Kelly Ann, inventor of the Baby Saver, with her father.
Volunteer
Help invent the future as a KCIC Volunteer!
ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT SUPPORTING STEMIE INITIATIVES FOR KANSAS CITY YOUTH?
Whether you are interested in serving as a competition judge or can share your professional expertise as a mentor, there is a spot for you. Join today and become part of Kansas City’s invention community!
Time commitments and expectations for each KCIC volunteer opportunity vary. Please review the descriptions of each role below to determine which best suits your availability.
Support the next generation of inventors by volunteering with us at KCIC!
For questions about volunteering, please contact invent@lindahall.org.
Mentors
KCIC strives to inspire curiosity, confidence, and creative problem-solving skills in Kansas City youth. We also believe that the invention process should be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Mentors will work with students on all facets of the invention process: refining an idea, building a prototype, and making a pitch. As a mentor, you will serve as a STEMIE role model to help foster an interest in sci-tech careers.
Mentors FAQ
We are looking for people who have real-world invention and entrepreneurial experience to serve as mentors. If you have developed an innovative product, own a business, or have start-up experience, then you may be the perfect fit.
Mentors should be experienced innovators, inventors, and entrepreneurs. Unlike KCIC judges who are evaluating a student’s project with positive feedback and suggestions on competition day, the role of KCIC mentors is to be supportive and encouraging during the invention process.
Mentors serve as sounding boards for students as they work through the invention process by giving them feedback on their invention idea, refining their pitch, and helping develop their prototype.
Mentors answer questions and provide feedback to our young inventors during the inventing process. Questions, answers, and general feedback will be educator moderated and may take the form of an email exchange or a live video conference. Mentorship can be as brief as answering one question or may lead to ongoing advising, depending on project needs and the mentor’s availability. We value our mentor’s time and are grateful for their support.
Judges
Using a scoring rubric, judges will review student projects on their originality, effectiveness, practicality, and need. Judges will engage with the inventors directly by listening to their pitch, asking questions about their invention, and providing positive feedback.
Judges FAQ
KCIC judges should be adults who are comfortable engaging with children in grades 5-12, enthusiastic about STEMIE initiatives, and are fair and able to adhere to the scoring rubric. Judges will be working in groups of three, so they must also work well in a team.
If you know a student participating in KCIC, you must disclose this information during registration and must be able to judge unbiasedly.
Yes, Linda Hall Library staff will provide training and will be onsite to provide support throughout the event.
Judging will take place at a one-day in-person event. Judges must participate in training and orientation, critique six projects, and deliberate with their teammates before submitting final scores. Total, you should expect to spend about 6 hours at KCIC as a judge.
Want to Learn More?
If you have additional questions about KCIC or participation, please visit our FAQ page or contact invent@lindahall.org.