Chris Dimou, Roto Frank of America’s president and CEO, and Adam Bristol, the company’s manufacturing engineer, recently judged the Connecticut Invention Convention (CIC) Finals at the University of Connecticut’s Storrs campus.

Previous CIC contestants who have gone onto successful careers shared inspiring stories with the current student inventors. On display were approximately 850 inventions by students who were selected for the finals following the regionals in March. Winners will go on to participate in the National Invention Convention and Entrepreneurship Expo (NICEE.) Finalists are eligible for awards, grants and sponsorships from corporations, foundations, individuals,and academic institutions.

The CIC is an internationally recognized nonprofit educational program that helps develop and enhance critical thinking and problem solving in kids through invention, innovation and entrepreneurship. The convention gives students an introduction to careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM.) Each year, more than 275 Connecticut schools and 17,000 students from grades K-12 participate in local CIC programs.