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STEM Success Story: How Two Students Engineered a Shoelace Solution
Manage episode 508591946 series 3591678
What happens when two eighth-grade students notice a problem during volleyball matches? They create an award-winning invention that could soon hit store shelves nationwide.
Meet Sam Priest and Olivia Adams, volleyball players turned inventors who developed the "Untie Knot" – an elegantly simple silicone band that prevents shoelaces from coming untied during physical activity. Their invention journey began when they witnessed a teammate's shoe come untied during a match, causing an awkward game stoppage.
Through their school's Inventionland Education course, these young innovators learned to apply observational skills, research, and creative problem-solving to address this everyday annoyance. Through multiple prototypes, they discovered that shoelaces come untied through repeated impact forces during running or walking. Their solution? A stretchy silicone band that securely wraps around the knot to keep it tight.
The most remarkable aspect of Sam and Olivia's story isn't just their clever invention, but how the experience transformed their confidence and future outlook. Before the course, neither considered themselves inventors or had interest in STEM careers. Now, they have a company in Texas interested in bringing their product to market. Their success showcases the power of applied learning – combining mathematics, language arts, design, and science to solve real-world problems.
Their story demonstrates why hands-on STEM education deserves priority in our schools. It teaches not just technical knowledge but crucial life skills: creative thinking, collaboration, perseverance, and effective communication. As Sam advises future inventors: "Just be creative and share a lot of ideas. We had no clue what we were going to make when we started this, but it all worked out."
Want to discover how STEM education could unlock your child's potential? Listen to Sam and Olivia's full journey in this inspiring episode.
For more information about the innovations that are shaping tomorrow's world, head to https://tomorrowsworldtoday.com/
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Chapters
1. Meet the Young Inventors (00:00:00)
2. Identifying the Problem (00:02:05)
3. Developing the Untie Knot Solution (00:04:43)
4. The Creative Process in STEM Education (00:07:40)
5. Winning the Invention Contest (00:12:10)
6. From Prototype to Market Opportunity (00:18:15)
7. Lessons Learned as Young Inventors (00:22:05)
8. Exciting News for the Future (00:26:03)
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