Join us November 18th or 19th from 4:30-6:30pm* for this year's Innovation Expo!
*Times subject to change until 11/10/25 based on registrations and consequent scheduling needs.
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The purpose of the Innovation Expo is to provide an excellent opportunity for students to practice and challenge their critical thinking, problem solving and presentation skills by requiring students to innovate or invent something new, create either a prototype or diagram of their innovation/invention, and (for some students) then present their innovation/invention to a panel of friendly judges. Our Innovation Expo gives students an optimal platform to practice key "academic behaviors" in a low-stakes, encouraging and supportive environment.
There are 2 different tracks your student can take to participate - competitive (requires a presentation and gives students the opportunity to advance to the GASTC Regional and State Tech and Engineering Competitions), and non-competitive (only students in 4th-5th grade in the non-competitive category will be required to formally present their project).
The day of the Expo, students will showcase what they've done in an open room where families and students can see and celebrate the creativity represented by all of our students while competitors take turns presenting their project to a small panel of friendly community professionals. Competing students (and 4th-5th graders) are given 2 minutes to present, with 1 additional minute for follow up Q&A, but no one will have to present to any large groups at any point in the process, even if they advance to regional or state competitions.
For planning and scheduling purposes, we need every student who is participating in the Innovation Expo to register and declare their category no later than Wednesday, November 5th. If your student does not want to advance to the regional and state competitions, please register your student for the Innovation Expo under the "Non-Competitive" category. Your student does NOT need to know exactly what he/she is innovating or inventing when you register. Time frames for when students can set up and/or present their projects will be released after we receive everyone’s registration and category declaration.
More about the noncompetitive category, competitive categories & process, and FAQs for each are below.
Non-Competitive Category
All students participating in the non-competitive category will follow the Innovation Cycle to create and improve a product that solves a problem of their choosing.
Step 1: Students will think about a problem, or a product they think they can improve and begin brainstorming simple solutions and improvements.
Step 2: Students will begin designing their improvements by creating a labeled diagram of their product & improvements, then make a simple prototype or model displaying their innovation/invention. This model does NOT need to be functional and can be made out of recycled items around your home!
Step 3: Students will test their design, either by testing their model (if it's functional), or by asking several adults and peers what they think and what obstacles they see.
Step 4: Students will refine and improve their design by designing solutions to the problems and obstacles they encountered in Step 3.
Step 5: Students will create a presentation board or poster to display at the Innovation Expo showing visitors what their product is, what problem it solves and how it works.
Step 6: Students will display their project at the Learnwell Innovation Expo on November 18th or 19th. Fourth & fifth graders will present their projects before a small panel of friendly judges that night as well.
Rubrics & Expectations for Noncompetitive Category Participants can be found below:
K-1st Grade - This is just for fun! Follow the Noncompetitive Category steps above and enjoy making your display as creative as you want.
Competitive Categories
You can find a list of the competitive categories and a brief description of each below, as well as an image of that category's judging rubric. Each category title is also linked to the GASTC's category description for a more in-depth description of the category and the rubric the regional and state competitions will use for students that advance beyond our Learnwell Innovation Expo.
Innovations/Inventions submitted in this category should be created and modeled in three dimensions using software like Tinkercad, GollyGee Blocks, AutoCAD, SketchUp, or Roblox Studio. Projects/prototypes do not need to be physically 3D printed, but students should be prepared to show the three-dimensionality of their product design using a computer or pictures.
Innovations/Inventions submitted in this category should be "brought to life" using 2D or 3D animation - show us your innovation/invention in action by creating a short, animated video.
In this category, students will take a photo of an existing invention, then use your digital photo editing skills to edit, enhance and innovate the object, taking it to the next level and making it "wow."
In this category, students will design their innovation/invention and create a digital "poster" or flyer representing their innovation/invention and the key components thereof in a visually fun and creative way.
In this category, students will create a digital presentation all about their innovation/invention that includes multiple forms of media such as text, images, audio, video and graphics.
This category is for tech-loving students who want to take an existing object and physically modify it to sense, control or respond to the physical world. Innovations submitted under this category do need to be functional.
This category is for tech-loving students who want to invent a new robot or innovate an existing item so that it can move on its own to perform a task, solve a problem or demonstrate a specific function. Innovations/inventions in this category must be functional and cannot be remote-controlled - they must be capable of self-directed motion once started (i.e. they rely on sensors, programming or AI-driven logic rather than direct human control).
