Program areas at Ipo Education Foundation Ipoef
Awards dinner: the Foundation awards dinner awards distinguished inventors as well as distinguished ip professionals. In 2023, the Ipo Education Foundation awards dinner event recognized honorees for the following awards: inventor of the year, ip champion, executive of the year, and the inspiration award.
Public relations and digital media campaign (ongoing)in 2017 the Foundation retained the public relations firm weber shandwick to help develop key messages and facilitate a program to educate members of the media on the value of Intellectual Property. The partnership with weber shandwick expired in 2018 however Ipo staff continues to promote the value of Intellectual Property to the media through print (i.e. Inventors digest in 2021 & 2022) and digital media (i.e. Social media platforms and Ipoef webpage).
Inventor of the year award (december 6, 2023) the Foundation gives an annual award to the most outstanding inventor of a recent, patented invention that exemplifies modern ingenuity. The purpose of the award is to educate the public about inventors and patents, and how inventions benefit the economy and quality of life. Nominees are solicited from industry, government, independent inventors, academia, and other sources in all fields of technology. The winner is selected by the board of directors of the Foundation. The 2023 award was given at an awards ceremony on december 6 and includes a plaque and tribute video. The Foundation announces winners in advance of the awards ceremony and during the remainder of the year to increase public awareness of recent inventors. Ip champion award (december 6, 2023) the Foundation presents the ip champion award to an individual who has shown extraordinary leadership in advocating for the value of Intellectual Property to stimulate the progress of innovation. The winner is selected by the board of directors of the Foundation. The 2023 award was given at an awards ceremony december 6 and includes a plaque and tribute video.executive of the year award (december 6, 2023) the Foundation presents the executive of the year award to an executive within a company who is committed to the creation, promotion and protection of Intellectual Property. The winner is selected by the board of directors of the Foundation. The 2023 award was given at an awards ceremony december 6 and includes a plaque and tribute video. Inspiration award (december 6, 2023) the Foundation board honors an inspiration award which recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution by promoting or championing ip rights for, or on behalf of, members of underrepresented communities. The winner is selected by the board of directors of the Foundation. The 2023 award was given at an awards ceremony december 6 and includes a plaque and tribute video.
Ip patch program (ongoing; created 2012)the Foundation partnered with the united states patent and trademark office (uspto) and girl scout council of the nation's capital (gscnc) on the girl scout Intellectual Property patch program, which encourages girls to enter stem (science, technology, engineering and math) careers familiarizing them with the patent process and invention. The partnership agreement under which the ip patch was created expired in 2016. The Foundation continues to promote the patch curriculum as one which can be studied by any student. The Foundation provides patches to students and groups that complete the patch. In addition, the Foundation offers free curriculum online for educators, organizations, and girl scout troop leaders to learn about Intellectual Property. The toolkit, created in partnership with the girl scouts of nation's capital and the uspto, is a step by step guide for groups to host and customize their own ip patch event or lesson. Groups around the country put on their own events to encourage students to learn about innovation and the importance of protecting your ideas in the process.
Ip on my minda communications campaign intended to illustrate the impact of Intellectual Property rights on students. The campaign featured videos and blog posts about students, educators, and other ip professionals and why Intellectual Property was important to them. The Foundation hired a marketing company to execute the campaign.
Pilot mentor program the Foundation partnered with a university law school to pair five, diverse students with an ip professional as a mentor. As part of the program, the students were invited to the Ipo annual meeting to attend educational sessions, networking events, and meet with their mentor in person.
World ip day in honor of world ip day, Ipo Education Foundation sponsored an event with we will, an organization dedicated to empowering women in life and law. On may 19, Ipo members volunteered to meet with high school students in houston, Texas to talk about careers in ip and innovation. Students received one-on-one mentorship as well as information and resources to inspire them to pursue a career in ip. In alignment with Ipoef's strategic priority, this opportunity is particularly unique as we will serves a community of color that lacks resources and exposure.
Why didn't i think of that? 2023-2024 why didn't i think of that? Is a virtual invention competition for students. Students qualify if they have an original invention that they created at age 18 or younger and the invention has received Intellectual Property protection. Three winning inventions were selected by the board and public vote. Winners will work one-on-one with an industry professional to learn how to advance their invention, they will also receive recognition in a public communications campaign, and are invited to attend the awards celebration. The Foundation hired a marketing company to execute the communications portion of the program.
Ipeof podcastthe stroke of genius podcast launched in 2018 to educate entrepreneurs, businesspeople, aspiring inventors, and the general public about the importance of Intellectual Property to the innovation process. The Foundation worked with a podcast production company to produce episodes each season. Season five, includes eight, 30-minute episodes addressing misconceptions and topical ip subjects as well as provide listeners with a greater understanding of the impact of ip to under-served communities. Sponsorships help to offset the cost of promotion for the program.