PANELS

Learn more about our exciting line-up of speakers across these featured panels!

OPENING NIGHT PANEL

Engaged, Empowered Students - Maximizing the invention education opportunity in and out of the classroom


Moderator: Patti Curtis, U.S. Dept of Education

Tuesday, March 26, 6:30pm @ USPTO

Join our opening night celebration, and hear from K-12 educators and students about how invention education influenced their teaching and learning experiences, why they feel invention education is important, and how our InventEd community can work toward reaching all students with invention learning opportunities. Led by Patti Curtis, Senior STEM Advisor at the U.S. Department of Education, this panel will also provide insight into how invention education intersects with federal STEM learning priorities. 

Please find the session recording of the opening night panel here!

Liz Colton

STEM Educator

Master Teacher of Invention and Intellectual Property Education, USPTO

Crane Middle School, Arizona

Terri Dove

Science Teacher

PBS Newshour Invention Education Fellow

Prince George's County Public Schools, Maryland

Jonathan Walker

Sophomore Engineering Student

Inventor

Duke University & University of North Carolina

Sophie Zezula

Junior High School Student

Inventor

Ridgefield High School, CT 

FEDERAL STEM PANEL

Weaving STEM and Invention Education to Build Future Innovators and Entrepreneurs 


Moderator: Eve Boyle, Office of Science and Technology Policy

Thursday, March 28, 8:45am @ Westin Alexandria

Invention education is a tangible expression of hands-on STEM learning, and is foundational to future entrepreneurship and innovation. And laying a strong foundation in STEM and IP education in K-12 supports the development of future innovators and entrepreneurs. 

Hear the perspectives of Federal agency representatives on how innovation, entrepreneurship, and intellectual property remain a priority in conversations surrounding STEM education, as we look to find solutions to our nation’s most complex problems. Panelists will explore the ways agencies support convergence education and other STEM strategies to foster innovation, how this might impact future research and partnerships, and what we can do as a community to make intentional connections between STEM and invention education in our classrooms and beyond. 

Please find the session recording of the STEM and invention education panel here!

Jolene Jesse

Program Director

National Science Foundation

Emily Kuehn

Deputy Director, STEM

Department of Defense

Holly Miller

Afterschool and Summer Learning Advisor

Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education

Jorge Valdes

Program Advisor on STEM Education and Intellectual Property

United States Patent and Trademark Office

Check out the Change Your Game page for information on the panel featured during our whole group field trip to the Smithsonian