In this category, students will create and edit a video demonstrating and explaining their innovation/invention. Think of this like an opportunity to make a fun commercial for the innovation/invention. The video will be played for the panel of judges rather than the student giving a live presentation, though students in this category will still need to participate in a minute of follow-up Q&A.
This category is for students who know they want their innovation/invention to be the creation of a new or modified web or mobile app. Students do not need to create a fully functioning web or mobile app but do need to create enough functional parts to demonstrate the gist of how it would work and what it's for.
Competitive Participant Process
Students participating in competitive categories will also follow the Innovation Cycle to create and improve a product that solves a problem of their choosing. The type of "model" or presentation display they create will depend on the competitive category they choose to submit their project under.
Step 1: Students will think about a problem, or a product they think they can improve and begin brainstorming simple solutions and improvements.
Step 2A: Students will review the 9 competitive categories available and decide which category makes the most sense for their project/presentation. If after thinking about the product they want to innovate they decide a different category than what they had initially registered under would be better, please re-register under the new category. (For example, a student may have initially wanted to do 3D Modeling, but after coming up with an idea, they may find Video Production is a better option so they can create a physical model out of recycled materials and then make a video commercial for their innovation.)
Step 2B: Students will begin designing their improvements by creating a labeled diagram of their product & improvements, and make a simple prototype or model of their innovation/invention. How they make their model will depend on the category they chose. For example if a student is innovating a toothbrush and...
If he/she chose the 3D Modeling category, he/she will use 3D modeling software to create his/her innovated toothbrush model.
If he/she chose Animation, he/she will create a cartoon drawing showing off his/her innovation in action or a physical model that can be used for a stop-motion animation.
If he/she chose Digital Photography as his/her category, he/she will take a picture of a real toothbrush, then use digital editing software to digitally edit the photo to create and show off the innovations he/she is making.
If he/she chose Graphic Design, the student will use a digital design application like Canva to create a digital model of his/her innovation, as well as a digital poster/flyer showing off his/her digital model.
If he/she chose Multimedia Applications, the student will create a Slides/PowerPoint style presentation with hyperlinks, videos, audio and/or photos showing off his/her innovation or invention.
If he/she chose Physical Computing, he/she will create a functional model of his/her innovation that can sense, control or respond to the physical world.
If he/she chose Video Production, he/she will create a physical model of his/her innovation and then create and edit a video "commercial" showing off his/her innovation.
In this scenario, Robotics and Web & Mobile Apps would be difficult categories to submit a toothbrush innovation.
Step 3: Students will test their design, either by testing their model (if it's functional), or by asking several adults and peers what they think and what obstacles they see.
Step 4: Students will refine and improve their design by designing solutions to the problems and obstacles they encountered in Step 3 and update their model (whatever the format required by their category) accordingly.
Step 5: Students will create a presentation board or poster to display at the Innovation Expo showing visitors and judges what their product is, what problem it solves and how it works. Your student's category may determine what is needed for their presentation, as indicated in the modeling example above.
Step 6: Students will present their project to a friendly panel of judges (presentation times will be sent out after all registrations have been received). Students who place 1st in each category, for each age division, will have the opportunity to present their project at the Regional GASTC Tech & Engineering Fair in Roswell, GA in January 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions:
When can I set up for the Expo? Can I just stay after school to set up?
When can I set up for the Expo? Can I just stay after school to set up?
Because we have multiple end-times for different grades and classes, we are not able to allow anyone to set up immediately after school as the spaces we'll be using for the Expo will still be in use. We would love everyone to come set up their display at 4:30 and explore/hang out for the "open house" portion from at least 4:30-5/5:30pm when they can not only show off their own creativity and ingenuity but also celebrate and encourage their peers.
When will I be presenting?
When will I be presenting?
Presentations (only required for 4th-5th graders and competitive category participants) will start at 5. You should receive your specific presentation window no later than Thursday, Nov 13th.
Do I need to stay for the whole thing (4:30-6:30pm?)
Do I need to stay for the whole thing (4:30-6:30pm?)
No. Students who are not presenting and/or have finished presenting can begin taking down their displays and going home at 5pm. Students who are presenting may take down their displays and leave after they have made their presentation to the judges.
Can I set up my display and leave immediately?
Can I set up my display and leave immediately?
No. Projects may not be left overnight since we will again need the spaces we're using for the Expo the next day for school. We are asking everyone to come set up their display at 4:30 and explore/hang out for the "open house" portion from at least 4:30-5/5:30pm when they can not only show off their own creativity and ingenuity but also celebrate and encourage their peers.
Do I have to come to both days?
Do I have to come to both days?
