Last week the Fresno Unified School District approved a contract with the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Fresno State to integrate tailored learning modules into every fifth-grade classroom in Fresno Unified. The new partnership will implement the delivery of Kids Invent!, a hands-on educational program designed to engage students in the subjects of science, engineering and entrepreneurship by using a unique lesson plan of creative and innovative activities.

Weekly activities will range from boomerangs to solar powered boats and incorporate the appropriate Next Generation Science Standards. The program will culminate in June of 2015 with a certificate of completion for every student that participated in the program.

“Healthy communities are ones who embed innovation and entrepreneurship into their fabric,” said Dr. Timothy Stearns, executive director of the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “This is one important step in that direction.”

In addition to the curricula, all school sites will receive teacher training and on-going instructor and classroom support. Teachers will receive access to videoed curricula manuals by Dr. Ed Sobey, co-creator of the Kids Invent! program and founding director of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, to ensure lessons are effectively communicated to fifth-grade students.

All curricula will be reviewed in collaboration with Fresno Unified’s Special Education Department to guarantee accessibility for all students. The Lyles Center will conduct a specialized assessment incorporating data collection and performance evaluations to gauge the success of this project.

For additional information, contact Dr. Timothy Stearns at 559.294.2045 or timothys@csufresno.edu.

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