Dearborn, MI. – (June 3, 2025) ─ The Henry Ford is proud to announce the return of RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals to its campus June 4-6, 2025. This event is in its tenth year and will once again be hosted in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. After advancing from state and regional competitions, nearly 500 K-12 students from across the country will display and present their inventions to judges alongside the greatest innovations in American history.
The multi-day competition culminates on Friday, June 6, with an awards ceremony hosted by entertainment and technology television and podcast host and former The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation correspondent Albert Lawrence.
Former NASA aerospace engineer, entrepreneur, and citizen astronaut Aisha Bowe will join as a special guest speaker. As the founder of LINGO, Bowe is a nationally recognized advocate for STEM education and youth innovation. In April of 2025, she flew aboard Blue Origin’s historic all-female mission.
More than 75 awards, including cash prizes, trophies, medals and patent applications, will be presented.
“Invention Convention Worldwide (ICW) brings some of the brightest students in the country to The Henry Ford for three days of competition and invention education programming,” said Patirica Mooradian, president and CEO of The Henry Ford. “ICW is a game-changer as these kids are learning critical skills, including creative thinking and problem solving, that lay the foundation for future success in the workforce.”
Invention Convention Worldwide is a K-12 invention education curricular program mapped to national and state educational standards that teaches students problem-identification, problem-solving, entrepreneurship, and creativity skills. The program builds confidence in invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship for life. More than 202,000 K-12 inventors from across the country participated in Invention Convention Worldwide programs in 2025, with the hopes of advancing to the U.S. national competition.
“For over 30 years, we’ve supported Invention Convention Worldwide because young innovators embody the curiosity and engineering mindset that fuels breakthrough in aerospace and technology. Their innovative thinking and ability to solve problems are motivating and will be essential in driving our industry ahead" said Kristy Becerra, senior director of corporate social responsibility at RTX.
Students are challenged to identify a problem in their own lives or communities and follow the seven steps of the invention process in The Henry Ford’s free Invention Convention curriculum. Students compete and elevate through local and regional levels before advancing to the U.S. national competition. To participate, students must submit a video presentation of their invention, a prototype, an inventor’s logbook showing the journey of their invention process, and a poster board highlighting key points of the invention process.
The mission of The Henry Ford’s Invention Convention Worldwide is to bring Invention Education to students everywhere. Organizations interested in bringing the year-long program to their region can get more information at inhub.thehenryford.org/icw.
Located in Dearborn, Michigan, The Henry Ford, a globally-recognized destination, fosters inspiration and learning from hands-on encounters with artifacts that represent the most comprehensive collection anywhere focusing on innovation, ingenuity and resourcefulness in America. Its unique venues include Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village, Ford Rouge Factory Tour, Benson Ford Research Center and Henry Ford Academy, a public charter high school. Together with its online presence at thf.org, its national television series The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation and Invention Convention Worldwide, the growing affiliation of organizations fostering innovation, invention and entrepreneurship in K-12 students, The Henry Ford inspires individuals to unlock their potential and help shape a better future.
RTX is a leading aerospace and defense company. Our global team of 180,000 employees pushes the limits of known science and redefines how we connect and protect our world. We are advancing aviation, building smarter defense systems, and creating innovations to take us deeper into space. The company is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
Bringing Young Innovators Together
Winning inventors and entrepreneurs are invited to compete at these prestigious, high-profile annual events.
Competitions