Business Vets, Educators, Mentors Be part of POP’s Younger Inventor Problem Advisory Board

People of Play (POP), host of toy and sport trade occasions that happen throughout Chicago Toy & Game Week, has revealed the formation of an advisory board for the Young Inventor Challenge (YIC). The YIC is a toy and sport design and pitch competitors for teenagers ages 6 to 18 that’s held through the Chicago Toy & Game Fair.

“2023 marks the seventeenth yr of the Younger Inventor Problem, [which] has grown a lot just lately that we knew it was time to place an advisory board collectively,” says Mary Couzin, Founder and President of POP. “Latest partnerships with ASTRA (American Specialty Toy Retailing Affiliation) and Completely satisfied Camper Dwell (an organization that brings the enjoyable of summer time camp to children twelve months a yr) have introduced our program to 1000’s extra younger inventors! Enlargement additionally means we’d like extra mentors, judges, and sponsors. Please attain out to us in case you are .”

YIC occasions have multiplied with the recognition of the competitors and now occurs all yr lengthy in toy shops, at summer time camps, and even on-line. All of it culminates on the Younger Inventor Problem Worldwide World Championship in Chicago each November. The mission of the YIC is to encourage the subsequent technology to make use of creativity, essential pondering, and STEAM abilities within the invention and innovation course of and to attach skilled mentors in a number of fields with the younger innovators.

Members of the advisory board embrace:

• Alicia Alexander Klitsner: Educator and former YIC Director
• Helaina Cappel: Founding father of Children Desk Board Gaming, former trainer and sport designer
• Mary Couzin: President and Founding father of POP
• Michael Gramelspacher: Co-Director and Founding father of SG Labs, Co-Organizer of the St Clare Faculty Innovator Membership
• Ahren Hoffman: Director of the Younger Inventor Problem, Advertising & Communications Supervisor at Loopy Aaron’s
• Ken Johnson: Inventor of Section 10 and member of Michigan’s Oakland Faculty District, which hosts an all-school toy and sport competitors
• Julie McNamara: Superior Degree Efficiency System Trainer at Palos East Faculty in Palos Heights, Illinois
• Allison Miller: Founder and President of Completely satisfied Camper Dwell
• Gene Murtha: ASTRA Board member, POP Government Committee, and Regional Director of SCORE
• Erik Quam: Vice President of New Product and Enterprise Growth, Sensible Toys and Video games
• Tim Walsh: Founding father of Playmakers and board chair

Anybody inquisitive about serving on the advisory board is inspired to get in contact with POP.