Antonio Meucci Young Inventors' Competition Open for Registration

Throughout his lifetime, Antonio Meucci (1808-1889) was responsible for many inventions, improvements and ideas. In addition to his discovery of the principle for the telephone in 1849 and his development of that instrument over the next 30 years, Meucci manufactured smokeless candles, created a tea and coffee filtering system, made improvements in oil and kerosene lamps, found a way to make paper from wood pulp, and even canned tomato sauce. In keeping with his legacy of ingenuity and innovation, the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum is pleased to announce that, in conjunction with Time Warner Cable, it is sponsoring the Antonio Meucci Young Inventors' Competition.

Registration is now open to children in grades 6 through 8 who live and go to school on Staten Island. Students are invited to present an original idea for a new invention/product or an improvement on an existing one-anything from a helpful kitchen gadget to a machine that does your homework for you.

To participate, the entrant must fill out an application (available at  www.garibaldimeuccimuseum.org or by calling 718-442-1608, only one per student), and submit it with a clear explanation, as well as a sketch or photo of what his or her invention would look like. Prototypes are highly recommended, even if they don't actually work. The invention or improvement must be a unique, original idea from the student.

The applications will first be judged by museum staff members, and the 15 finalists will present their entries to a panel of expert judges on Sunday, April 25, 2010 between 12 noon and 3 p.m. at the St. Joseph's Parochial School auditorium (139 St. Mary's Avenue at the corner of Tompkins Avenue in Rosebank, Staten Island).

The judges will be looking for simple, creative solutions to common problems, as well as an understanding of the scientific principles behind the invention. They will choose a total of nine winners, and award runner-up prizes as well:

• 3 First Place winners will receive Lenovo Laptop computers ($250 value)
• 3 Second Place winners will receive Fuel Cell Car experiment kits ($100 value)
• 3 Third Place winners will receive Milestones in Science: The 100 Most Significant Experiments and
Discoveries of All Time experiment kits ($40 value)

Please note there is no entrance fee. Deadline for entries is Friday, April 2, 2010 and finalists will be notified by Friday, April 16.

Regular museum hours are 1 p.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is $5 per person, members and children under 10 are free. Call ahead for groups of 10 or more. The first floor of the museum is wheelchair accessible. At press time, program funding has been provided through the Order Sons of Italy in America; by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; the Office of the Staten Island Borough President, Richmond County Savings Foundation; Northfield Bank Foundation, and by grants allocated by New York State Senator Diane Savino and New York City Council members Vincent Ignizio and James Oddo. The Garibaldi-Meucci Museum is owned and operated by the Order Sons of Italy in America.