Latest news with #HenryFordMuseumofAmericanInnovation
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
CT teen wins national inventor award. His patent pending invention was inspired by helping his uncle
Nolan Kosciukiewicz did what any teen might do when they learn their invention has been nationally recognized. He celebrated. 'It was crazy. Right when I heard 'Super Flipper,' everyone went crazy. It was so amazing,' Nolan, 13, of Newington, said. 'It just means so much to me.' The John Wallace Middle School eighth grader qualified for the 2025 Invention Convention U.S. Nationals held at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan from June 4-6. He won the category for Household Organization and Appliances. He found out the good news about his invention, the Super Flipper, on Friday at a ceremony. The invention is a type of spatula. Nathan's win was under the Industry Award category. Kosciukiewicz needed to advance to state and regional competitions before qualifying for the U.S. Nationals. In all, more than 202,000 students from kindergarten through 12th grade participated in Invention Convention Worldwide programs and 490, including Kosciukiewicz, made nationals in Michigan, according to the program. Steve Kosciukiewicz, Nolan's father, said Nolan had submitted the idea for Super Flipper in 2024 to earn him a selection in 2025. 'It gives you a year to refine a prototype and data and get ready for the competition,' Steve Kosciukiewicz said. The idea for the Super Flipper came from Nolan after being inspired by his uncle Paul, who has cerebral palsy. It's a lever-driven spatula. The user would press on the lever and the spatula spins 180 degrees. Steve Kosciukiewicz said his son is on the second prototype now and will be on his third for the product in the next few months. In all, this project is 18 months in the making so far. 'It's patent pending right now and by the end of next January we will be in a provisional patent state,' Steve Kosciukiewicz said. 'We have a year to finalize the design and drawings. We are working with a couple of different manufacturers now.' Steve Kosciukiewicz said his son is on every manufacturing call throughout the process and that he is interested in quality and not quantity when it comes to manufacturing. Steve Kosciukiewicz said his son's love for inventions comes from the side of his mother, Jen. Her late father was also an inventor; he invented 11 medical products. Jen Kosciukiewicz is a special education teacher at E.C. Goodwin Technical High School in New Britain, and Steve works at MobilityWorks in East Hartford. 'Nolan has an inventing table in the basement where he is always working,' Steve Kosciukiewicz said. 'This could not have been a better finish for him. He has worked so hard over the last year and pre-orders keep coming in.' Nolan Kosciukiewicz said the notion for the Super Flipper came to him after four months of thinking of ideas and it took another six to seven months to get to the phase of his first prototype. He was continually getting feedback from his uncle. 'It's a way for me to show my creativity and ideas to other people,' Nolan said. 'This award displays my desire to help others. I can invent things to help others. This shows how important it is to me.' Kosciukiewicz will be starting at Xavier High School in Middletown in the fall. According to a statement about the 2025 Invention Convention U.S. Nationals , more than 75 awards, including cash prizes, trophies, medals and patent applications were presented on Friday. This is the 10th year this event has taken place.
