KIDS FIND INNOVATION IN THE GREAT NORTHWEST
The Future of Creativity in America Has Found a New Home--The Northwest Invention Center in Washington.
Where has American invention and innovation gone?Those asking that question will be pleased to know that the Northwest Invention Center continues to foster those qualities, especially among America's children. The Redmond, Washington center regularly serves elementary and middle school kids with hands-on lessons, exhibits and other programs to encourage inventors.
The brainchild of professor Ed Sobey, who teaches museum management at the University of Washington, the center also serves northwest museums with exhibits that are popular and fun for children interested in toys and product development. Sobey's interest in kids and creativity first blossomed in the early '90s when he was teaching at California State University, Fresno. It was there that Sobey founded the highly-successful Kids Invent program.
Kids Invent, a one-week summer camp, encourages the entrepreneurial spirit in children by stimulating creative thinking and teaching kids how to invent and market toys. Kids Invent remains a strong partner with the Northwest Invention Center and many of its creative programs have been utilized in northwestern classrooms and museums. The Kids Invent camps walks children through the design and prototype development of toys in steps that include:
* Presenting ideas to a management team
* Conducting research at a local toy store
* Writing a business plan
* Building a Web page to promote the toy
* Participating in a public "Toy Fair" to present their item
After-school and weekend programs also teach kids essential skills in teamwork, problem solving and program building (from design to the final prototype).
The Northwest Invention Center has also provided programs to business and libraries, as well as well-known universities and museums, such as the University of Washington, Texas A&M, the University of Arkansas, Pacific Science Center, San Diego Maritime Museum, Discovery Center of Idaho, Thames Science Center, The Tech Museum of Innovation, Kirkland Arts Center, and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
In addition, Sobey founded the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998 near Salem, Oregon and has hosted "The Idea Factory," a popular television show on inventing. The author of 15 books, Sobey also co-hosts a science series for a Ohio PBS station.
Despite his rigorous schedule over the past few years, he has also been able to share his invention knowledge with kids through books that cover innovation subjects. Those books include:
* Inventing Toys--Kids Having Fun While Learning Science (Zephyr Press, 2001)
* Young Inventors at Work (Good Year Books, 1999)
* How to Enter and Win an Invention Contest (Enslow Publishers, 1999)
* Inventing Stuff (Dale Seymour Publications, 1996)
Information on the Northwest Invention Center may be obtained by contacting:
Northwest Invention Center 2420 178th Ave NE Redmond, WA 98052Those interested in the Kids Invent programs and summer camps may contact:
Kids Invent! 2555 Clovis Ave Clovis, CA 93612 (559) 291-6600
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