Think outside the bubble

Another competition aimed at getting young innovators to create solutions for real-world challenges is asking students to "think outside the bubble," by using Bubble Wrap.

The Sealed Air Corporation and the National Museum of Education are teaming up to present the third annual Bubble Wrap Competition for Young Inventors, which invites middle and junior high school students to make inventions that help others.

Students who are in grades five through eight this year can submit inventions that use Bubble Wrap brand cushioning. Three finalists will go on a three-day trip to New York City to attend a ceremony on Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day on January 26, 2009. There, the winner of the competition will be announced and $3000, $5000, and $10,000 US savings bonds will be awarded to the finalists.

Students will submit a written explanation of their invention, how it was created, and how it will be used to make life easier or more enjoyable, as well as drawings, pictures, or video of their project. The deadline for submissions is November 3, at 6pm EST. 

The 2008 grand-prize winner 13-year-old Hannah Haas, of Charlotte, NC, created “Sensory Wallpaper,” which was designed to engage and stimulate children with autism. Textured wallpaper was the original purpose of Bubble Wrap when it was invented in 1960, but it was later discovered to be an effective cushioning material, which led to the founding of the Sealed Air Corporation.

The National Museum of Education… In Partnership for America’s Future is a non-profit educational organization that supports young inventors and teachers through various competitions.