North Stonington students show off their inventive skills
North Stonington — When her grandmother was undergoing chemotherapy, fourth-grader Sophie Broderick recalled, the only food she wanted to get rid of the bad taste left by the chemo drugs was a Fudgsicle.
After she died, the memory stuck, and Broderick had an idea: what if she could make a popsicle that could deliver more of the calories that chemotherapy patients need?
After a lot of research and one failed batch, the "Chemo Thera Pop" was developed — three flavors of popsicle with protein powder and carbohydrates to help supplement the diet of chemo patients.
Broderick and 31 students presented their inventions in a schoolwide competition at North Stonington Elementary on Wednesday morning.
Some inventions addressed daily annoyances, like the student who prevented her pencils from falling out of her school desk by inventing wooden panel that could be fastened up or flipped down.
Others tried to protect their pets, with inventions including a bubble-wrapped fish tank to keep fish from being injured by a careless bump, or the mountain-climbing-inspired rope system to prevent a student's aging dog from falling down the stairs.
Presentations, including a demonstration of each prototype, were given in front of the full group of inventors and a panel of judges: teachers Kerry Schacht, Joan Quinn, Michael Noonan and Superintendent of Schools Peter Nero, all who scrutinized the students' inventions and asked questions Shark Tank-style.
The top three to five students go on to the state convention at the University of Connecticut, where they will compete against other students from districts across the state.
Many of the students were veterans of the invention convention last year — and a handful, including Broderick and fourth-grader Grace Capalbo, had advanced to the state finals last year.
"It's nerve-wracking," Capalbo said.
Her invention, "The Pull Me Out," is a rolling tray inside the mailbox she made with her dad that makes it easier to reach letters and packages inside. She envisions it as an aid for shorter people like herself or the disabled.
The competition is voluntary, and the competition rules are simple: the invention must be unique, solve a problem and cost less than $50 to make.
Fourth-grade teacher Jane Servidio met with the students back in December to explain how it works and to help them through the invention process.
The students then work during recess and lunch periods to research and develop prototypes, keeping an "invention diary" of the progress.
Students typically come with an idea but have to pivot early on when they discover it's already been invented, Servidio said.
"Mrs. Servidio keeps us on track," Capalbo said.
For many entrepreneurially minded students, the competition is a big source of excitement.
"Every day I come up with something to invent. I'm always looking stuff up," Capalbo said.
The invention convention will finish Friday and winners will be announced Monday.
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