Young inventors
">When adults want to change the world, they clone sheep. They manipulate human cells in search of a cancer cure. When kids want to change the world, they're a tad more practical.Charged with the mission of inventing a new product or improving an existing one, a group of suburban eighth-graders came up with a list of intriguing ideas.They included biodegradable golf tees made of grass seeds, a portable nail polish fixer, an alarm clock that wakes people up with a puff of air, key pad entry for school lockers and a cup with a strainer that blocks ice from hitting a drinker's mouth."I was amazed," said Sharon Takahashi, a teacher at Thomas Middle School in Arlington Heights. "This is the first year we've had this class and the kids just jumped on it."Students have been trying to come up with "the next big thing" for years. Many schools host Science Olympiad tournaments that feature student inventions.And in 2005, two students at St. Francis de Sales Catholic School in Lake Zurich were honored with Craftsman National Science Teachers Association Young Inventors Awards for "The E-Z Can Strainer," used to drain liquid from a can of tuna, and the "Sani-Scooper," used to clean a kitty litter box without creating a mess.At Thomas school, one team of students came up with a laptop computer that includes a projector. Another developed a lunch box with a separate drink container -- complete with spigot.The students were randomly picked for groups."They wanted to pick their own groups, but that's not how life works," Takahashi said. "In the real world, you can't say, 'I just want to work with my friends.' "The class is loosely based on "The Apprentice" television show and is called "Madison Avenue." It probably will be offered again next year, Takahashi said.One of the top ideas was "Green Tees," which came to 13-year-old Joey Maestro when he was golfing with his dad last summer."There are broken tees everywhere and grass divots," he said. "It was kind of a mess."The biodegradable tees are made of grass seed, compacted dirt and a little cement. As the golfer hits the ball, the tee shatters and the seeds are spread around. The tees could make the splintered wooden tees that litter courses and annoy lawn mowing crews a thing of the past.Maestro and his team members -- Rei Kainuma, Danielle Yorsep and Chris Kubicki -- developed a business plan, detailed down to the benefits they'd pay their full-time workers.A possible hitch is that golf courses use different seeds, so there may not be one "green tee" that would work for all golf courses. One golfing expert suggested the students use manure, but the group vetoed that idea."The smell," Maestro said. "No way."Yorsep's uncle, a dentist, gave her group a rubber mold to make the tees, which are about twice the size of the traditional plastic and wood ones."It's the same stuff you make (impressions for) dentures out of it," said Yorsep, while tapping the mold. "It works great."The tees have one fan already -- Arlington Heights Elementary District 25 school board President Dan Petro. Last week, the four Thomas students presented their idea to the school board."I'd like to be the first one to buy stock in the idea," Petro said.Other inventions included "Sammy the Saturn," a round toy for babies that rolls around the room and includes a remote control for parents to make the ball come back, hopefully with baby trailing behind."The outside is made from recycled tires," said Ian Rodriguez. "We figure it would sell for $29.99."Sean McKinney admits he wasn't sold on his group's "Nail Polish 2 Go" stick in the beginning."I went along with it at first, but it's pretty cool for a girl," said McKinney, as Lindsay Kordecki showed off her perfectly painted nails."If something happens to your nails, you can fix it right away," Kordecki said, holding the repair stick. "It's great."Nick Boustead's group came up with a cup called "Click and Sip" that blocks ice from sliding down the glass and hitting the drinker."It will revolutionize the restaurant industry," Boustead said. "Every restaurant should have this. I don't know why they don't now."Inventions galoreHere are some of the ideas for new or improved products devised by a class at Thomas Middle School in Arlington Heights:bull; Locktronics: Student lockers with a key pad instead of a mechanical lock. The group also considered a slide card entry for the locker.(Megan Boyle, Eric Russell, Marisol Sanmiguel, Amy Mueller)bull; Nail Polish On The Go: Two groups made portable nail polish applicators, learning about competition in the field of ideas.(Emil Navratil, Michelle Chwalinski, Alex Micke, Ali Levato, Emily Moody, Sean McKinney, Ryan Gallagher, Lindsay Kordecki.)bull; E/Z Jam: An alarm clock that wakes you up with a puff of air and has other high-end features. The team visited Bose to get ideas. It also sent out surveys to students and found out not many would buy an alarm clock that woke you up with a spray of water.(Michael Bushnell, Dan Easley, Danny Bryski, Jack Santry)bull; Alarm Charm: An alarm clock that uses a recorded voice to wake you up. This group found research suggesting most middle-school-aged students wake up faster hearing a parent's voice rather than a loud alarm.(Haley Powles, Brittany Palmer, Andy Katsargiris, Celina Gilman)bull; Click 'n Sip: A cup with an internal strainer that keeps ice from hitting your teeth.(Devin Allbright, Kaitlyn Barth, Nick Boustead, AnnMarie Vincent)bull; Sammy the Saturn: A children's exercise toy that looks like the robot vacuum. It roams the room and has a remote control for parents to guide the child back to the parent. This group talked with Fisher-Price toy company and found out that it is possible to come up with an idea and sell it to them.(Erin Horne, Leya Allind, Ian Rodriguez, Melissa Cecala)bull; Protop: A laptop computer with a built-in projector. The group spoke with Hewlett Packard and Motorola representatives for tips and advice.(Will Campbell, Claire O'Donnell and Michael Riley) bull; Shakin' Pan: A cooking pan that shakes so you don't have to stir the food.(Kristie Harris, Jon Krok, Mitch Tsukinari, Chris Hoppe)bull; Fridge-a-Freeze: A high-end refrigerator/freezer. When you open the door, all compartments are sealed so no cold air escapes. You also can change compartments to be either freezer or refrigerator space.(Ryan Toher, Eric Lebolt, Nick Strelak, Kausal Mahadas) bull; Deep Freeze: A lunchbox with a refillable beverage compartment with a spigot. The design also keeps food from getting crushed by a drink box or can of pop.(Jason Saccone, Kyle Schulz, Bobby Mueller, Mike Magdziarz)