by Rob Schneider, executive director, The Lemelson Foundation
The original article was published here and has been lightly edited.
Navigating the landscape of complex challenges we face in the 21st century requires more than just individual brilliance. It demands a collective effort, where diverse perspectives converge to provide pathways towards a brighter future.
In this endeavor, mentorship plays a crucial role, acting as a bridge between experience and innovation, wisdom and creativity.
Mentorship is not simply about imparting knowledge; it’s about igniting curiosity and encouraging critical thinking.
Imagine a young inventor, brimming with ideas but needing specialized engineering expertise to overcome challenges with their new hardware-based product — or lacking experience to navigate the complexities of the business world to bring that product to market.
Seasoned mentors, with their wealth of knowledge and diverse perspectives, can provide invaluable guidance and support, and nurture fresh ideas with the wisdom of past experiences.
Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam in action!
Mentorship is not simply about imparting knowledge; it’s about igniting curiosity and encouraging critical thinking. By fostering a safe space for open dialogue and diverse perspectives, mentors empower individuals to challenge assumptions, explore different angles and ultimately develop more holistic solutions to complex problems.
The STEM fields are rapidly evolving and offer incredible opportunities for innovation and problem-solving. However, a persistent skills gap threatens to hinder progress in these critical areas. This is where mentors come in, bridging the gap and preparing the next generation of STEM leaders.
We’re collaborating with longtime grantee and partner, the Lemelson-MIT Program (LMIT), to focus on the power of mentorship in STEM and Invention Education.
For the past 20 years, LMIT has been pioneering Invention Education through their InvenTeams program. Teams of high school students, teachers and mentors receive a financial grant and support from LMIT for a year-long invention project that creates a technological solution to a problem they’ve found in their own community.
For the 2023-24 InvenTeams cycle, LMIT has named 10 Invention Education Fellows, teacher-leaders who mentor both the teams’ teachers and the students' themselves — connecting them with resources, helping them recover from failures and ultimately guiding them through the invention process.
Engaged with his students, Mark Westlake, one of the first Lemelson-MIT Invention Education Fellows, is the director of the Saint Thomas Academy Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The teams turn their ideas into functioning prototypes that are exhibited each June at MIT’s EurekaFest® celebration.
READ MORE: Student inventors solve real-world problems at Eurekafest
Over the past two decades, LMIT has established itself as a leading force in fostering student invention and innovation. The program has reached 3,883 students, resulting in nearly 300 unique invention prototypes — and 17 U.S. patents.
These impressive numbers underscore the transformative power of LMIT’s approach. LMIT students are not only encouraged to invent; they are also supported in the process of turning their ideas into reality. And LMIT’s Invention Education Fellows are at the center of that journey.
This year’s Fellows are helping the 2023-2024 InvenTeams from California, Nevada, Ohio, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts and Georgia, working on projects as diverse as improving bicycle safety to helping keep wildland firefighters cool.
We shine a spotlight on these incredible mentors — sharing their unique backgrounds, what inspires them, and how they are cultivating the inventive mindsets and skill sets that will make a difference in students’ lives — and will be crucial for solving the problems of the 21st Century.
Join us in celebrating the power of mentorship by learning more about each mentor and the student inventions they are supporting here.
Teachers and students support each other as invention does not happen in a vaccum but rather a team.
Editor's note: Invention educators are a strong and growing community and we welcome all to join! Just this past week, Lemelson-MIT, USPTO (U.S. Patent & Trademark Office) and NewsHour Classroom presented our invention teacher programs together at the Lemelson Invention Education Convening in Alexandria, Virginia. The Lemelson Foundation supports NewsHour Classroom's invention education program.
Mentors in invention education from PBS NewsHour Classroom, USPTO and Lemelson-MIT, during the 2024 Invention Education Convening in Alexandria, Va.
If you'd like more information about invention education, becoming an Invention Ed Teacher Fellow or a part of our fun network of invention ed teachers -- or if you'd like to write a Classroom Voices piece, contact Vic at [email protected]. Check out NewsHour's invention education lessons here.
