Nat'l Inventors Hall of Fame Professional Development

The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) offers professional development workshops that provide STEM teachers with hands-on classroom strategies to encourage innovative thinking and foster what they call the 'I Can Invent' mindset in students. These interactive workshops are designed to transform how educators approach inquiry-based and project-based learning across K–12 settings. NIHF's professional development is built around the stories and lessons of the world's most revolutionary inventors — NIHF Inductees whose breakthroughs have shaped modern life. Each workshop is designed for 5 to 25 participants and can be customised to address a district's unique goals, offered in both virtual and in-person formats throughout the year. Options include a three-hour introductory workshop on strategies for open-ended learning through invention education (customisable to focus on meeting state standards, supporting life skills, or promoting intellectual property literacy), and a two-hour advanced workshop for current NIHF programme partners focused on collaboration, self-directed learning, and persistence. What makes NIHF's professional development distinctive is its emphasis on invention as a pedagogical framework. Rather than teaching STEM skills in isolation, the workshops show educators how to create learning environments where students identify real-world problems, prototype solutions, and develop the creative confidence to see themselves as inventors. For STEM teachers seeking to move beyond textbook-driven instruction toward authentic, inquiry-based experiences that build critical thinking and innovation skills, NIHF's professional development offers a compelling and well-supported approach.