How to Get Free STEM Gadgets that Thomas Edison would love in 2020

We are excited to share with you the full list of Maker's Kit materials for the Thomas Edison Pitch Contest 2020. Below you'll find a complete list of STEM materials & tools that will help students innovate to the fullest in our 2020 contest and beyond!

You can register for the Thomas Edison Pitch Contest 2020 throughout this month! The Thomas Edison Pitch Contest was created in 2010 as a competition to showcase and encourage invention, innovation and entrepreneurship among students. Every year, students submit their great ideas to win prizes and gain the hands-on experience exclusive to our contest! Students in grades 4-12 are invited to compete in this contest honoring innovation & Thomas Edison. To celebrate our 10th Anniversary, we are extending a special challenge to participants - How will you invent to make the world a brighter place?

You'll be sent your free Maker's Kit & get more info on these tools after you register, but to help kick-start your planning, here are a few of our favorites:

1. Arduino UnoInland Uno

The Arduino's easy program & simple hardware make it a perfect programmable circuit boards for beginners & your students. This item can be used to control your buttons, LEDs, motors, sensors, and buzzers that come in the kit. Think of it as the "brain" of any electronic project.

2. SKY-Z Mini DC Wind Turbine

A simple and small DC wind turbine perfect for classroom or at home experiments. This compact alternative energy kit empowers students to experiment with creating the most efficient turbine using direct current.

3. Piezo Buzzer

A signaling device that buzzes or makes sound to signal something, frequently used for alarms, pest deterrents, computer devices, phone, and toys. For example, when your pager rings & vibrates to let you know a table is ready at a restaurant, they are using one of these buzzers!

More supplies included in the 2020 Maker's Kits are:

• Arduino UnoInland Uno: R3 is a fairly versatile board

• Ultrasonic Distance Sensor: This is a very simple sensor that has many uses

• Micro Servo: Servos very commonly used in robotics kits

• Piezo Buzzer: Vibration or high sound good for electronic to body interaction

• Battery Clip: To power the Arduino board

• Velcro Strap: Multi use, Adher to body. 

• Connection Wires: This is a ranbow ribon of wires that can be left together or broken up, each set will have 20 pieces

• Solderless breadboard: For connecting wires and motors and any other electronics

• Bearings: For spinning

• 50 Watt Motor: Large Motor for generating power

• Electricity Lab: Including Sky-z DC Generator Pacl, Multimeter, Circuits 101

• Complete Wind Turbine & Hydropaddle set-ups

• Solar Panel set up

Curriculum for Students & TeachersPicoSolutions is also offering their exclusive STEM curriculum to every team that registers for the Thomas Edison Pitch Contest 2020. This curriculum will keep students engaged in the latest technology (i.e. what comes in your Maker's Kit) while learning vital skills like problem solving & knowing how to present your work. This will make it possible for teachers & parents to be able to teach the newest STEM ideas & lead a Pitch Contest team, even with little to no prior experience in that field.

If this is your first year doing the contest or you aren't a specialized STEM teacher, the new PicoSolutions curriculum is the perfect aid to help not only try but complete the contest in 2020! Learn more about why you should sign up for the Thomas Edison Pitch Contest and what your kids could learn from this program here!