Innovation
was rewarded for a group of Clarenceville students as part of the second annual
Kids Invention Contest.
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| From left, David Lawrence and Chuck Dardas from AlphaUSA, Grandview Elementary School second graders Mark Popkov and Katherine Kusisto, Clarenceville Middle School sixth graders Evan Keoshian and Jacob Patterson, Bob Carris from the Livonia AM Rotary Club and Dan West from the Livonia Chamber of Commerce. |
Grandview
Elementary School second graders Mark Popkov and Katherine Kusisto, and
Clarenceville Middle School sixth graders Jacob Patterson and Evan Keoshian
earned cash prizes in the contest.
The
contest – designed to create a youthful interest in building things – was
coordinated by AlphaUSA, Schoolcraft College Manufacturing Department, Livonia
AM Rotary Club, and the Livonia Chamber of Commerce. The coordinates assembled a team of judges to
evaluate the creativity, practicality and presentation of the dozen students
who were challenged to describe their invention in writings and drawings on two
pieces of paper. The students were divided into the middle and elementary
divisions.
In the
elementary division, Popkov won first place for “Kids Tube,” a kid-friendly
version of YouTube, and Kusisto earned second play for “Mixer Bixer 3,000,” a
quick, food-making device. In the middle school division, Patterson won first
place for “Emergency Alerter,” a device that provides color-coded lights in a
home’s front window to alert first responders to the type of emergency inside.
Keoshian earned second for “Mu-tooth” a unique, wireless earpiece to listen to
music. Keoshian also was a contest winner in the inaugural contest last year.
“We feel
this is a great way to install a passion among young people to build things,”
said Chuck Dardas, AlphaUSA’s president and chief operating officer. “Our
manufacturing industry needs these talented young people in the future.”
The
winners were announced and invention contest participants were acknowledged
during an assembly at Clarenceville High School on June 11. During the
presentation, students were encouraged to consider building things as they look
at potential careers.
“Among the
greatest need for future jobs in southeast Michigan are creative, skilled
workers for manufacturing, electronics, engineering, and informational
technology,” said Chamber President Dan West. “This contest is a way to
increase awareness of these future opportunities for the students and their
parents.”
