Imaginary Invention Contest
Hosted by UT Austin Texas Materials Scientists and Engineers (Texas MSE)
Open to K-8th grade students
Calling all K–8th graders: Do you have an idea for an imaginary invention that can solve a real problem in our world? Imagine an invention that will solve a real problem in our world. What would the invention look like? How would it work? What will it do?
Participants will use no more than one page or piece of paper to draw and describe their invention idea, how it works, and/or what problem it is solving in our world. A team of STEM students and professionals will select one idea from the submissions and will bring this idea to life as an artistic glass sculpture.
This contest was previously hosted twice: in the summer and in the spring prior to STEM Girl Day. To accommodate the new hosting organization’s schedule, this contest will only be hosted once in the summer of 2026. There will not be another contest in the spring of 2027.
Contest Submission Instructions
- Create a hand drawing and a hand-written description of your invention. The invention drawing and description should be no larger than one 8.5×11 image/paper. The invention drawing and description should include the invention’s name, the student’s first name (ONLY first name), and a picture and/or description of the invention, how it works, and/or what problem it is solving in our world. Do not use AI and do not type or use technology to draw or write out your description – hand drawings and hand-written descriptions only.
- Submit a PDF, JPG, or PNG of the invention idea and complete the online submission form by the submission deadline. The submission form requests the student’s first and last name (the last name will not be shared publicly), student grade, student school, and city/state, as well as the adult’s first and last name, and adult email address.
- Upon completion of the submission form, a confirmation email will be sent with the final submission step instructions. In the confirmation email, you will be asked to upload a PDF, JPG, or PNG of the invention idea to the Summer 2026 Imaginary Invention Contest Padlet, the platform where a team of STEM students and professionals will be able to view and provide comments for all submissions. All submissions and comments are moderated by WiSTEM staff.
Summer 2026 Contest Timeline
- Monday, June 1 – Contest Opens
- Friday, July 10 – Contest Submission Deadline
- Early September – Winner Announced
- STEM Girl Day, Saturday, February 27, 2027 – Winner’s Invention on Display