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Invention Notebook

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Entrepreneurship Funders Network Executive Director Ifeoma Aduba, center, with peers at the 2024 EFN Convening.

The Role of Philanthropy in Supporting Impact Entrepreneurs

A network of philanthropic funders is helping innovators navigate challenging times.

November 24, 2025

10 min read

Protecting the Planet, One Engineering Class at a Time

How a wildlife biologist’s unconventional career path led to a sustainability movement in engineering education.

September 26, 2025

11 min read

Anuki Mudalige at the RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals.

Using Invention to Increase Mindfulness

An ancient mindfulness technique inspired this high schooler to invent a modern stress-reducing technology.

August 28, 2025

8 min read

A woman talks into a microphone on a stage.

This Engineer is Creating a Path for Accessible Solar Energy

Monique Dyers is a leader in renewable energy — and a role model for other engineers interested in entrepreneurship with purpose.

July 30, 2025

8 min read

A group of happy Calistoga InvenTeam students and their teacher Heather Brooks stand together, all wearing shirts with the Lemelson-MIT logo. They are posing in front of a Lemelson-MIT branded banner at EurekaFest at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Recognizing the Power of Invention Education for Re-Engaging Students

Discover how this educator’s introduction to invention education resulted in her students’ presenting at MIT, speaking on a U.S. Department of Education panel, and becoming SXSW finalists.

May 8, 2025

6 min read

Lesly Rojas in a lab.

Engineering for Good

Invention education programs inspired this young inventor to pursue engineering to make an impact in people’s lives.

April 13, 2025

9 min read

Mahadevan poses with The Allergent, a food allergy detection device.

The Food Allergy Detective

This young inventor created an AI-enabled, electronic nose to sniff out allergens lurking in your food.

February 25, 2025

7 min read

Inventing Our Future: A National Inventors’ Day Celebration

A message from Rob Schneider, Executive Director, The Lemelson Foundation

February 9, 2025

5 min read

Inventor Sonia Patel works in a lab.

Envisioning a Safer Eye Exam

This young inventor created a synthetic model eye to help medical students train for optical procedures.

January 31, 2025

4 min read

Previous

  • Engineering for One Planet: A Paradigm Shift for Climate Action and a Sustainable Future
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    Engineering for One Planet: A Paradigm Shift for Climate Action and a Sustainable Future

    World Engineering Day prompts crucial questions: Can the very ingenuity that defines engineering — the force that builds our world’s cities and puts a world of knowledge in our hands — help pave the path towards a truly sustainable future? Can it become an instrument not just for technological progress, but also for the thriving of our planet and…

  • Embracing Black Ingenuity: Beyond Black History Month

    Embracing Black Ingenuity: Beyond Black History Month

    Each February brings me a deeper appreciation for Black History Month. Yet, alongside this admiration, I can’t help but grapple with mixed feelings. We dedicate a mere 28 days to honoring the remarkable achievements of Black individuals in American history. Despite the community events and workplace discussions, Black History Month often feels like a mere…

  • Sparking Imagination, Empowering Ingenuity

    Sparking Imagination, Empowering Ingenuity

    Why We Must Celebrate and Support the Inventive Spirit

  • The Transformative Power of Invention Education

    The Transformative Power of Invention Education

    This approach to STEM learning ignites creativity, instills lifelong skills, and fuels the innovation economy. How do we ensure that school is not a limiting factor for creativity and innovation, but instead instills an inventive mindset in our students? Our answer is Invention Education. This op-ed in Invention Notebook — authored by Elizabeth Stock and…

  • Mentorship in STEM and Invention Education

    Mentorship in STEM and Invention Education

    These ten educators are empowering teachers and the rising generation of inventors and innovators.

  • From Waste to Wattage

    From Waste to Wattage

    This student inventor uses an innovative renewable energy source to help monitor natural disasters.

  • New Year’s Resolutions for the Impact Incubation Industry

    New Year’s Resolutions for the Impact Incubation Industry

    What all accelerators and funders should know for being a successful social impact incubator

  • Building Climate Innovation Opportunities in Africa

    Building Climate Innovation Opportunities in Africa

    Next month, at COP 28, leaders from across the globe will meet to take action toward the biggest issues in climate change, including financing for Africa. The continent is at the forefront of the world’s most acute climate disasters, yet it receives just 4.7% of total global climate financing — a fraction of the US$2.7…

  • This High-Schooler is Harnessing Chemistry to Combat Pollution

    This High-Schooler is Harnessing Chemistry to Combat Pollution

    An award-winning student inventor, Tarun Batchu has discovered an eco-friendly way to convert plastics into fuel.