Invention Convention
Raytheon Technologies Invention Convention U.S. Nationals
Invent something that solves a real problem, document the process, and pitch it like an inventor.
Run by The Henry Ford
Key facts
- Eligible grades
-
Grades K to 12.
Students can take part through in-school and after-school programmes, homeschool groups, clubs, summer programmes, or as independent inventors. Individual regional affiliates may narrow this: some New York regions serve only grades 5 to 12 or 9 to 12.Source, checked 2026-09-02
- Official divisions
-
Grade level awards at U.S. Nationals, with state affiliates setting their own ranges: some serve K to 12, others only grades 5 to 12 or 9 to 12.
Based on the organiser's own divisions.
- Eligible ages
-
Not confirmed. This organiser may set eligibility by grade rather than age. We do not convert one into the other.Invention Convention sets eligibility by grade, not age.
- Individual or team
- Individual or team · Individual or team. Each individual or team may submit only one invention per season.
- Where it runs
- In person · United States, International affiliates
- Entry cost
- Usually free at local levelSet by each state affiliate rather than nationally. One state charges $25 per inventor and offers scholarships where cost is a barrier; another describes its K-12 programme as free. The curriculum itself is free. Ask your own affiliate, and ask about fee scholarships if needed.
- Registration deadline
- Set locally, not published as a single national date Set by each state affiliate. Find your state's programme through the Invention Convention competitions directory.
- Competition dates
- RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals 2027 is 9 to 11 June 2027 at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan. State and regional events run in the spring; one state's 2027 teacher nomination deadline is March 2027.
- Difficulty
- Open to beginnersNo prior competition experience assumed. If you can do the school-level material, you can enter and score points.
- Prizes
- Each qualifying invention at Nationals is eligible for over eighty grade level, category, industry and patent application awards, including cash prizes and scholarships.National awards include cash prizes and support toward patenting. Amounts vary by year and sponsor.
What Invention Convention is
Invention Convention runs a national programme in which students from kindergarten through grade 12 identify a problem, invent a solution, keep an inventor's logbook documenting the process, and present a prototype to judges. It is deliberately process-focused: the logbook and the reasoning behind the invention carry as much weight as the prototype, which makes it accessible to students with limited materials.
How the competition works
Students identify a problem themselves and invent a solution. Submission requires a video presentation of the invention, a prototype, an inventor's logbook documenting the invention process, and a poster board highlighting key points.
Eligibility notes
Divisions by grade band. You normally enter through a local affiliate; check whether your region has one.
How to register
- Find your local or state affiliate through the official site.
- Start an inventor's logbook immediately. It is scored and it cannot be reconstructed afterwards.
- Identify a real problem, ideally one you or someone you know has, and research whether it has been solved already.
- Build a prototype, however rough, and prepare a short presentation explaining the problem, the process and the solution.
What skills you need
- Problem identification
- Prototyping
- Documentation
- Market research
- Presentation
Recommended resources
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Invention Convention official site
Affiliate directory, curriculum resources and judging rubrics.
Frequently asked questions
Does the invention need to work?
A prototype is expected but polish is not. Judging weights problem identification, research and the documented process heavily, so a rough prototype with an excellent logbook often outscores a slick one with thin reasoning.
What if there is no affiliate near me?
Contact the national programme through the official site. Some regions run open entry routes, and new affiliates are added regularly.
Reviews, tips and resources from other students
Posts are public. Do not share your full name, school, address or contact details.
Something out of date?
If a deadline, fee or eligibility rule on this page no longer matches the official site, flag it and it goes into the review queue.
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