Resources to get you started.

Educator Resources from The Henry Ford, Invention Convention
General Competition Rules

  • All students in grades 1 – 12 are eligible for participation include public school, private school, charter school, home school, or independent students. All are welcome!
  • Participants are limited to spending up to $25 at the Regional competition level. There is no cost limit for the State competition.
  • For the competitions, participants are required to:
    • Create a poster/storyboard outlining the ideation process for their invention.
    • Keep a logbook/journal of their ideation and development of the invention idea.
    • Deliver a short (<5 minute) presentation of their invention to a captive audience at the State competition (not Regional competition)

If you are new to Invent Idaho, we encourage you to watch some short training videos, or we can help via coming to your classroom to do professional development training in invention education. The training is intended to help enable your students to explore their ideas and create competitive pitches. Then you may register for the program and start the process of identifying high performing inventors to advance to the regional or state competitions.

Parents often ask:

What are the next steps if we wish to pursue a patent for our child’s invention?

Unfortunately, Invent Idaho does not provide any service to assist with patenting or obtaining patents for inventions. If you believe that your child’s invention may be patentable, it is recommended to seek the advice of a patent attorney. Participation in Invent Idaho, which will involve public disclosure of your invention, may affect any patenting rights you may have. ​

IP Made Easy: Unlock the Secrets of Intellectual Property!

Think intellectual property (IP) is only for lawyers and big tech? Think again! Teachers, mentors, and parents of young inventors should know IP! Everyone interacts with IP every day! IPOEF’s free online tutorial, IP Made Easy, breaks it all down in a simple, engaging way. IP Made Easy was designed by an Invention Convention educator and parent of a young inventor. Packed with real-life stories and surprising examples, you will learn the basics —and get real-world examples you are sure to share tomorrow.

Perfect for educators of all subjects! Perfect for parents of young inventors who want to know more about IP. Perfect for anyone curious about the power of intellectual property!

IP Made Ease Modules
U.S. Patent and Trademarks Office

Intellectual Property (IP) Identifier Tool 

The IP Identifier is a great tool from the USPTO that will help students identify which of their creative ideas might be intellectual property assets and how to protect them. The Basic IP Identifier has 6 simple questions to guide users and creates a list of resources as next steps.​

Basics of a Provisional Application Presentation

This presentation goes over the types of patents, the provisional application overview, and filing requirements. 

This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Please consult with appropriate sources for legal authority and guidance on these matters.

IP Identifier Tool
Presentation Slides