Local middle schoolers showcase life-improving innovations at annual KID Museum expo

Over 300 students from 11 different middle schools across D.C. and Maryland gathered at the KID Museum in Bethesda on Sunday for the annual Invent the Future Expo.

“We have middle schoolers respond to the question: What will you make to improve life on this planet?” said Liza Manfred, managing director of strategic initiatives and partnerships for the KID Museum.

“They go through a series of hands-on workshops here at KID Museum, there are lessons back in the classroom or after school, and they build real inventions, real prototypes, to solve problems that are personally meaningful to them.”

The projects focused on a variety of problems.

Some students developed prototypes of machines meant to collect trash in the ocean without harming wildlife or alert first responders to wildfires. Others addressed social justice issues or created devices to help with communication barriers.

Among the 132 teams at the expo were Sasha and Hidaya, who built a drone prototype to focus on climate change, deforestation and air purification. While they hope the drone can assist farmers in the field, they specified it’s not designed to replace them.

“As everybody heard, 2050, AI is gonna take over the world,” Hidaya said. “Well, instead of that happening, we’re gonna make it [to assist farmers], so that it can make the world a better place, and it can help not lose too many jobs.”

Sitting at a booth behind Sasha and Hidaya, was Eyosiyas with a cardboard box featuring mesh wiring on either side and a small fan blade attached. With the help of wiring, a couple of double-A batteries and the flip of a switch, Eyosiyas’ invention was in action.

“So, this is an air filter. It’s supposed to be two models of these right next to a power plant, so it could take all the harmful air and then suck it through here [and clean it],” Eyosiyas said.

Lisa came up with the idea for her invention after doing research on the dangers wildlife face at airports from being struck by aircraft.

“So, I was like, maybe I should try to make something to solve that,” Lisa said, standing next to her cardboard invention adorned with orange fuzz balls to represent speakers.

“It’ll make a noise when they see an animal to help it so it wouldn’t get, like, injured, but like, it’ll just signal it to move away a little bit.”

In addition to the youth inventor showcase, the event featured hands-on activities, performances and informative talks for visitors.

“We hope kids walk away with the confidence and the knowledge that they are capable change makers, that they are the ones who will make meaningful change in our world, and they have the creative problem solving and the critical thinking skills, the collaboration skills, the perseverance skills and the technical skills, they need to do that,” Manfred said.

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