Gates Competition Showcases Student Entrepreneurship and Creativity

Friday, April 25, marked the 17th Annual Charles C. Gates Invention & Innovation Competition, an occasion that never disappoints and consistently showcases the creativity and ingenuity of Cardigan’s students.

This year’s competition was also a demonstration of the program’s maturity, now offering a number of opportunities for students in sixth through ninth grade to pursue their interests and develop the skills to be entrepreneurs in a global society.

When the doors to Wallach opened on the day of the competition, the 20 sixth and seventh-grade teams were ready to share their pitches––eagerly talking about the research and prototyping that went into their inventions. From magnetic hockey guards to light systems for night mountain biking to a multi-use tool for cooking, the boys were poised and confident.

Meanwhile, upstairs in Wallach, the eighth and ninth-grade Futurist Innovation Teams presented their own projects. In its first year, the Futurist Innovation program gives students the opportunity to pursue more conceptual products and services, developing business plans and imagining partnerships that help them expand their market share and reach more consumers. Four teams shared their unique answers to society’s current needs, demonstrating maturity and thoughtfulness in their thorough presentations. From helmet sensors for detecting low-impact concussions over time to reusable packaging for online shopping, their products showed empathy and a desire to help others.

The competition also included a break in the middle of the morning to showcase the skills of two of Cardigan’s robotics teams. Also new this year, the robotics teams competed in several VEX Robotics competitions throughout the winter, sharpening their skills and understanding the capabilities of their bots. For the Gates scrimmage, the boys went head-to-head in front of an audience of their peers, competing in both autonomous and remote-controlled rounds. A crowd favorite, the robotics scrimmage filled the IDEA Shop with cheers and cries of victory.

Congratulations to all the students who engaged in the yearlong program and persevered through false starts, broken parts, dead ends, and last-minute changes! Their hard work paid off and impressed the community. We can’t wait until next year!

Charles C. Gates Invention & Innovation Competition Winners

Futurist (Eighth and Ninth Grade)

First Place for Innovators
PK Hockey Co.: PK Stasko ’26 and Joshua Tourangeau ’25

First Place for Robotics
Robo Cougars

Community Choice for Futurists
PK Hockey Co.: PK Stasko ’26 and Joshua Tourangeau ’25

Inventors (Sixth and Seventh Grade)

First Place
Jump Pack invented by Luca Carbone ’27, Jackson Vikse ’27, and Derek Zhou ’27

Second Place 
Magna Guard invented by Baxter Hunt ’28, Ross Navins ’28, and Tom Rinkin ’28

Third Place
Night Ride invented by Oliver Ellis ’27, Maxwell Gu ’27, and Kross Pelletier ’27

Community Choice for Inventors
Versacook invented by George Fein ’28 and Ryan Pfeiffer ’28

Patent Nods
Jump-Pack invented by Luca Carbone ’27, Jackson Vikse ’27, and Derek Zhou ’27
MagnaGuard invented by Baxter Hunt ’28, Ross Navins ’28, and Tom Rinkin ’28
NightRide invented by Oliver Ellis ’27, Maxwell Gu ’27, and Kross Pelletier ’27
Backpack Buddy invented by JJ Cheung ’27, Angelo Chu ’27, and William Wang ’27

Watch highlights from the 17th Annual Gates Competition: