Twenty-seven teams of excited students ranging from 6th grade to high school competed in the third annual Thomas Edison Invention Challenge. Held on the campus of New Jersey Institute of Technology [NJIT] on Saturday, May 11th, this alternate energy technology themed competition capped 6 months of work by the student teams. Teams from all over northern and central New Jersey got up bright and early to bring their inventions to NJIT. Groups of judges fanned out and examined each team entry and interviewed them to learn the specifics of their creations. Here below are photos and explanations of the winning entries and teams.

1st Place
“Waldwick Warriors”
Waldwick HS
Invented solar/USB sunglasses

2nd Place
“Team Tesla”
New Providence HS
Invented an emergency shelter for disaster relief

3rd Place
“Ener-gae”
Howell HS
Invented a source of biofuels derived from algae farms

Two Honorable Mention awards were also made.

Honorable mention #1
“Grizzly Innovators”
High Point RHS
Invented a turbine system that would mount to the grill of a truck and generate energy to be used to warm the block of the engine in the winter

Honorable mention #2
“Technovators”
Heritage Middle School
Invented a solar powered food dryer

Great work student teams! Thomas Edison would be proud.

To see more pictures from this event, visit and ‘like’ our Facebook page. Stay tuned for an expanded invention challenge next year.

“Hell, there are no rules here – we’re trying to accomplish something.”

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