Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions
Can we have 4 or more in our group?
How do I get to Bend Research?
Will I be able to be present at the judging?
Who else has won this contest?
Can I buy an Inventerprise T-Shirt?
Do I get my entry back after the contest?
Can I get school credit for this?
I am home schooled. Can I enter, too?
Do I have to have my name attached to every part of the presentation?
When must my project be received at Bend Research?
What is with the "Star Trek" theme?
Who draws that wonderful cartoon?
Can we have 4 or more in our group?
Sure, but the group will not be eligible for a fabulous prize. Interestingly enough, this is an excerpt from the Nobel Prize web site:
"In the beginning, more than three prize winners could share a Nobel Prize, although this was never practiced. Paragraph four of the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation was amended in 1968, restricting the number of prizewinners to only three."
Who are we to argue?
How do I get to Bend Research?
See The Map with directions.
Will I be able to be present at the judging?
No, so be sure that the text that accompanies your entry clearly relates your ideas.
Who else has won this contest?
See the Hall of Fame
Can I buy an Inventerprise T-Shirt?
No, they are worn exclusively by contest winners!
Do I get my entry back after the contest?
Yes, if you have labeled each part of the project with an entry form and have checked the box on that form indicating that you would like to have your entry returned. Your project will be returned to the school listed on the entry form shortly after the contest is over.
Can I get school credit for this?
School credit is up to your teacher. In past years, students have asked their teachers if they would be willing to award some sort of class credit for this project. Many have said yes! If you are an instructor and would like to provide suggestions about the Inventerprise contest so that next year's problem better meets the requirements of your course, please contact the project director. Also, Let your teacher know about this offer (Teachers contact us for more details.)
I am home schooled. Can I enter, too?
Yes. Just state clearly that you are home schooled, and include a phone number so that arrangements can be made for the return of your entry after the contest.
Do I have to have my name attached to every part of the presentation?
Yes. Each year, more than 100 projects are submitted for judging. If your project has multiple parts, marking each part of your entry with your name will help us keep it all together, better understand the idea, and get it all back to you. Print out a copy of the entry form, fill it out and attach it to the main part of your entry. Clearly print the names of each group member, your grade, your teacher's name, and your school. We want to spell your name correctly in the press release when you win! Place your name on all other pieces of the project.
When is my entry due at Bend Research?
Please see this year's schedule. See the (Printable) MAP for directions to the drop off site in Tumalo.
What is with the "Star Trek" theme?
Glad you asked! Science is filled with people who started out as kids watching Star Trek on TV. The show is based on an intrepid crew of explorers and inventors whose mission is "to boldly go where no one has gone before," an idea that today's scientists and adventurers must embrace to keep pace with the world's increasingly complex challenges.
When this contest was started in 1992, the developers agreed with that sentiment and were impressed with the staying power of the Star Trek theme. The name of the contest, "Inventerprise" takes its name from the name of the spaceship "Enterprise" and incorporates the word "invent" as well. The motto, "Ideas: The Final Frontier" is inspired by the show's motto, "Space: The Final Frontier." One of the missions of the starship's crew was to promote peace and equality in the universe. We decided to make a small start toward this goal in our own neighborhood by opening the contest to all K-12 students in Central Oregon.
1 Picture = 1 kilo-word, so we employ Jake LaChapelle, a crack cartoonist, who poses as a mild-mannered architect by day, to write and produce a new cartoon each year based on the contest idea. It is one of our most recognizable icons. So far, no one on the committee has been able to come up with a better, more noble theme that does as much. If you have suggestions for a new theme, please contact the planning committee.