NEWS RELEASE: Roseville Student Selected as “Little Inventor” for Second Consecutive Year

For the second consecutive year, a student from Roseville Community Schools’ Gifted and Talented STEAM Program has been selected as a “Little Inventor.” Yana Fedorchak, a fourth-grade student at Green Elementary, is one of fourteen Macomb County students chosen to have her invention brought to life through the Little Inventors Challenge. Little Inventors is a global creative education organization, facilitated locally through the Macomb Intermediate School District (MISD), that inspires imagination by transforming student ideas into reality. Fedorchak’s invention was selected from more than 2,400 entries submitted across Macomb County.

Students in the Gifted and Talented Program created their designs around this year’s theme, “Wild Ideas,” which challenged them to invent something inspired by animals (biomimicry) or designed to help an animal. Fedorchak drew inspiration from her favorite animal, the octopus, to create her invention, “Bendy Handies.” “It helps you carry things or lend an extra hand,” she said. She learned of her selection on April 16 during a virtual announcement with her classmates, MISD representatives, and Little Inventors staff. “I never thought I would be chosen because there were other people with amazing ideas,” Fedorchak said. “It was so cool to get picked.” Gifted and Talented Program teacher Sheryl Vitale praised Fedorchak’s creativity and character. “She is a deep, critical thinker, a hard worker, and a problem solver,” Vitale said. “While she may be quiet, she consistently shares thoughtful ideas with her classmates.”

As part of the program, Fedorchak will collaborate virtually with a maker from HTI Cybernetics, who will help bring her invention to life as an animation, concept model, digital rendering, prototype, or scaled model. The finished prototypes will be unveiled during a celebration ceremony honoring all fourteen selected students on May 28, 2026, at the Macomb Intermediate School District. Fountain fifth grader Chris Gillom, who was one of ten Macomb County students selected as a Little Inventor last year, will be emceeing this year’s ceremony. 

Through the Little Inventors program, students across the world showcase their creativity and problem-solving skills, build their confidence, curiosity, and resilience to become caring citizens of our planet, all invaluable attributes that will support them as adults in their everyday life and chosen career paths. Vitale said that through the Little Inventors program, students achieve an understanding that their ideas are the future. “It also encourages innovative thinking and exposes students to real-world careers through makers who are investing their time and talents to take the ideas of students seriously.” You can learn more about Little Inventors program at littleinventors.org.

#####