Student Registration

Student Registration is Open Until April 3rd.  After that no new registrations will be accepted.

Registration Instructions:

For more detailed instructions, including some examples and illustrations, download Student Registration PDF. (If  you downloaded this document earlier, be sure you have the correct version marked REVISED March 2024)
Spanish Student Registration Instructions PDF available here

The 2024 California Invention Convention is scheduled for April 13 2024 to be held at the California State Railroad Museum in SacramentoParticipating students must complete the registration by April 3, 2024Eligible students are nominated to the event by their teachers and program leaders.  Although Independent Inventors are welcome,  that category is intended for students that reside in areas that do not have any invention programs.

As part of the registration, students must submit

  • a  picture of the student (profile picture) and 1-6 pictures of the invention or the student with the invention.

On April 13th, the judges will meet with the inventors at the California State Railroad Museum, review the Invention Log and Display Board, and listen to the inventor (or invention team) present their invention. The scoring is done after those meetings..   Winners will be announced at our virtual Awards Ceremony on April 19th, 2024 and results will be posted on our web site shortly thereafter.

All students must be registered through the registration system in order to participate in  the 2024 California Invention Convention.

All inventions must conform to our Requirements and Restrictions. 

Students should be from schools that have registered for this convention. If you are an Independent Inventor and /or your school is not registered, please contact us.

Detailed registration instructions are below. They can also be downloaded as a PDF Student Registration   (If  you downloaded this document earlier, be sure you have the correct version marked REVISED March 2024)

If you have additional questions, please contact us.

NOTE: VERY IMPORTANT – TEAM REGISTRATION – If the student is a member of a team, read this first:

  • NOTE: VERY IMPORTANT – TEAM REGISTRATION – If the student is a member of a team, read this first:
    • The 1st team member to register will receive an email with Project Key (Team Key) and a link for the other team members. Forward this email to all team members.
    • The other team member(s) registers by clicking on the link in the email forwarded by the 1st team member which links to the start of registration. The other team member(s) adds his/her own personal information. The system propagates the invention information entered by the 1st team member into the other team member’s registration(s) who can then add to and edit the project information. The invention information is shared between  all team members, so any changes any team member makes, will be reflected in all team member’s registration(s).
    • If the email is lost somehow, contact us at cainventionconvention@gmail.com

REGISTERING THE STUDENT – NOTE – PLEASE DO NOT LOAD PICTURES DIRECTLY FROM YOUR PHONE.  THEY MAY COME OUT BLANK.  UPLOAD YOUR PICTURES TO YOUR COMPUTER AND THEN UPLOAD FROM THE COMPUTER TO YOUR REGISTRATION

STEP 1.  CREATING STUDENT ACCOUNT:

  1. Visit ca.zfairs.com. Read the home page. If you lose these instructions, there is a link to these instructions on the home page of our website: https://cainventionconvention.org/
  2. Click on [Create Account] at the top of the page and then select [Student].
  3. Read instructions.
  4. Scroll to bottom of page.
  5. Create Username (note this down as you will need it to log back in)
  6. Enter student’s first and last name. If the student has a hyphenated last name (for example: Harrison-Berg) you may enter it with the hyphen.
  7. The email entered here will be the email used for all further communication for the event. For older students, it can be their email address.  For all other participants, this must be a parent/guardian email.
  8. Click [Save and Continue].

STEP 2 – VERIFYING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

  1. You will receive the following message:

VERIFY EMAIL

The email will be from noreply@zfairs.com Subject: Confirm Email Address.

Note: If you don’t find the email in your inbox,  check your junk mail/spam.

  1. Check your email and click on the link to verify your account:

Note: If you don’t find the email,  check your junk mail/spam.

STEP 3 – REGISTRATION & PERSONAL INFORMATION

  1. Profile Picture – Required
    1. If you have a digital picture of the student available on your computer, click on the icon of a person labeled Profile Picture. A dialogue box will open. Click on [Choose file], choose the picture and click [open]. The picture automatically uploads. We use these pictures at the virtual Awards event and on our Website, so choose a picture that you want others to see.
    2. If you don’t have a picture ready for upload, just continue with the registration. You can come back later to add the picture. Instructions for Editing Your Registration are at the end of these instructions. Remember that a profile picture is required before the student is considered to be fully registered.
  2. Complete the profile information.
  3. Sign In Information: The system enters your Username. Create your password.  As a suggestion, keep the password short and simple. The password must be a minimum of 6 characters with at least one upper case and one lower case letter.
  • Before you continue, write down the Username and password which you will need if you have to log in later!

4. Enter Parent/Guardian Information:

Enter Parent/Guardian email. If the email entered at the beginning of the registration was the student’s, then please be sure to enter the parent/guardian email here. We must have parent email information. If the registered email belongs to the parent/guardian, you can enter again here – or give us an alternative email for a parent/guardian.

Enter Parent/Guardian phone number. If possible, please enter the CELL PHONE number of the adult who will be accompanying the student to the event on April 13th. This number will only be used in case of emergency on the day of the event.
5. Enter home address of the participant. We will be mailing out awards to winners, so please make sure the address is correct and can receive packages.
6. Click [Save & Continue]

 

STEP 4: STUDENT ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS / INVENTION (PROJECT) QUESTIONS

  1. Answer all questions that apply to your invention.
  2. Be sure to check the box that says: I understand that my invention cannot be dangerous, combustible, hazardous, etc..  – these are not only requirements for the California Invention Convention, but also for the National Invention Convention.
  3. Note that at the convention itself, the size of your invention is limited to a 2’x 3’ space and must fit on a tabletop. If it is larger, then you must have a model and/or pictures of the invention for the competition.
  4. In response to the “List Any Technologies” question, if none were used, then no answer is needed.
  5. Student details – these questions are optional
  6. Click [Save and Continue]

 

STEP 5: START PROJECT REGISTRATION

If you are the 1st member of a team to register, or you are not on a team, go to START NEW ENTRY and click on [Start].