No. Students will display their innovations on the date indicated when they registered. If you are attending to check out the creative projects, you can come either day or both since each day will showcase a whole new group of participants.
Does my student have to participate in the Learnwell Innovation Expo?
Does my student have to participate in the Learnwell Innovation Expo?
Participation is only required for 2nd-5th grade students, but middle and high school students may receive extra credit in their science classes for participation. Your 2nd-5th grader is not required to participate in a competitive category.
Because this is an excellent opportunity for students to practice key skills such as problem solving, creativity and critical thinking, we would love to encourage as many students to participate as possible!
Does my student have to register for the Learnwell Innovation Expo?
Does my student have to register for the Learnwell Innovation Expo?
Yes. Because we are partnering with community members to judge each category, we need to know how many students are presenting and from which categories. You can register using THIS FORM.
Can my student participate in more than one category?
Can my student participate in more than one category?
Yes. Students can participate in multiple categories, but if they are participating in multiple competitive categories, they will only be allowed to advance to the regional competition in one category.
Can my student partner with friends on his/her project.
Can my student partner with friends on his/her project.
Absolutely...with a couple caveats.
Students in 2nd-5th grade must submit a solo project as these projects are counting toward these grades' academic standards and requirements. These solo projects can fall under the competitive or non-competitive categories. They may enter a secondary project they've worked on with a partner.
Students hoping to advance to a regional or state competition can only partner with 1 other person (teams of 2) to complete their project.
If your student is not local, is in K-1st grade, or is in 6th-11th grade and is not wanting to advance to the regional competition, he/she may partner with as many other students as he/she wants (as long as they also understand they will not be able to advance to the regional competition).
How does my student know what's required for each category?
How does my student know what's required for each category?
For Noncompetitive Category Students:
You can find links to the rubrics for your students' age group below:
K-1st Grade - This is just for fun! Follow the Noncompetitive Category steps above and enjoy making your display as creative as you want.
For Competitive Category Students:
Check out the category descriptions above and click on the image to view the rubric for each category. To find even more info and specifics about each category, follow the links under "Competitive Categories" to visit the GASTC pages for each category where you will find expectations, rules, as well as a link in the header for the regional and state competition rubrics for that specific category.
If the Learnwell Innovation Expo rubric images will not expand large enough to read easily, you can also find the Learnwell competitive category rubrics below:
Will my student be competing against students of all ages?
Will my student be competing against students of all ages?
No. Students participating in competitive categories will be competing against their peers in the following age brackets:
3rd-4th graders
5th-6th graders
7th-8th graders
9th-10th graders
11th* graders
*11th graders will participate against 11th & 12th graders at regional and state competitions.
Will my student have time in class to work on his/her project?
Will my student have time in class to work on his/her project?
Yes and no - 2nd-5th graders will have space reserved in their lesson plans over the next few weeks to work on their innovation projects on at-home days. Second through fifth grade Learnwell teachers will be checking in with their students to hear how the at-home projects are going, encourage students and generally make sure they are on track, but North GA hybrid students will have a separate innovation-cycle-related collaborative project to complete on their in-person school days, so they will not have significant in-person school time devoted to their innovation expo project.
Because Innovation Expo participation is optional for K-1st & 6th-11th, time to work on Innovation Expo projects will not be reflected in their lesson plans, either at home or in-person. For these students, an Innovation Expo project will be like any other enrichment opportunity and require extracurricular time.
When and where are the Regional and State competitions?
When and where are the Regional and State competitions?
The Independent and Homeschool Regional GASTC Tech & Engineering Competition (the division Learnwell advances to) is scheduled for Sunday, January 25th, 2026, from 10am-2pm (students will be given a more specific window of time to be there and present after registration as the event gets closer) and will take place at the Fulton Science Academy in Roswell, GA.
The GASTC State competition has been scheduled for Saturday, March 14th, 2026, and will take place at Academy for Advanced Studies in McDonough, GA. Again, more specific information regarding presentation and award times at the event will be communicated to winners of the regional competition as the event draws near.
Is there a cost associated with participating in the Innovation Expo, Regional Technology Fair or State competition?
Is there a cost associated with participating in the Innovation Expo, Regional Technology Fair or State competition?
You will be responsible for any costs incurred in the process of creating your student's project (supplies, etc.), but there is no registration fee for our Learnwell Innovation Expo. Students advancing to the Regional Fair will need to submit a $15 Regional Fair registration fee. Additional registration fees may be required for students who win their grade bracket's category at the Regional Fair and wish to advance to the State-level competition.
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