The competition will occur on April 25th. However, winners will not be announced until mid-May to allow for any flexibility or programmatic changes necessary due to the ever-changing situation of COVID-19. Winners will be contacted via email in mid-May and celebrated on our website and social media.
Yes, winners from this year’s online Chicago Student Invention Convention can still advance to the online competition of U.S. Nationals.
Please refer to the Judging Rubric to see how students will be evaluated.
Please note:
You will have the chance to upload 6 photos of your Logbook pages. Each photo/page should represent a major milestone of the invention process (7 Steps of Invention). You are also invited to include photos of additional content from your Logbook as part of the visuals in the LumieLabs Display video.
Please refer to the Quick Start guide to creating a Pitch Video for more information. You can also see examples of Pitch Videos in the competition Guidelines.
Please refer to our LumieLabs quick start guide. You can also access Britannica webinars, video instructions for parents/students, and how-to guides on LumieLabs here.
You should read the CSIC Online Competition Guidelines. It explains that you will need to submit 6 photos of your Logbook pages, 1 LumieLabs Display video, and 1 Pitch Video.
Please use the Online Registration portal to register for the competition. Registration must be initiated by 4/20. Final videos can be submitted by 4/24 at 6 pm. Use this guide for help when registering. You can also contact the program manager directly with questions: [email protected]
The online competition is limited to student finalists who attended one of the 60 sites registered in the Chicago Student Invention Convention 2019-2020 program. These students received instruction through participating classrooms from CSIC trained educators and were selected as finalists by their instructors.
Sites that works with K-8 students in Illinois including: in-school classrooms (public, private, magnet, charter), after school clubs, out-of-school time sites (libraries, youth groups, museums) can participate.For more information, refer to the Teachers page.
The program is free for all participating schools and students, thanks to our generous sponsors. Registration and training is required. Once trained, all curricular materials are available online for instructors.
Registration for the 2020-2021 program cycle is open, and closed on October 1, 2020. Register your classroom for the 2020-2021 program!
The Invention Convention is a flexible critical thinking, innovation, and invention curriculum for grades K-8. Teachers are welcome to use the program in whatever way works best for them. Only teachers can know their own staffing, budgets, interest, and students’ needs. More information can be found on the teachers page on the program website.
The program is open to students from participating sites (libraries, schools, youth centers, and museums) grades K-8. There are no “at-large” opportunities for students that do not attend a participating school. Please reach out to your school representative (principal, assistant principal, curriculum director, classroom teacher) and refer them to our program in order to get involved.
Thanks for your interest! The generous help of our sponsors and partners sustains and enriches our program! Our sponsors support the program financially, and help us keep this program free of cost to participants. For more information about getting involved, refer to the Program Sponsors page. Our community partners provide opportunities for our students and teachers to help further our mission. For more information about how our partners have enriched the program, refer to the Teachers page.