NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium is proud to help fund the 2023 Connecticut Invention Convention. The Connecticut Invention Convention (CIC) is an award winning, internationally recognized, educational non-profit organization started in 1983. Today, the program is open to all K-12 students statewide, and is designed to develop and encourage creative problem-solving and critical thinking skills through innovation and entrepreneurship. The CIC provides students with a unique means to discover new skill sets and creatively apply these in real-life settings while nurturing STEM skills. The 2023 program has reached more than 11,000 students, including 2,300 in the Hartford area, with a population of student participants. Funds raised for this program will be used to support the Connecticut Invention Convention’s new push to support historically underrepresented communities across the state, including those in Hartford and Bridgeport. This will include training and supporting facilitators at schools, Boys & Girls Clubs, Community Centers, and other community institutions to help bring diverse innovation programs to students who don’t typically receive experiences like it. Each year, CTSGC awards one student the NASA Space Grant Rising STAAR award to recognized an outstanding invention across the themes of Space, Technology, Aerospace, Aeronautics, and Robotics.
View the list of the 2023 Awardees, including the 2023 NASA Space Grant Rising STAAR Awardee.