High-school students can apply for 6th annual CNY Innovation Challenge

DeWITT, N.Y. — Central New York students in grades 6-12 are invited to participate in the 6th annual CNY Innovation Challenge.

It’s open to students who live in Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, and Tompkins counties.

SRC, Inc.; the Maker Faire Syracuse; Le Moyne College’s Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Creativity; and Partners for Education & Business, Inc. (PEB) — an affiliate of MACNY, the Manufacturers Association — are organizing the program.

Participants will work to invent a product that solves an everyday problem or “makes life easier,” per a PEB news release. From concept to completion, students work in teams with an adult mentor or coach to invent, design, and present their ideas to a panel of judges.

The Keenan Center is providing informational sessions for students to get support on their concept thinking and pitch practicing.

The prize money from SRC, Inc. is awarded to the top teams in each of the two challenge age groups (grades 6-9 and grades 10-12). Additionally, each student on the winning high school team will receive a $5,000 scholarship to attend Le Moyne College.

Top teams will also be invited to compete in Dolphin Tank at the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Creativity the following weekend, PEB said.

“The CNY Innovation Challenge is a fun and engaging way for students to bring an invention to life,” Emily Langan, PEB acting manager, said. “It ties together creativity, teamwork, public speaking, and competition to provide our future workforce with a head start on the skills that lead to success in college and in their careers. We are excited to partner with Le Moyne College’s Keenan Center and the Maker Faire Syracuse this year to provide a unique experience for the student teams.”

Registration for the CNY Innovation Challenge is open through March 4. This year’s pitch competition will be held at the Maker Faire Syracuse at the SRC Arena at Onondaga Community College on Saturday, April 2.

Those interested can visit https://cnystem.com/cny-innovation-challenge/ for further details and registration information.