-MIT Program evolved from relationships formed between Leigh Estabrooks, Invention Education Officer at Lemelson-MIT, Karen Cohen, Program Coordinator of the Coordination of Robotics Education outreach program in the College of Technology and Dr. Ray Cline, Chair of the Department of Information and Logistics Technology.