Malaysian Reserve
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Malaysian Reserve
The Henry Ford Welcomes Nearly 500 Youth Inventors for 10th Annual RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals June 4-6, 2025 in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
DEARBORN, Mich., June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Henry Ford is proud to announce the return of RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals to its campus June 4-6, 2025. This event is in its tenth year and will once again be hosted in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. After advancing from state and regional competitions, nearly 500 K-12 students from across the country will display and present their inventions to judges alongside the greatest innovations in American history. The multi-day competition culminates on Friday, June 6, with an awards ceremony hosted by entertainment and technology television and podcast host and former The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation correspondent Albert Lawrence. Former NASA aerospace engineer, entrepreneur, and citizen astronaut Aisha Bowe will join as a special guest speaker. As the founder of LINGO, Bowe is a nationally recognized advocate for STEM education and youth innovation. In April of 2025, she flew aboard Blue Origin's historic all-female mission. More than 75 awards, including cash prizes, trophies, medals and patent applications, will be presented. 'Invention Convention Worldwide (ICW) brings some of the brightest students in the country to The Henry Ford for three days of competition and invention education programming,' said Patirica Mooradian, president and CEO of The Henry Ford. 'ICW is a game-changer as these kids are learning critical skills, including creative thinking and problem solving, that lay the foundation for future success in the workforce.' Invention Convention Worldwide is a K-12 invention education curricular program mapped to national and state educational standards that teaches students problem-identification, problem-solving, entrepreneurship, and creativity skills. The program builds confidence in invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship for life. More than 202,000 K-12 inventors from across the country participated in Invention Convention Worldwide programs in 2025, with the hopes of advancing to the U.S. national competition. 'For over 30 years, we've supported Invention Convention Worldwide because young innovators embody the curiosity and engineering mindset that fuels breakthrough in aerospace and technology. Their innovative thinking and ability to solve problems are motivating and will be essential in driving our industry ahead' said Kristy Becerra, senior director of corporate social responsibility at RTX. Students are challenged to identify a problem in their own lives or communities and follow the seven steps of the invention process in The Henry Ford's free Invention Convention curriculum. Students compete and elevate through local and regional levels before advancing to the U.S. national competition. To participate, students must submit a video presentation of their invention, a prototype, an inventor's logbook showing the journey of their invention process, and a poster board highlighting key points of the invention process. The mission of The Henry Ford's Invention Convention Worldwide is to bring Invention Education to students everywhere. Organizations interested in bringing the year-long program to their region can get more information at
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Michigan 'thrills n wheels' top Readers' Choice Awards. 5 attractions to check out
Five Michigan locations featuring "Thrills 'n' Wheels" have received recognition in USA TODAY's 10BEST Readers' Choice Awards for 2025. The Battle Creek Field of Flight air show, Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Detroit Boat Show, Woodward Dream Cruise and Michigan International Speedway all were selected among the best places for car, air and boat enthusiasts. Here's a look at the top 10 in each category, and how Michigan attractions ranked: 1. Airshow London (London, Ontario) 2. Mid-Atlantic Air Museum's World War II Weekend (Reading, Pennsylvania) 3. Wings Over Houston Airshow (Houston, Texas) 4. Battle Creek Field of Flight (Battle Creek, Michigan) 5. Cleveland National Air Show (Cleveland, Ohio) 6. Florida International Air Show (Punta Gorda, Florida) 7. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (Oshkosh, Wisconsin) 8. San Francisco Fleet Week Air Show (San Francisco, California) 9. TBM Avenger Reunion (Peru, Illinois) 10. MCAS Miramar Air Show (San Diego, California The Battle Creek Field of Flight, a midsummer aviation show and balloon festival, was considered the fourth-best air show among USA TODAY readers. For five days, spectators enjoy air shows of military and civilian aircraft, a twilight and night air show (among the largest in the nation), fireworks, concerts, a carnival, and hot air balloon launches. Field of Flight is an air show and balloon festival rolled into one — the largest of its kind in North America, USA TODAY noted. 