Ideas and inventions abound at SRTC's Innovation Day 2024

Feb. 12—THOMASVILLE — Students from schools across Thomas County gathered at Southern Regional Technical College on February 9 to take part in Innovation Day 2024, a STEM science fair challenging youths K-12 to put their problem-solving skills to work in crafting the next big idea.

The students participated in one of two competitions, with elementary schoolers working to program LEGO robots to solve real world problems in First LEGO League Explore and student teams from elementary, middle, and high school levels showcasing their inventions in the InVenture Prize program.

Over 35 student teams took part in the InVenture program, presenting their inventions to a board of judges, selected from various industries in the community so as to provide the students with more diverse feedback on their work and the opportunity to build connections with local businesses.

A wide array of innovations took the stage, offering solutions to problems like pet care, travel pains, and time and work management. Students were asked to show the research and development that went into their project as well as the feedback they received from their target market as part of their presentations.

This is the third year SRTC has organized Innovation Day, having begun hosting the program on behalf of the chamber of commerce, who had received requests from local businesses for county schools to be more proactive in regards to soft skills.

"We saw that businesses were really wanting our schools to be more proactive in developing problem-solving, innovation skills that they needed to see in the workforce," Katie Chastain said. "We know that those skills are developed through this kind of project-based learning, so we wanted to highlight the projects that students are working on."

Representatives of Georgia Tech, organizers of the InVenture program, and Fine Line Productions were in attendance as well to film the students at work in celebration of the program's tenth anniversary, which is expected to be broadcast on television.

Once the judges had been given ample time to purvey the presentations, the student teams and their parents gathered together for lunch, an opportunity to hear from local innovators Brandon Vitulli of Check-Mate Industries and Chansidy Daniels of Flowers Foods, and the awards ceremony.

One team in the First LEGO League Explorer competition was recognized for their achievements, going to Jalanden Williams, Malachi Murray, and Jayden Cody of Harper Elementary, as the LEGO Scholars. Awards for the InVenture prize competition, however, were divided into elementary, middle, and high school levels and were handed out for third, second, and first place.

At the elementary school level, Abigail Bone, Ellie Butler, and Katie Bruce received first prize for their Splash Guard idea, while Ivey Clapper and Isla Farlow received second place with Cool Dog Collar and Perry Chastain, Jillian Blodgett, and Alice Fielding placed third for Double Band. All three student teams were from Cross Creek Elementary.

The students participating in the middle school category did so through Butler Mason YMCA rather than a school. Janiya Ivey took home first for See the Future, with Emma Brannen's Sol-Gear earning her second place and Jace Johnson and Jayda Mathis's Plug In Master taking third.

Lastly, Tatiana Everhart won first at high school level with her Know Fur-Buddy app, Martha Edwards and Ella Rodd received second for Study Buddy, and Michael "Connor" Pringle received third for his Squmfort. All four students hailed from Thomasville High School.

Winning students also received a range of prizes, including model kits, drones, telescopes, and tablets.

Following the awards ceremony, students, teachers, and parents were invited outside for a massive group photo, taken by drone, to celebrate the day.

Each student or student team placing third or higher in the InVenture competition will be given the opportunity to compete at state level at Georgia Tech, with ample time to refine their projects based on feedback received from the judges. Should they win at state level, their presentations will go on to nationals, where they may also be offered a patent for their ideas.