Currently in 5th grade, the team invented Grocery Eyes during their 4th grade year, an app that makes shopping for food easier for visually-impaired people. The team won the Diversity and Inclusion Award at the K-12 InVenture Prize State Finals in March. In June, they also won the Inclusion Award and a prize of $1,000 each at the RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals competition in Michigan. In July they competed in the RTX Americas Invention Convention. 

“It was an honor to be a part of Anna and Nellie's celebration and present them with a Resolution from the state,” said Representative New. “We must actively encourage and highlight the positive achievements of our youth, especially when they are creating a brighter tomorrow for everyone. Their accomplishments are transformative, impacting the lives of many underserved individuals, and it was my pleasure to be a small part of their momentous day.”

K-12 InVenture Prize Founding Director Roxanne Moore also spoke at the event about the importance of invention education in schools to broaden students’ opportunities. “I want to thank the teachers, administrators, and parents who supported these students on their journey—sometimes, inventing can be quite messy,” said Moore.  She went on to address Kolodner and Borsh, “Your ideas are valuable. Thank you for dreaming of a brighter future for everyone and taking steps to make that vision a reality.” 

The K-12 InVenture Prize, based in the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC), challenges kindergarten through high school students to identify real-world problems and design novel solutions through analysis, creativity, and the engineering design process.  

For more information on the K-12 InVenture Prize curriculum and competition, please visit https://k12inventure.gatech.edu or https://www.k12inventure.org. 

—Randy Trammell, CEISMC Communications