If you are not the 1st member of the team to register and you clicked on the link provided by your teammate, the system skips this step and goes straight to Step 6.  If the other  member(s) enters the registration a different way, then go to LINK TO EXISTING ENTRY, enter the Project Key your teammate sent to you, and click [Link]. All the project information entered earlier by the 1st member will display as you progress through the registration.  You can add to the information, upload more photos etc.  Since project information is shared across team members, any project information you enter will show up on each team member’s project registration. As you go through Steps 6, 7, and 8, you can add files or other information.  Click [Save & Continue] to move onto the next step.

STEP 6: SCHOOL & TEACHER

NOTE: INDEPENDENT INVENTORS, GO TO PARAGRAPH 4.

  1. Your school and teacher should already be registered and you only have to select them from the drop-down menus. We want you to select the teacher who is teaching the Invention Program – who may not be your homeroom teacher.
  2. School: Using drop down menu, scroll through the schools. The schools are listed alphabetically and include town. When you see your school’s name and town, click on it. Many schools named after individuals have first and last names, but they really only use the last name – i.e  Gomes Elementary has a full name of John Gomes Elementary, but the website has them listed as Gomes Elementary. Other schools, such as Lawrence P. Jones go by their full name.  If your school begins with Saint or St. , check first under St. (i.e St. Lucy) if it doesn’t show, try Saint.  We have used the naming convention as it shows on the school’s website. PLEASE CHECK THE DROP DOWN MENU CAREFULLY FOR THE SCHOOL’S NAME BEFORE DECIDING THAT IT IS NOT LISTED.
    1. If your school is not listed, click [Not Listed] at the bottom of the list and add in your school.
  3. Teacher: Using drop down menu, scroll through the teachers (they are listed alphabetically by last name) and click on the name.
    1. If your teacher is not listed, click [Not Listed] at the bottom of the list and add in your teacher’s name.
  4. If you are an Independent Inventor:
    1. Select or add in your school as described in paragraph 2.
    2. Teacher: Using drop down menu, choose [Independent Inventor] if that shows up. If it doesn’t appear, then scroll to [Not listed] at bottom of list, and add Independent as first name and Inventor as Last name.  PLEASE DO NOT ADD IN YOUR TEACHER’S NAME.
  5. Grade: Using drop down menu, scroll to your grade and click on it.
  6. Click [Save & Continue]

STEP 7: ENTRY INFORMATION

  1. Type in title
  2. Click on Category box. 12 different categories are displayed.  Pick the one which most closely describes the invention.  These are very general categories, so don’t worry if the category is not an exact fit.
  3. If you are a member of a team– make sure “Will this be a team project?” is checked. Do NOT check if you are not part of a team.
  4. Description: Enter a high-level abstract of the invention and the problem it solves.
  5. This is where the student will upload the pictures of the invention.
  • Project Images: Click [Add File] then {Choose File}, enter Caption and upload your Invention Image. You can1-6 digital photos of the invention. At least one is required. (Note: only picture files such as JPG or PNGs can be uploaded here)..
  1. Click [Save & Continue].

STEP 8: PROJECT ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

  1. Fill out all the questions regarding the Problem you solved and Solution you invented. Be thorough in your descriptions as this information may be used by judges  to help them understand and review your invention.
  2. [Save and Continue].

STEP 9: PERMISSIONS AND WAIVERS

  1. For minor children, the Parent or Guardian must agree to the Media Release and Hold Harmless statement. Inventors over 18 can agree on their own behalf. Read and check the box.
  2. Every inventor must agree to the statement that he/she is the creator of the invention.
  3. Click [Save and Continue]

Congratulations you have created your fair registration! However, it is not considered complete until you have entered all your pictures.

You will receive an email at the email address you registered

IMPORTANT!  IF YOU ARE THE FIRST TEAMMATE TO REGISTER, WHEN YOU RECEIVE YOUR EMAIL VERIFYING YOUR  PROJECT KEY/TEAM KEY AND REGISTRATION INFORMATION, EMAIL IT TO YOUR TEAMMATE SO THAT S/HE CAN LINK TO THE REGISTRATION USING THE LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE EMAIL (see below)

Now that you are registered, we have your email address and we will contact with specifics about the logistics for the April 13th event.

You will receive your feedback from the judges shortly after the Awards Ceremony scheduled for April 19. 2024.  Award winners will be notified by email and names will be posted on the California Invention Convention website the week after the ceremony.

The email you receive after completing this registration links you back to the registration system. This email also contains project key information and registration link information for your teammate if you are part of a team.  Be sure to forward this email to your teammate(s)!!!!

 

EDITING YOUR REGISTRATION

You can go back to correct your information or add in your profile and/or invention pictures, as well as enter in the link to your Invention Video at any time after you have completed the registration process.  The student’s registration must be completed by April 3, 2024.   This includes the student and invention pictures.

  1. Go to ca.zfairs.com.
  2. Click on Login – upper right-hand corner of page.
  3. Sign in by entering the username and password that you created when you registered. Click [Login]
  4. You are now on the Student Main Page.
  5. Click on your name in the upper right-hand corner of the page and then select [My Profile]
  6. Tabs appear across the top of the page that will take you to the various sections of your registration where you can edit and add information, including uploading pictures.,
  7. Remember to always click the [Save & Continue] button at the bottom of any page you have updated.
  8. When completed, click on your name in the upper right-hand corner of the page and then select [Logout]

Questions? Contact us….

You can read more about the convention and the California Invention convention at our website – www.cainventionconvention.org

"Kids Inventing Their Future"