So much to celebrate this year! Over 230 young inventors from 56 schools came to the California State Railroad Museum to present to the judges and see each other’s inventions at the Northern / Central California Invention Convention. For many of these schools, this was the first time their students had participated. We are so happy to have them on board.
Our deepest thanks to our Premier Sponsors California State Railroad Museum Foundation and the California State Railroad Museum who opened their fabulous museum to our inventors and their families. It is such a fantastic location for our convention — and everyone was so impressed.
The Awards Ceremony was broadcast on April 24th. If you missed the awards ceremony or would like to view it again, the link is here. Scroll to the 15 minute mark to see the pictures of all the particiants. Scroll to the 30 minute mark to begin the actual ceremony. Video is 50 minutes from this point
And here are some wonderful pictures of our event from Kelly Huston. Big thanks to Kelly for donating his time and his gift!
Check out the list of participants and their inventions. List is in order alphabetically by last name.
Merit Awards a given to students in each grade level whose inventions are deemed by the judges to be exemplary for the grade and age level. Each student will receive a Merit Award ribbon as well as a set of Inventor Trading Cards provided by the Silicon Valley US Patent Office. Many thanks to them! Inventors are listed alphabetically by last name.
Industry Focus Awards: Inventions are categorized into one of 12 industry categories. A winner is chosen in each category by independent Judges in their areas of interest and expertise. If the category is supported by corporate or organizational sponsors, they choose the winner and provide an award. This year the Health & Medical award was sponsored by Penumbra and the Safety award was sponsored by the California State Railroad Museum. Our thanks to both of these organizations for their generous support of our efforts! List is alphabetical by industry focus
As our convention grows, we are looking for industry partners so that in time each category is sponsored by an organization or business that operates in that sector. If you know of an organization that might be interested in being an industry sponsor, please contact us.
Invited to Nationals: These inventors are invited to present their inventions to teams of judges as part of the National Invention Convention hosted by The Henry Ford. They will join an estimated 500 inventors from all over the United States in Dearborn, Michigan from June 3-5, 2026. They will meet with other inventors and see what is happening among young student inventors – as well as tour The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation – one of America’s outstanding museums. Congratulations to them all!! They are listed alphabetically by last name.
Top Awards: The three top awards are Best in Show, Most Marketable & Most Innovative. There were so many extraordinary inventions that the judges had a hard time deciding!! These three stood out from a field of fantastic inventions.
The team of Isabel Bassmann and Madison Moules, 7th graders from Aptos Junior High, have been awarded Analog Devices Best in Show for their invention Peel It Stick It
Peel It, Stick It Problem/Solution statement: When people are in a rush to put a band-aid on, sometimes it is difficult to open the band-aid wrapper and place it on a cut. Our invention helps prevent this! The problem we are trying to solve is to help people, especially children, be able to detach a band-aid quickly and easily.
Daniel Jauregui is a 6th grader from Ceiba College Preparatory Academy in Watsonville and has been awarded Central Coast Patent Agency's Most Marketable Invention for his invention Super Flipper.
Super Flipper Problem / Solution Statement: The Supper Flipper is a better version of a normal spatula. It is a new and improved way to cook safely. It will allow you to have full control of the food item while on a hot pan with oil or grill.
Rohan Milapuram is a 12th grader at Irvington High in Fremont and has been awarded The Eagan Family Foundation's Most Innovative Invention Award for his invention Solder Pen
Solder Pen Problem / Solution statement: It solves the issue of having to use two hands in order to solder electronic components together and not having a spare hand free to hold down components or use other tools.
The Big Thinker Award is in honor of Jerry Spivak who was a research scientist with Bell Laboratories and AT&T and supporter of the California Invention Convention from its inception
In 2025 the Big Thinker award is awarded to the team of Sonny Gammino and Damian Izant Gonzales, 5th Graders from Main Street Elementary in Soquel for their invention Surf & Turf Pedal Pads. Surf and Turf Pedal Pads make it so that kids and adults that want to ride their bike to beach to get in the water can ride their bike without shoes, and avoid getting hurt or being in pain. The turf pads also help scrape wet sand of your feet after a fun day at the beach.
The King Family Young Innovators Award is awarded to two teams:
Floraine Collado and Christopher Jones, 6th graders from Primary Years Academy in Stockton for their invention The Drip 'n' Sip: Our invention, the Drip ‘n Sip, solves the problem of your ice cream dripping off the cone when it melts. We aim to eliminate the issue of ice cream dripping and making a sticky mess.
Sage Turk and Trinley Wright, 7th Graders from Pacific Collegiate School in Santa Cruz for their invention COSM-0: COSM-0 can help abandoned puppies and other animals, especially those in foster care or living in shelters. COSM-0 can help correct misbehavior, act as a mother figure, help train the puppy (or other animal), and provide heat just like a real dog (or other animal).
The Michelson's Young Inventors Award is awarded to team of Audrey Colburn and Nyeli Reid, 5th graders from Elkhorn Elementary in Stockton for their invention Health Care Bear: The Health Care Bear is supposed to help little kids with their anxiety when they get hurt or when they are sick.
The Griffith - Marlin Award for Teamwork goes to the team of Sedona Brooks and Skyla Walton, 6th graders from New Brighton Middle in Capitola for their invention The Qwik Clean: The Qwik Clean is an appliance that helps you clean your dishes quickly without risking breaking a dish in the sink. This appliance is for anyone looking for an easier way to wash dishes, especially in homes that do not have a dishwasher.
The Maksumov Family Girls Inventing the Future Award is awarded to three individual inventors:
Melissa Ayala, a 5th Grader at Watsonville Charter School for the Arts in Watsonville, for her invention Pillowtastic. Pillowtastic is a product that consumers use in the car to be more comfortable.
Araline Gutierrez, a 6th Grader at Ceiba College Preparatory Academy in Watsonville, for her invention G.T.C. (Glasses, Technology, Challenges. My invention uses technology to help keep your glasses clean.
Aiesha Ogana, a 6 th Grader at Elkhorn Elementary in Stockton, for her invention Good Thoughts Machine. Good Thoughts Machine is a machine that contains a good message for when you're having a bad thought
The National Hall of Fame Future Innovator Award is awarded to two individual inventors:
Jesse Guzman, a 6th Grader at Primary Years Academy in Stockton, for his invention Zipper Guard 4.0: The Zipper Guard prevents your zipper from getting stuck on a backpack's storm flap.
Selah Sunzeri, a 4th Grader at Watsonville Charter School for the Arts in Watsonville, for her invention Lock & Roll Bike Lock. The Lock and Roll is a smart bike lock that also includes provides emergency support in case the rider falls and needs assistance.
The California Invention Convention is a registered 501(c)(3) with a tax-exempt EIN 84-3492216. We currently do not charge the schools for the curriculum. We rely strictly on sponsors and donations for which we are most grateful.
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