by Lauren Parker, Florida Inventors Hall of Fame at USF Research
Invention Convention Florida at the University of South Florida has received a transformational award from Invention Convention Worldwide, a program of The Henry Ford, and made possible through support from RTX, one of the world’s largest aerospace and defense companies. The award will expand invention education opportunities for K-12 students and educators throughout Florida.
“This investment represents exactly what is possible when education, industry and the innovation community come together around a shared commitment to young people,” said USF President Moez Limayem. “At the University of South Florida, we believe innovation is not simply something we celebrate; it is something we cultivate. By giving young people across Florida opportunities to see themselves as inventors and problem-solvers, we are helping develop the talent and ideas that will shape our future.”
Student inventor presents “Kibble Kollector” during Invention Convention Florida at the University of South Florida in 2026.
ICF@USF is Florida’s official state affiliate of Invention Convention Worldwide. Led by the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame, ICF@USF helps K-12 students across Florida explore invention and innovation, develop forward-thinking solutions to real-world challenges, and advance their ideas through a pathway that connects classroom and community invention experiences to state competitions and ultimately the RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals, held annually at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
“The Henry Ford is committed to supporting our state program affiliates like the University of South Florida with capacity-building services to help them expand Invention Convention Worldwide among more educators and students,” said Carolyn Ward, Senior Director of Learning Engagement, Outreach and Impact at Henry Ford. “Working together with our partners, we can inspire and impact more students across the country to develop their problem-identification, problem-solving, and creativity skills that will directly benefit the workforce of tomorrow.”
Through this award, ICF@USF will expand access to high-quality invention education experiences for students and educators across Florida, strengthening pathways that help young people move through the complete invention process, identifying real-world problems, researching existing solutions, developing and testing prototypes, understanding intellectual property and entrepreneurship, and ultimately communicating their ideas.
We recognize that the innovators who will tackle tomorrow’s greatest challenges are sitting in classrooms today. Invention Convention empowers students to turn curiosity into action and build creativity and critical-thinking skills they’ll use throughout their lives. By supporting Invention Convention Worldwide, we help broaden these opportunities for young people in Florida.
Kristy Becerra
RTX Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility
RTX’s support of ICF@USF is part of the company’s broader commitment to Invention Convention Worldwide and to inspire the next generation of inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs. In addition to its national support of the RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals, RTX’s investment extends to state-level programs that strengthen invention education and help cultivate the next generation of STEM and innovation talent.
Since ICF@USF became Florida’s official Invention Convention Worldwide affiliate in 2023, it has built a growing statewide pathway connecting K-12 students with invention education and competitive opportunities. In 2026, more than 200 young inventors came to USF to present original inventions and solutions at ICF@USF, with 73 student winners, representing 59 projects, advancing to the RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals. Florida's delegation was among the largest represented at the national competition, underscoring the program's rapid statewide growth and impact.
“This investment is transformational for invention education in Florida,” said Jamie Spurrier, Executive Program Officer of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame at USF Research. “We are creating a statewide ecosystem that reaches into classrooms and communities, equips educators with resources, connects students with inventors and industry, and positions Florida as the largest ICW affiliate, with over 120,000 students participating in innovation education in the state, underscoring the program's rapid statewide growth and impact. This support allows us to accelerate that vision and reach young innovators throughout Florida.”
About Invention Convention Florida at USF
Invention Convention Florida at USF is the official Florida State Affiliate of Invention
Convention Worldwide, a program of The Henry Ford, and is part of a national network
dedicated to fostering invention education and empowering the next generation of innovators.
ICF@USF is also a key outreach program of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame, headquartered
at USF Research. For more information about Invention Convention Florida @ USF, visit
https://floridainvents.org/ or follow the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame on social media.
About RTX
With more than 180,000 global employees, we push the limits of technology and science
to redefine how we connect and protect our world. With industry-leading capabilities,
we advance aviation, engineer integrated defense systems for operational success,
and develop next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global
customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2025 sales of
more than $88 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.