1. Savoy Automobile Museum (Cartersville, Georgia) 2. National Corvette Museum (Bowling Green, Kentucky) 3. Revs Institute (Naples, Florida) 4. America's Transportation Experience / AACA Museum (Hershey, Pennsylvania) 5. National Automobile Museum (Reno, Nevada) 6. Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) 7. Museum of American Speed (Lincoln, Nebraska) 8. Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation (Dearborn, Michigan) 9. Petersen Automotive Museum (Los Angeles, California) 10. America's Car Museum (Tacoma, Washington) Named the eighth-best attraction for car lovers, the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation was started by one of the pioneers of the U.S automotive industry, Henry Ford, in 1929. The museum exhibits include flight, railroad, agriculture and automobile showcases, highlighting innovation and ingenuity in the transportation industry. 1. Newport Beach International Boat Show (Newport Beach, California) 2. Palm Beach International Boat Show (West Palm Beach, Florida) 3. St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show (St. Petersburg, Florida) 4. Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) 5. Detroit Boat Show (Detroit, Michigan) 6. Newport International Boat Show (Newport, Rhode Island) 7. Discover Boating Atlantic City Boat Show (Atlantic City, New Jersey) 8. Annapolis Sailboat Show (Annapolis, Maryland) 9. Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show (Miami, Florida) 10. San Diego International Boat Show (San Diego, California) The Detroit Boat Show was listed No. 5 in the Best Boat Shows in the U.S. It includes live music, educational workshops, boat driving simulators and of course, boats, ranging from 10 feet to 55 feet. Additionally motors, boat accessories and trailers are available for purchase. 1. Cruisin' The Coast (Mississippi Gulf Coast) 2. Triple Crown of Rodding (Lebanon, Tennessee) 3. MSRA Back to the 50's Weekend (St. Paul, Minnesota) 4. The Amelia Concours d'Elegance (Amelia Island, Florida) 5. NSRA Street Rod Nationals (Louisville, Kentucky) 6. Renaissance Euro Fest (Ridgeland, Mississippi) 7. Iola Car Show (Iola, Wisconsin) 8. Woodward Dream Cruise (Detroit, Michigan) 9. Eastern Division AACA National Fall Meet (Hershey, Pennsylvania) 10. Hot August Nights (Reno, Nevada) The 16-mile cruise fills Woodward Avenue on the third Saturday of every August. In 1995, the Woodward Dream Cruise started as a small fundraiser to support a local soccer field. Today, it's one of the largest one-day automotive event with some 40,000 classic cars and more than 1 million people gathering each August. It ranks as the eighth-best car show in the U.S. 1. Pocono Raceway (Long Pond, Pennsylvania) 2. Watkins Glen International (Watkins Glen, New York) 3. Chicago Street Race (Chicago, Illinois) 4. Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, Nevada) 5. Atlanta Motor Speedway (Hampton, Georgia) 6. New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Loudon, New Hampshire) 7. Dover Motor Speedway (Dover, Delaware) 8. Michigan International Speedway (Brooklyn, Michigan) 9. Bristol Motor Speedway (Bristol, Tennessee) 10. Talladega Superspeedway (Lincoln, Alabama) NASCAR fans are familiar with the Michigan International Speedway, the wide 18-degree banks of the 2-mile raceway are located in the Irish Hills of the Wolverine State. Ford-backed teams have historically dominated the track, but GM and Toyota have edged their way into Ford's territory and the race is as competitive as ever, according to USA TODAY. Readers ranked the Michigan track No. 8 in the country. The USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards highlights the very best travel, food, drink and lifestyle. The panel includes industry experts who nominate their favorite attractions across a range of categories. Editors then vet the nominations and set a final list of nominees to be presented to the voting public. Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Henry Ford Museum, Detroit Boat Show, Dream Cruise receive USA TODAY notice
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola coming to The Henry Ford for sold-out events
The Henry Ford's vast collection of artifacts speaks to the legacy of America's cultural and technological achievements. This month, it also will host a creative icon who should be declared a national treasure. Director Francis Ford Coppola, whose classic films 'The Godfather,' 'The Godfather II" and 'Apocalype Now' and more are imprinted on the national psyche, is set to appear at two sold-out events on April 27 as part of the series 'Francis Ford at The Henry Ford.' The iconic director, a five-time Oscar winner, will deliver remarks that afternoon at a special screening of his latest movie, 'Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis,' at the Giant Screen Experience in the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn. A few hours later, he will participate in a conversation with his biographer Sam Wasson at 'Behind the Lens: An Evening with Francis Ford Coppola." He is expected to discuss