In July 2026 Oregon MESA partnered with NE STEAM Coalition and the Center for Black Excellence to host the Summer Invention Lab, a week-long innovation experience designed to introduce middle school students to human-centered design, engineering, and creative problem-solving.
Throughout the week, students worked alongside mentors, educators, and industry partners to develop solutions to real-world challenges. Using the engineering design process, students learned how to identify community needs, collaborate with others, build prototypes, and communicate their ideas through presentations and project showcases. The experience encouraged students to see themselves as innovators and empowered them to design solutions with purpose. Check out this video recap of this exciting week, and keep on reading to learn more!
Monday: Introduction to Human-Centered Design
The week began with an introduction to Human-Centered Design, focusing on the importance of understanding the people and communities that solutions are created for. Students participated in a creative mask activity using a variety of materials to explore perspective-taking, creativity, and design thinking.
Students then began working with their first “clients”—mentors from NE STEAM Coalition—to better understand needs, gather feedback, and begin developing ideas for their projects.
Tuesday: Client Interviews and Prototyping
Students continued the design process by interviewing their clients, identifying challenges, and beginning to develop prototypes. Working with guidance from mentors and partners from Albina Vision Trust, Center for Black Excellence, and 1803 Fund, teams refined their ideas, explored possible solutions, and began transforming their concepts into tangible designs.
Through collaboration and hands-on building, students practiced problem-solving, communication, and teamwork while learning that innovation often involves testing, revising, and improving ideas.
Wednesday: Industry Field Trip and Design Development
Students stepped outside the classroom for an industry field trip to Google, where they explored a professional technology environment, learned about STEM career pathways, and gained insight into the possibilities available within the technology industry.
After returning to Portland Community College, students continued preparing for their final showcase by designing project posters, creating badges, and further developing their prototypes and presentations.
Thursday: Pitch Practice and Presentation Preparation
Students focused on preparing to share their work with an audience. Teams practiced their project pitches, refined their presentation materials, and continued making improvements to their prototypes with support from mentors.
Students worked on clearly communicating their design process, the challenges they addressed, and the impact of their solutions.
Friday: Final Showcase and Celebration
The final day of Summer Invention Lab was dedicated to completing projects, practicing presentations, and preparing for the student showcase. Families, community members, and partner organizations joined together to celebrate students’ creativity, collaboration, and accomplishments.
Students presented their inventions, shared their design journeys, and demonstrated how they applied engineering and problem-solving skills to create meaningful solutions.
We are so grateful for everyone who made the Summer Invention Lab possible. We are grateful for the partnership and collaboration of the NE STEAM Coalition, Center for Black Excellence, Portland Community College, and Portland State University.