Rubber Band Contest seeks young inventors

09/08/2010

Students across the country in grades five through eight are challenged to demonstrate their creativity and ingenuity by creating inventions that incorporate rubber bands. The University of Akron’s Akron Global Polymer Academy calls for entries for its third annual Rubber Band Contest for Young Inventors.

This year’s contest will again feature two divisions of competition: Arts/Leisure and Science/Engineering. Four finalists will be brought to Akron where the first-place winner and runner-up in each division will be announced at a May 14 awards ceremony.

The first-place winner in each division will receive a $1,000 savings bond and the runner-up in each division will receive a $500 savings bond.  The top eight semifinalists in each division who are not selected as finalists will each receive a $50 gift card.  The top four schools with the most entries will each receive a $250 donation to their school.

Last year, Benjamin Dabney of Radford, Va., and Tucker Haas of Charlotte, N.C. each placed first in a contest division. Dabney won the contest’s Science and Engineering division with his ElastiBed mosquito net and Haas won the contest’s Arts and Leisure division with his Weband Waterbands.

To enter, submit a completed official entry form; a sketch of the invention; and an essay of 1,000 words or less explaining the invention’s purpose, how it works, how the idea was created, and how it will be used or make everyday life easier or more enjoyable.  The deadline for entries is Feb. 16, 2011.  Complete contest entry rules and details are available at Rubber Band Contest 2011.


Media contact: Denise Henry, 330-972-6477 or henryd@uakron.edu.