Press Release

The Henry Ford and STEMIE Coalition Join Forces to Strengthen Hands-on and Virtual Invention Education Offerings in All 50 States, Across the Globe

(Dearborn, Mich. – Sept. 6, 2018) –  The Henry Ford and the STEMIE Coalition announced today they are joining forces to bring invention and entrepreneur education to students around the world through The Henry Ford’s unparalleled Archive of American Innovation and STEMIE’s global reach through its network of affiliate and partner organizations. Starting immediately, the STEMIE Coalition – best known for its National Invention Convention and Entrepreneurship Expo, NICEE – will become part of The Henry Ford organization. 

“This is a marriage of missions,” said Patricia Mooradian, president and CEO of The Henry Ford. “The STEMIE Coalition’s mission to train every child in every school in invention and entrepreneurship skills aligns with The Henry Ford’s quest to move our country forward through innovation and invention. This will help us activate the hands-on experiences necessary for learning to a broader, more diverse audience.”

STEMIE hosted its 2018 national competition - the only national celebration of young K-12 inventors and entrepreneurs in the United States – at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation this past June. More than 400 students from 20 states and two countries qualified to attend. Seeing the success of this collaboration and others, it was apparent to both organizations that their combined resources and efforts could reach significantly more students in the early stages of their education – establishing a foundation for curiosity and inventiveness – and allow children to develop those skills over time so they’re actionable in the real world. 

“Invention education is critical to realizing the return on investment in STEM learning,” said Danny Briere, CEO of the STEMIE Coalition. “STEMIE is the application of STEM skills while adding Invention and Entrepreneurship. This framework gives kids the skills needed to solve the problems of the world right now.”

This expands the pipeline of products available to address all age groups preK-12 and to increase the accessibility of invention education for students of all backgrounds. 

In fact, at this year’s NICEE program, more than half of the inventors were female, more than a third were minority and a third were from financially underserved communities. A recent study from The Henry Ford shows that innovation, invention, and entrepreneurial learning provide further understanding of the world and can ultimately improve the lives of all. 

“If taken seriously and intentionally, innovation, invention, and entrepreneurial learning can be used to increase equity and opportunity,” Mooradian said. “This is an investment in unleashing the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs and creating tomorrow’s workforce.”

About The STEMIE Coalition
The STEMIE Coalition is a non-profit global consortium of invention education stakeholders and education change agents whose mission is to formalize project-based invention and entrepreneurship education in primary and secondary schools worldwide, with a near-term emphasis on the U.S. and a vision to globalize across the world. STEMIE currently has statewide programs in 23 states, invention convention presence in 46 states, and will be active in all 50 states within the next five years.  STEMIE’s free, online K-12 National Invention Convention Curriculum, is supported by professional development training sessions all over the United States, and resources are found at http://www.inventionconvention.org. The National Invention Convention and Entrepreneurship Expo (NICEE), organized by The STEMIE Coalition, is the only national celebration of young K-12 inventors and entrepreneurs in the United States. NICEE 2019, presented by United Technologies Corporation, will be held at The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan, May 30-June 2, 2019.  http://www.stemie.org

About The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan is an internationally-recognized history destination that explores the American experience of innovation, resourcefulness and ingenuity that helped shape America. A national historic landmark with an unparalleled Archive of American Innovation, The Henry Ford is a force for sparking curiosity and inspiring tomorrow’s innovators. Nearly 1.8 million visitors annually experience its five attractions: Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village, The Ford Rouge Factory Tour, The Benson Ford Research Center and The Henry Ford Giant Screen Experience. A continually expanding array of content available online provides anytime, anywhere access. The Henry Ford is also home to Henry Ford Academy, a public charter high school which educates over 500 students a year on the institution’s campus. In 2014, The Henry Ford premiered its first-ever national television series, The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation, showcasing present-day change-makers and The Henry Ford’s artifacts and unique visitor experiences. Hosted by news correspondent and humorist, Mo Rocca, this Emmy®-winning weekly half-hour show airs Saturday mornings on CBS. For more information, please visit our website thehenryford.org.