Debbie Sterling Lewis, an engineer herself, noticed that companies were trying to make stereotypical toys for boys (LEGOS, Lincoln Logs) appealing to girls by adding pinks and purples to the packaging.  Knowing that girls lose interest in engineering subjects by age 8, she set out to go one step further.  Recognizing that girls are more verbal she set out to create a toy that combines a story and a toy that involves constructing different things based on the storyline.  Out of this was born GoldieBlox.  She did a grass roots approach to funding, creating this YouTube video to demonstrate her product and ask folks to place orders so that she could move forward with production.

A group of students from the Sustainability Workshop School in Philadelphia, PA participated in the Progressive Automotive X Prize to build a car that could get 100 miles per gallon.  Comprised of high school students from Philadelphia’s inner city, the West Philly Hybrid X Team collaborated with a team of faculty members and paid helpers, working with a budget of nearly $500,000 comprised of grants and contributions.  Their competition included companies, universities and inventors with corporate sponsorships.  Check out the CNN video to learn more about their experience.