Program
Gates Invention & Innovation Program

Competition Day

Over 20 Years of Gates Innovation

2024 Dates

List of 3 items.

  • Invention Expo

    Thursday, March 7, 2024
    1-3pm


  • Finalist Presentations

    Friday, March 8, 2024

  • Awards Ceremony

    Friday, March 8, 2024

Competition Day

At the expo, students are prepared to display and discuss their hard work from start to finish.

List of 3 items.

  • Judging Process

    1. At the expo, judges speak with each inventor to evaluate the entries before selecting 10-15 finalists.
    2. The following day, finalists make individual presentations to the panel of judges using additional support material such as slide presentations to describe their invention and process in more detail.
    3. Judges sequester to determine the contest winners.
    Cash awards up to $500 are given in both the Grades 5/6 and Grades 7/8 categories.

  • Criteria

    All entries are judged on four criteria:
    • Functionality
    • Creativity
    • Marketability
    • Clarity of Communication

  • Patent Support

    In exceptional cases, judges may award a "patent nod" to a particular invention. Those projects receive additional funding for more in-depth research, design and guidance through the patent process.

2024 Competition Finalists

Grades 7/8
First Place - The Locker Hub | Charlie C. and Emery H.
A screen to be installed on student lockers that is programmed with student schedule, homework due, and other reminders
 
Second Place - The Shower Crutch 2.0 | Brynn A.
Assistive device to be used by leg amputees and people with lower body injuries to ensure safety and stability while showering
 
Third Place - Whip-A-Stick | Henry C.
Weighted lacrosse stick to use for practice and conditioning
 
Patent Nod - Dash Flash | Yuubo F. and Ella R.
A light system that can alert a hearing impaired driver when an emergency vehicle is near.
 
Grades 5/6
First Place - Arthritic Phone Case | Aidan N., Jack L. and Ryan W.
A phone case with more surface area designed to be easier to hold by people who suffer from arthritis
 
Second Place - Dignity for Dementia | Walker C.
Good-looking outfits for dementia patients designed to be difficult for patients to remove
 
Third Place (Tie) - Winter Watch Window | Carter T.
Wrist watch sleeve with a plastic touch through screen where you can see the face of your watch while keeping your sleeves down
 
Third Place (Tie) - Buckle Up 2.0 | Bentley O.
A car seat buckle attachment to make it harder for children to unbuckle themselves from their carseats

Competition Day Judges

  • Ken Parks

    Ken Parks is currently serves as global vice president of engineering and technology for the Victaulic Corporation. He previously served as an engineering and technical consultant for Arcadia Group International and the senior vice president of engineering/research and development for the Gates Corporation. 
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  • Susan M Majka, PhD

    Susan M Majka, PhD, is a professor at National Jewish Health and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and an internationally renowned expert on lung vascular progenitor cells in health and disease. 
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  • Steven Chalmers

    Steven Chalmers is a dedicated and prolific tinkerer, and the inventor of a unique cat drinking fountain called the AquaPurr.
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  • Cindy Cookson

    Cindy Cookson is a vice president of Global Product Line Management at Gates Corporation. She leads the product line strategy, innovation commercialization, and financial performance for the industrial fluid power portfolios.
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  • Fabienne Gally, PhD

    Fabienne Gally, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at National Jewish Health in the Department of Immunology and Genomic Medicine. Dr. Gally received her PhD in France after graduating from the National Institute of Applied Sciences in biochemical engineering. 
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  • Jake Dresden

    Jake Dresden is the Metro Denver Director for A Little Help, a Colorado-based nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of older adults by connecting them with local volunteers to provide services and companionship.
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Graland Country Day School

55 Clermont Street    |    Denver, CO 80220    |    303-399-0390
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.