Over 400 of central Ohio's best student inventors showcased 347 creations at the 13th annual Central Ohio Invention Convention, held recently at Veteran's Memorial. All finalists were pre-selected from over 20 participating school districts, to participate in this year's competition.  

For the past 13 years, over one million Ohio kids have participated in the Invention Convention creating useful, sometimes crazy and always interesting inventions. The Invention Convention is a program offered free to school districts in the area through the contributions of sponsors.

The program differs from science fairs because kids are asked to recognize simple to complex problems people face every day and create solutions to them. The 2008 winners are:
Grand prize Edison Award (a $2,500 college scholarship from CollegeAdvantage): Mark D. Wright and Michelle Vawter, a team of seventh and eighth grade home-schooled students from Westerville. The team won for their patent-pending invention, "Immunity Insurance," a technology drug that releases proven cold-fighting compounds when the virus enters the body.

First place winners of a $500 college scholarship:

• Grades K-2: Enzo Bergese, a second grader form Windermere Elementary for his invention, "R.S.C.B. Retractable School Crosswalk Barrier," a physical barrier that is retractable between pedestrians and cars.
• Grade 3: Madi Sullivan from Indian Springs Elementary School for her invention, "The Quickitch," a device which lets cooks scratch their itch without making a mess.
• Grade 4: Ellie Levine from Wellington School for her invention, "Pick Up Buddy," a tennis hopper with wheels which also picks up the balls.
• Grade 5: Kailey Beard from Indianola Alternative for her invention, "Towel Taggers," a reusable color-coded clip for family members to use on their towels.
• Grade 6: Corey Tye from Park Street Intermediate for his invention, "Strap ‘Em Up," an adjustable strap that holds your socks up when you skate.
• Grades 7-8: Christian Starr from Bloom Carroll Middle School for his invention, "ROSS—Remote Operated Spike System," a remote operating device for controlling stop sticks for police officers.

The Kids' Choice Award:  Alexandria Braun, a third grader from Liberty Tree Elementary for her invention, "Recycle Lid-inator," a secure lid for trash cans designed to control overflow.



Delaware Montessori celebrates learning
It's so exiting each year to watch classes go through Montessori and graduate. The children leave Montessori with the confidence to guide them through a lifetime of learning.
Delaware Montessori offers children many learning opportunities in reading, art, science, music, geography, math, sensorial work, history, cooking and many other enrichment activities. Most importantly, children have a great time and really enjoy coming to school.
The Montessori method was founded in Rome by Maria Montessori in 1907. Maria Montessori felt children learned best in a carefully prepared environment, along with concrete materials to promote self discovery and creativity. Through careful observation, the Montessori directress is able to present children with appropriate challenging work at a pace that is acceptable for each child.    
Delaware Montessori offers a Montessori-certified full-day, year-round program for children 3-6 years old. Delaware Montessori is certified through Action for Children and enrollment is still open, with limited space, for summer and fall programs. The school year with an annual luau and graduation. The summer program will have a camp feel and children will make s'mores, read stories, sing songs, do crafts, picnic, tend to their garden and many more summer activities.
For more information, please call Michelle Rosu at (740) 362-6587, or visit the schools website at
www.delawaremontessori.com.