NPS Sends 4 Young Inventors to Compete at Invention Convention U.S. Nationals

Norwalk Public Schools sent four young inventors to compete at the 2026 Invention Convention U.S. Nationals, and one returned with a chance to have her invention officially patented.

Scarlett Tiani, a sixth grader at West Rocks Middle School, earned the Patent Application Award, presented by the law firm of WilmerHale, for her invention, the Tail Wag Warning. The award is valued up to $10,000 and provides winners with a free patent application and intellectual property legal counsel and expertise.

The Tail Wag Warning is a magnetic sign designed to alert mail carriers, delivery drivers, first responders, and neighbors when a dog is inside or outside the home. The invention also earned Scarlett the Industry Innovation Award for Animal Care and Pets, winning a $100 prize, a trophy and a personalized certificate.

Read more about Scarlett’s achievement and award-winning invention. 

Scarlett was joined in Detroit by her fellow NPS inventors Quinn Robertson, inventor of The Focus Fleece, which earned an Honorable Mention; Francesca Siano, inventor of Skier Slip N’ Clip; and Eliza Z., inventor of The EZ Cone.

The next generation of national competitors is already on the way! Congratulations to the NPS students who recently qualified at the Connecticut Invention Convention for next year’s Invention Convention U.S. Nationals:

• Owen Anderson and Elliot Contessa, third graders at Rowayton Elementary School, inventors of X-Net
• Cole Danburg, an eighth grader at Concord Magnet School, inventor of The Flavor Mixer
• Alexandra Kraft, a fourth grader at Concord Magnet School, inventor of A Skier’s Best Bud

We can't wait to see these young innovators represent Norwalk on the national stage next year.