Invention Convention held for local students

From left to right: Grace Hoyland--Top Inventor, Abbie Valkosky--first place, Will Marx--second place, Kaiden Quandahl--third place and Cody Carolan--student choice award

When the Belin-Blank program at the University of Iowa decided not to sponsor the "Invention Convention" program this year,  
St. Benedict's third grade teacher Mary Ann Krammen, North Winneshiek Talented and Gifted teacher Kris Bigler and Decorah Talented and Gifted teacher Katy Hafner decided the program was too valuable to student learning to let it go.  So the three teachers put together a regional event, complete with a trophy for Top Inventor, 1st, 2nd, 3rd places, and a Student Choice award.   
 
Students were encouraged to identify a problem, and come up with ways to fix it.   "This year, as every year, the students have amazed us with their creativity and problem solving skills, " according to Krammen.  The students work with parents and older siblings to do the dangerous or more difficult tasks beyond their years, but the ideas and solutions are truly their own.  There are inventions to fill the needs of specific audiences from farmers struggling through the snow to feed their calves, to various methods of organizing everyday items, to ideas to help the disabled, and so many more.  
 
At this year's Invention Convention competition last weekend, Top Inventor award went to Grace Hoyland (North Winn) for her invention "the All-in-One No More Hassle Board."  This is a board game with special pieces designed to allow disabled people the chance to play board games with ease.  First place went to Abbie Valkosky (St. Bens) for her invention "Slider Divider" – a plastic piece designed to separate sick fish in an aquarium.  Will Marx (Carrie Lee) won second place for his "Equalizer" --a level mounted on the bar of free weights to help the weightlifter keep the weights level.  Third place went to Kaiden Quandahl (St. Bens) for his Christmas Light Organizer—a tool to organize strings of Christmas lights in a vertical, hands free structure that allows the user to utilize both hands when placing lights.  The Student Choice Award went to Cody Carolan (St. Bens) for his Fast Lego Gadget, a tool to pick up Legos with a magnet.