Press Release

The Henry Ford Named 2018 Host of K-12 National Invention Convention and Entrepreneurship Expo

Competition to take place in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation June 1

Dearborn, Michigan--(January 17, 2018) – Hundreds of award-winning K-12 inventors from across the nation and around the world will gather at The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation on June 1, 2018 to compete for top awards in youth invention at The STEMIE Coalition’s annual National Invention Convention and Entrepreneurship Expo (NICEE) presented by United Technologies Corporation. Mo Rocca, star of The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation on CBS will serve as emcee for the NICEE Awards Ceremony.

What better place to have the inventors and innovators of tomorrow present their creations than at the home of those that changed the world,” said Patricia Mooradian, president and CEO, The Henry Ford. “We are honored to host these bright, talented and inspiring students who are working on building a better future.”

In addition to hosting NICEE, Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation is also the site of the Michigan Invention Convention and Showcase taking place March 19th. More than 75 student projects from across the state of Michigan will be displayed and judged with the opportunity to advance to the national competition in June. 

“Just like Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, these young inventors are solving real-world problems,” said Danny Briere, CEO of The STEMIE Coalition, the nonprofit that runs NICEE. “These kids are identifying problems in our world all by themselves, problems that matter to them, and are often very personal. And the results are spectacular.” 

NICEE was held at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia in 2016 and 2017, but the number of students, judges, and families participating in the event outgrew the space. Over four hundred NICEE inventors will be joined at The Henry Ford in 2018 by 150 judges, an estimated 1,200 family and friends, as well as the student entrepreneurs participating in NICEE’s Entrepreneurship Expo.  

Students earn the opportunity to advance to the invitation-only NICEE by winning regional and state invention competitions across the United States and around the globe. NICEE 2018 also will host the top inventions submitted and judged through an at-large applicant process. Young inventors at NICEE have beat out more than 100,000 peers in order to qualify for the event. For the first time, young inventors from other countries are expected to compete at NICEE as well. 

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. More than 1.77 million visitors annually experience its five attractions: Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village, Ford Rouge Factory Tour, 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. 

About NICEE  
The STEMIE Coalition’s National Invention Convention and Entrepreneurship Expo (NICEE) presented by United Technologies is the only national celebration of young K-12 inventors and entrepreneurs in the United States. Each year, winners of affiliate and partner competitions across the U.S. are issued invitations to NICEE to showcase their inventions and compete for prizes and recognition. NICEE employs novel judging techniques and peer review in its breadth-and-depth competition to ensure it serves as an intellectually enriching event for all. It is a launchpad from which student participants can advance their keen interest toward becoming tomorrow’s innovators and world -changers. The 2018 event will be held May 31-June 2, 2018. More than 1,600 people are expected to participate. For more information, visit http://www.stemie.org/NICEE. 

About The STEMIE Coalition  
The STEMIE Coalition is a non-profit, umbrella membership organization of youth invention and entrepreneurship programs across the U.S. and globally. It provides much-needed national attention for and drives interest in K-12 invention and entrepreneurship, while empowering local organizations with best practices and resources. The STEMIE Coalition is the first such group created to elevate invention and entrepreneurship education of K-12 students across the country. STEMIE has reached over 500,000 students in two years, of which an estimated 57% are female, 33% are from underserved populations, and 24% are from minority populations. 

The Coalition’s goal, with founding partners United Technologies Corp. and Stanley Black & Decker, is to formalize youth invention and entrepreneurship in the K-12 experience. STEMIE believes that all students should once, better twice, be an inventor and/or entrepreneur in their K-12 career. For more information, visit http://www.stemie.org. 

Contact: 
MELISSA FOSTER 
The Henry Ford 
+1 (313) 982-6126 
melissaf@thehenryford.org 
 
MICHELLE FISHBURNE 
The STEMIE Coalition 
+1 (919) 247-0384 
mfishburne@stemie.org