his creative process and go behind the scenes of 'Megalopolis,' the 2024 Roman epic that unfolds in Coppola's imagined version of a contemporary United States. All this is happening one day after Coppola is scheduled to receive the American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award, a pinnacle of cinematic recognition. He will be presented with the honor April 26 by filmmakers George Lucas and Steven Spielberg at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. For Coppola, who was born at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and spent the early years of his childhood in the city, The Henry Ford event will be a homecoming to the region that gave him his middle name. As his father, Carmine Coppola, a flutist for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, explained in a 1988 letter to the Free Press, 'When Francie came along in 1939, I gave him the middle name for the man I was working for. At that time, Henry Ford was a big contributor to the Detroit Symphony and I also worked for the 'Ford Music Hour.'' The radio program employed Carmine Coppola as an assistant conductor and arranger. Francis Ford Coppola has continued to feel a connection to the Motor City, a bond that helped inspire his 1988 film "Tucker: The Man and His Dream," about the maverick automaker's attempt to create his own car line. In a letter to the Free Press timed to the arrival of "Tucker," the 86-year-old cinematic genius also wrote to the Free Press sharing that "my family always referred to me as the 'Detroit baby.'" Coppola shared his feelings about his birthplace and his AFI award in a recent email interview with the Free Press. Like his movies, his answers don't waste a word as they capture the mood and emotions of a sweeping moment. QUESTION: You were born in Detroit and spent the first three or four years of your life here, where your father played an important role with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. What is one of your strongest memories from that time? ANSWER: Getting stung by a yellow jacket when I was two years old. I couldn't believe how much it hurt and I went crying to my mother. Q: Beyond your middle name, do you think Detroit has had an impact on your life? Is it a place you follow in the news or are emotional attached to? A: It was always important to me that I was born in Detroit. As a kid I rooted for the Detroit Tigers when my whole family was for the New York Yankees. Coming from Detroit gave me a unique identity in a family of New Yorkers. Q: Your AFI Life Achievement Award event is happening on April 26. What do you think the Francis Ford Coppola of the early 1960s, who was making 'Dementia 13' with another native Detroiter, producer Roger Corman, would have thought about this? A: It's hard for me to think how my life has taken the path it has. I never imagined things like this would happen the way that they did. Q: Your movies have become part of the lexicon of American pop culture. How often do you spot a reference or nod to something you've directed, whether it's in a commercial, comedy skit, everyday phrase or another film? A: My eyes are so focused on the future rather than the past; there is a wonderful poem by Robert Browning which expresses how I feel: 'Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?' Q: Your appearance at The Henry Ford include as showing of your latest film, 'Megalopolis,' on the museum's Giant Screen Experience. Can you describe what it's like as a filmmaker, seeing your movie on an 80-foot by 42-foot screen? A: As if you're sharing your dream with a community of your fellow human beings, with your beloved cousins. 'Francis Ford at The Henry Ford' will continue with screenings of 'Megalopolis' at 7 p.m. on May 30 and 31. For information, go to The Henry Ford website. Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 'Francis Ford at The Henry Ford': Director Coppola to appear at museum
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Historic home where Selma march was planned now resides in Henry Ford's Greenfield Village
The grounds of the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation are now home to one of the country's most pivotal residences in civil rights history. The historic Selma to Montgomery, Alabama marches for voting rights in 1965 trace to a critical but often overlooked piece of history: The Jackson Home. The modest Selma residence, once the home of Dr. Sullivan Jackson and Mrs. Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson, played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement, serving as a sanctuary and strategic hub for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and other civil rights leaders as they planned the marches that ultimately changed America. From the Jacksons' living room, Dr. King and others watched President Lyndon Baines Johnson's 'We Shall Overcome' speech as the nation's highest office publicly backed voting rights. A now-iconic photo of Dr. King inside the Jackson Home, published in LIFE magazine, captures this rare and powerful moment – one that underscores the significance of this space in shaping the movement. It was in this very home where leaders planned the final, successful Selma to Montgomery march, which began on March 21 and concluded on March 25 with thousands of courageous marchers. By August, the movement's sacrifices led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Detroit, home to many who marched in 1965, is now the new resting place of the Jackson Home, It will be permanently housed in Greenfield Village at The Henry Ford, ensuring its legacy is preserved for generations to come. More: Detroit man was on phone with Martin Luther King Jr.'s wife during assassination 'All of this work is basically standing on the shoulders of decades of activism by the local community there in Selma, as well as other activists who had come into Selma in the last few years,' said Amber Mitchell, curator of Black history at The Henry Ford. 'For most people, what they will remember about the voting rights movement, in particular, are the events of Bloody Sunday. The very first attempt at the Selma to Montgomery march was on March 7, 1965, and there were three attempts, with this anniversary, March 21 through the 25th being the successful march that ended up opening the door for the Voting Rights Act of 1965. We're celebrating the 60th anniversary this year. 'And so, here at The Henry Ford, we are in the process of preserving our first major home acquisition in the last 40 years, the Dr. Sullivan and Richie Jackson home, the Selma home that Dr. King and his lieutenants from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference stayed in during this period of time.' The Jacksons' only daughter, Jawana Jackson, had been operating the family home as a museum in Selma since her mother's passing in 2014 and approached The Henry Ford. 'She was looking for a place to steward her family story,' said Mitchell, 'mainly to be able to keep all these items and artifacts that were in the home, as well as a place that would make sure the home would be able to be seen by large amounts of people, but also be protected and maintained in perpetuity. So, after much deliberation, research, engagement, The Henry Ford decided to go ahead and acquire this home. 'Like I mentioned, it's been 40 years since the last time we moved a house into Greenfield Village, and so we didn't want to take this lightly. We've been engaging experts across the country to assist us in this process. The home was moved in late 2023 and is currently on its brand-new foundation out in the village. Over the course of this next year, we are continuing to restore the home to its 1965 façade and prepare it for opening in the summer of 2026.' Mitchell said moving the house was an arduous task, to put it mildly. 'It's a long way – actually, it's between 900 and 1,000 miles, depending on which way you drive it,' she said. 'With very purposeful care, working with all kinds of historic preservation experts, we essentially removed all the artifacts and items from the home, brought those things up, essentially shored (the house) up on the inside to make sure that the home would not move. Removed the roof, removed the porch, and then, lastly, we cut it in half. So the house was moved up in two separate halves – about a 2,000 sq. ft. home – and both halves were then basically enveloped with waterproof casing and driven up. 'It was a really cool process, but most importantly, they kept the house's integrity.' The home's exterior can currently be viewed while touring Greenfield Village as its work process continues, and photos can be viewed at For the remainder of the year, the museum itself will display 'We Shall Overcome: 60 Years of the Voting Rights Act,' an exhibition featuring the Jackson home project and a number of its artifacts. 'If you are a voter,' said Mitchell, 'the Voting Rights Act and the story of voting in the United States – especially as African Americans – is extremely important, extremely relevant. At the same time, Selma and this area of Alabama have a new connection to Detroit in that many people who made that Great Migration trek to come work in the factories and other facilities here in the Detroit area were coming from Selma, Dallas County, Lowndes County, Alabama. So these are folks who have not only a direct connection back to the area, they also are often related to people who were engaged with the movement. 'Then, just beyond that, this is a story that couldn't be more relevant today, couldn't be more relevant to our collective understanding of American citizenship. I really hope that our visitors and folks across the metro Detroit area and beyond get really excited about this. Think about a community member who opened up their doors to the world and helped transform the way you and I live here today and so many of these images that continue to live in the American mind. We're excited to be able to bring some of those things to life in this exhibit.' For information, visit Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at dbeddingfield@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Historic home where Selma march was planned resides in metro Detroit
