Antonio Meucci Young Inventors’ Competition - Registration now open to children in grades 4 through 8 who live and go to school on Staten Island

Throughout his lifetime, Antonio Meucci (1808-1889) was responsible for many inventions, improvements and ideas. In addition to his discovery of the telephone in 1848 and his development of that instrument over the next 30 years, Meucci manufactured smokeless candles, created a tea and coffee filtering system, made improvements in oil and kerosene lamps, found a way to make paper from wood pulp, and even canned tomato sauce. In keeping with his legacy of ingenuity and innovation, the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum, in conjunction with Time Warner Cable, is sponsoring the Antonio Meucci Young Inventors’ Competition. Registration is now open to children in grades 4 through 8 who live and go to school on Staten Island. Students are invited to present an original idea for a new invention/product or an improvement on an existing one—anything from a helpful kitchen gadget to a machine that does your homework for you.

 

To participate, the entrant must fill out an application (available at www.garibaldimeuccimuseum.org or by calling 718-442-1608, only one per student), and submit it with a clear explanation, as well as a sketch or photo of what the invention would look like. Prototypes are highly recommended, even if they don’t actually work. The invention or improvement must be a unique, original idea from the student.

The applications will first be judged by museum staff members, and the 15 finalists will present their entries to a panel of expert judges on Sunday, June 12, 2011 between 12 noon and 3 p.m. at the St. Joseph’s Parochial School auditorium (139 St. Mary’s Avenue at the corner of Tompkins Avenue in Rosebank, Staten Island).

The judges will be looking for simple, creative solutions to common problems, as well as an understanding of the scientific principles behind the invention. Cash prizes will be awarded.

Please note there is no entrance fee. Deadline for entries is Thursday, May 12. For more information call 718-442-1608.