LAFAYETTE -- Ryan Elementary fourth-grader Jazmyne Herrmann doesn't like that her dog pulls so hard on her leash when there's another dog around, hurting her hands and sometimes pulling her down.

So she came up with an idea for a dog collar that would spray a bacon scent, providing a distraction.

She presented her idea Wednesday to judges from Boulder-based Covidien, winning first place and a promise that Covidien's legal team will submit her idea to the U.S. Patent Office, waiving the typical $10,000 to $15,000 fee.

"I've never invented something, but I thought it would be cool to try," Jazmyne said. "I tried to challenge myself."

The legal team from Covidien, a medical technology company, started working with 50 third-and fourth-grade Ryan students in the "I Have a Dream" program in October. They visited the after-school program once a week to talk about innovation, well-known inventors and how to recognize an idea with potential and turn it into a marketable product.

Matthew Colagrosso, a patent lawyer with Covidien, said he modeled the "Invention Convention" on a similar program at his previous law firm in Dallas.

"What better way to give back than mentor future scientists and engineers," he said. "These guys came up with just incredible ideas. We're so proud of them."


Ryan students were asked to brainstorm about problems from everyday life, then create inventions to solve them. They built models of their products, then came up with brand names and initial costs.

On Wednesday at Ryan, they presented their ideas, science-fair style, talking up their inventions and answering questions.

"It's been really fun," said Ekua Taylor, an "I Have a Dream" AmeriCorps volunteer who coordinated the project. "They can use creativity and imagination."

The students came up with ideas ranging from a leaf barrier to make it easier to rake leaves to a shark-proof surfboard to a shampoo saver.

Fourth-grader Luis Carrera proposed a glow-in-the-dark football to make it easier to play after dark, using lights and batteries.

"It doesn't really glow up, but that's OK," he said. "It's a prototype. I really like it."

Valerie Cress built a "hamster playground" that included a swing and teeter-totter.

"It's fun to invent things," she said. "It's very creative, and I love being creative."

Mikayla Eberl made a "perfectly safe" indoor version of a tetherball.

"I'm only 8," she said. "Who knows what I'll do next?"