Inventors Start Here

Take Risks

As you begin your journey, we encourage you to take positive risks. Ask questions. Be creative. Most important, do not be afraid to fail. Innovation is all about testing and re-testing and pushing boundaries to make the world a better place. No matter where your journey takes you, you will learn new things, challenge yourself, and ultimately be successful.

Become a Young Inventor

YIP began as a program for schools and community organizations to host on-site more than 40 years ago. But we know that many students do not have YIP in your school or local area and want to invent too. We encourage you to talk to your school or community based program to begin a YIP site. (Contact YIP for more information on starting a new program.) However, if you want to invent at home, you can.

Independent Student Inventing at Home

YES, you can invent with us! If you are a YIP alumni or your local school/community doesn’t host a YIP site, you can invent with us as an Independent Student. We have created 8 activity plans that follow the steps of the invention process with guides, worksheets, and slides to help you explore so you can create your own invention at home. Resources include:

• Student Guides that walk you through the lesson plans
• Hands-on and off-screen activities to help you apply your learning to the real world
• Power Point Slides to complement lessons
• Worksheets to work through each step
• YIP Inventors’ Journal: you can request a printed copy or use this PDF file to print your own or use the journal as a Word doc.

Before You Start: Let Us Know You’re Inventing

Please let us know that you are using the Young Inventors’ Program by signing up! Please get your parent/guardian’s permission to share your email address with us.

Why sign-up? By signing-up, we will send you more materials, tips, updates, and access to live STEMinars. You will also be invited to showcase your invention in our Independent Student Invention Fair in the spring.

SIGN UP HERE