Through the Young Inventors’ Program (YIP), you will set your students on a course to shape an innovative future. Our resources help you guide students through the invention process to solve problems while applying STEM learning and gaining 21st century skills.
All Young Inventors’ Program materials are free thanks to generous donors.
Register your school program to gain access to free curriculum, resources and professional support.
Sign up to receive additional resources and support for FREE! YIP Pack Materials for your program site include YIP Inventor's Journals, award medals, certificates, and more.
As education models continue to change, we continue to innovate and re-adapt to meet the needs of our program educators. All YIP Curricula include tools and resources to support educators who want to differentiate learning and who will teach in-person, virtually or in a hybrid setting.
YIP materials are adaptable to all learning environments in school, out of school, and at home. We designed it to be easy to implement, flexible enough to meet diverse student needs, and applicable to a broad range of disciplines and most important, accessible to anyone. Educators and leaders with and without STEM expertise can use the modules to introduce fun activities and teachable units at all K-12 grade levels. YIP provides specific grade level tracks for learning and offers curricula for Invention & Design and Rube Goldberg Machines allowing educators and students to choose the path that most inspires them.
YIP offers:
- Project-based learning experience that builds standards-based inquiry skills
- FREE curriculum and resources
- Lesson plan recommendations for in-person and virtual classroom models
- Professional development and networking opportunities
- Engaging events at local, regional and national levels
Why YIP?
Students are at the center of the Young Inventors’ Program. We are unique among similar programs in that students pick the problem that they wish to solve. While we offer challenges and special categories, the heart of our program is imagination — the spark of creativity and innovation in every young person.
More than 5,000 K-12 inventors across Northern New England annually. Local schools, clubs, community organizations, and homeschoolers complete YIP with an Invention Fair where students present projects. YIP leaders then nominate top students for the Northern New England Invention Convention, a regional event hosted by the University of New Hampshire, with opportunities to advance to national competitions.
Teaching Invention
YIP lessons can be taught in the classroom or remotely through online platforms. In all models, YIP is designed to support students individually or in groups where synergy and collaborative problem solving grows. Curriculum activities guide young inventors through the steps of the invention process from identifying a problem to designing a model and finally communicating the idea to others. Activities build skills in invention, entrepreneurship, and engineering while supporting the creation of your students’ own inventions.
Curriculum Highlights
Options to explore! YIP provides multiple tracks for learning: Invention & Design or Rube Goldberg Machines for all grade levels. All curricula meet STEM standards, including NGSS, and foster creativity and problem-solving skills.
YIP offers recommendations for all curricula to be directly led by the educator or to be completed by students independently in at home learning situations.
All curricula are:
- Interdisciplinary and standards-based with dynamic activities to fit any subject area
- Flexible: Delivered in 4-12 weeks in virtual and in-person formats for in class, after school, at home, or independent study
- Integrate easily into existing school curricula
- Aligned to Next Generation Science Standards, as well as the Common Core, and includes enrichment and differentiation tools.
- Adapted for grade levels: K-2, 3-8, and 9-12
- Able to guide students through steps of invention process
- Incorporate a Young Inventor’s Journal to document and record activities, data, and outcomes
- Developed by educators and tested for over 45 years
How to Start Inventing
- Familiarize yourself with our curricula. Each lesson aligns with national standards and comes with everything you need.
- Personalize your program with your favorite activities that you know will inspire your students.
- Register your program with us! This step gives you access to more resources, live webinars, and staff support. Like all YIP resources, it’s FREE.
Are You a Student?
Are you a student looking to invent? Please go to our Independent Student page for all of the resources that you need to invent with us and to register.
