258 UPDATE Tennessee Titan Kevin Mawae will be speaker for Invention Convention

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 11, 2007
CONTACT: Tracey Ring, 615-898-5500

MTSU WELCOMES GRADE-SCHOOLERS TO 15th ANNUAL CONVENTION
Students Demonstrate Inventions at March 1 Event; Titan’s Mawae Guest Speaker

(MURFREESBORO)—A mother’s legacy will once again lead area children to summon their creative and practical capabilities at this year’s Invention Convention, an annual event that will be held 9 a.m.-11:30 p.m. March 1 in the Tennessee Room of MTSU’s James Union Building.

Kevin Mawae, center for the Tennessee Titans, will be the special guest at this year’s event. The 6' 4", 290-pound athlete, who can boast 13 years in professional football and six trips to the Pro Bowl, will be the motivational speaker for this year's Invention Convention.
Now in its 15th year under the direction of event founder Dr. Tracey Ring, professor of elementary and special education at MTSU, the invention-filled event is free and open to the public.
Regarding the convention, “My mother did this when she taught fifth grade at a private school,” Ring said. “After she retired, I decided to do it on a bigger scale.”
Today, the Invention Convention draws nearly 300 young participants from schools across middle Tennessee, said Ring, who opens the conference to area students in fourth, fifth and sixth grades from public and private schools, as well as those in local home schools.
Thanks to time, Ring said, word of her child-focused program has spread beyond middle Tennessee.
“A couple of years ago, we got a call from somebody at the Jay Leno show,” Ring revealed. “Every year, we videotape what goes on, and they were interested in that.”
Invention Convention competitors compete against others in their grade level, and are divided into categories of Games and Something to Make Life Easier, and division winners are given awards for first through third place. In addition to those trophies, judges give credence to students with special significance, Ring said.
“We give a Judge’s Favorite award to a kid with a really unusual project who didn’t get a trophy in his or her category,” she explained. “We also give an award for the best presentation.”
Ring said that aside from developing a presentation, participants must create working models of their inventions. The pressure to develop functioning models pushes children to stretch their creativity, she noted, and makes their feat more impressive.
“You find that most kids make games, usually ones that help them learn what they’re studying in school,” Ring said. “Also, in recent years I’ve seen a shift to more technological inventions.”
Ring observed that the convention’s two consistent themes, Games and Something to Make Life Easier, grant the children more creative flexibility and

afford them the chance to explore other motif options.
Aside from the children’s featured inventions, Ring said, “Each year, I pick an everyday object of interest, and feature it. We make a poster about it, so people can learn about its background. This year, we’re focusing on a tape measure.”
Ring’s office currently houses past featured objects, such as sunglasses and Frisbees, both of which are emblazoned with the Invention Convention logo.
This year, in addition to prizes for children, Ring said she will give a special award to teachers who support the program.
“Some of these teachers are with us every year and provide great support. Without them, we wouldn’t draw nearly the entries we do.”
Because this is the program’s 15th year, Ring said she also plans to honor students who have participated all three years of eligibility.
“The goal is to get these kids interested and get them involved around MTSU,” she said.
For more information regarding Invention Convention, please contact Ring at 615-898-550 or via e-mail at tring@mtsu.edu.

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