MISD Energy celebration event - 29th May

Winning 4th graders from across Macomb county came together to meet their professional makers and see their inventions brought to life for the first time at a celebratory event welcoming friends, family, teachers and classmates.

The 2024 program invited students to respond to the MISD Energy: Feel the power! challenge with innovations that can save energy, generate energy or use energy better.

Makers - Tarus Products, Jay Enn, Albus Vision, HTI Cybernetics, Ascent Aerospace and students from CCS (College of Creative Studies) - have been working hard to bring to life the energy themed makes through various mediums.

Over the past month the makers have been posting updates to the live blog to keep the inventors in the loop as to how their bringing their chosen ideas to life, from animation to 1:1 scale prototyping.

Thanks to funding from the MiSTEM Network, MISD is the first in the nation to bring the innovative Little Inventors program to students. Support from educators and community partners helped the program grow from 300 students the first year it was launched to over 1,200 students in its fifth and current year.

"We are building a community around early exposure to innovation by leaning into an unlimited resource that all children have, their imagination," said Mark Muzzin, MiSTEM Macomb Region Director. "Whether it is the 'Giggle Time Bouncy Shoes' or the 'Pi Pedaler' we take their ideas seriously and trust them to be agents of change. Our partners take the students' ideas to the next level by leveraging existing equipment and expertise to change the life of one student while inspiring thousands."

"At this annual event we witness how these wonderful young innovators from across Macomb County are able to think creatively to tackle real-world challenges in partnership with local experts in manufacturing. As a STEM organization, The Macomb Intermediate School District is proud to provide the opportunity and support for their imaginations to shine and celebrate the willingness of companies and local students to help bring them to life - giving all young people the confidence to keep innovating."

“Seeing the incredible ideas brought to life by these young inventors is incredibly inspiring. This event isn’t just a showcase of imagination - it’s a glimpse into the future. When young people are given the space and opportunity to dream and solve real-world problems, they remind us all that innovation has no age limit. At this fantastic event, we celebrate not just their creativity, but their courage to think differently and make the world a better place.”

– Craig Bright, Little Inventors