Antonio Meucci Young Inventors' Competition Extends Deadline Thru 4/6

Due to the holiday weekend, the deadline for entries in the Antonio Meucci Young Inventors' Competition has been extended from Friday, April 2 to Tuesday, April 6.

To participate, students in grades 6 through 8 who live and go to school on Staten Island must fill out an application (available at www.garibaldimeuccimuseum.org or by calling 718-442-1608, only one per student), and present their 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. Ideas should be submitted with a clear explanation, as well as a sketch or photo of what your 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 competition is named for Antonio Meucci, who lived on Staten Island from 1850 until his death in 1889. Throughout his lifetime, Meucci 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 Meucci's legacy of ingenuity and innovation, the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum, in conjunction with Time Warner Cable, is sponsoring the Antonio Meucci Young Inventors' Competition.

All applications received 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. Finalists will be notified by Friday, April 16.
For more information call 718-442-1608.

The Garibaldi-Meucci Museum was the home of Antonio Meucci, the true inventor of the telephone, and a refuge to Giuseppe Garibaldi, the legendary hero who championed the unification of Italy. For over 50 years the museum has fulfilled its mission to preserve the legacies of these great men, and to promote understanding of the Italian-American heritage through cultural, artistic and educational programs and classes.

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. 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.