By David Karas | Correspondent

Maybe it was a snow shovel with salt, hand warmers and a flashlight attached to the handle. Or perhaps it was the can crusher for recycling, or even the night light ball to allow for playing catch after dark.

It's hard for Kandra Vuono and Elaine Albeitz, second-grade teachers in St. Rose Grammar School, Belmar, to think of the invention pioneered by their students over the years that stands out the most.

"Although there have been similarities over the years, the inventions each have had their own spirit," the teachers said.

For more than 20 years now, second graders in Belmar have taken part in the annual "Invention Convention." Similar to a science fair, the program challenges students to create an invention using everyday household items. Inventions are commonly designed to solve a problem or make a specific task easier.

This year’s cohort focused their time and talents on trying to craft devices to make life easier. Notable creations included a reading caddy, featuring a portable desk with a solar light and book cubbies.

"It stems out of one of our Language Arts (classes), from a story about tools used throughout the world - and how tools make life easier," the teachers said. "The students were then asked to think of their daily routines, and what type of tool they could invent to make their life easier."

The weeklong project offers the second-grade students the chance not only to put their classroom lessons to work inventing something new, but also to present their innovations to each of the other classes as well. The presentations to their fellow St. Rose students proved to be firm preparations for their final presentation Nov. 16, during which parents were in attendance.

"It causes the students to think about their needs and what they can do to make life easier for themselves," the teachers said. "They have to think, be creative, be an engineer, an artist, a speaker, and a salesperson to sell their idea to their fellow classmates."

That helps also to develop the students' self-esteem, they said.

The annual “Invention Convention” is part of the school’s STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – program, which emphasizes skills that are important for students to learn, and which will serve them well in the future. Projects like this, school leaders say, challenge the students in the various STEM fields.

"What the 'Invention Convention' does for students is that it helps them think, be creative, and problem solve," said Travis Semblewski, who works on marketing for St. Rose Grammar School. "It also strengthens confidence and public speaking, since they need to present their projects to all the grade and to the parents."