THF inHub

Inspire the future inventors in your classroom with the free Invention Convention Curriculum for K-12 students. While working through the invention process, students learn to identify real-world problems and design creative solutions for them, building confidence, problem-solving skills and entrepreneurial skills they can take with them in their future careers. Check out inventionconvention.org to learn more and find your local program.

Looking for a fun & unique activity for your classroom this year? We partnered with WeAreTeachers to create this free downloadable bulletin board to encourage students to "Think Like an Inventor," using our Model i actions & habits of innovation. Get yours today:

Get This Free Bulletin Board Kit That Teaches Students to "Think Like an Inventor" Take them on an innovation journey.

Innovation is messy and doesn’t happen in a straight line. The Henry Ford’s Model i learning framework uses the Actions of Innovation to help you deeply understand and address the problem that you’re trying to solve – and why it matters. By not restricting ourselves to follow a rigid process, we can learn and adapt in ways that increase our chances of success. Learn more by visiting https://bit.ly/3A5LI72

At The Henry Ford, we believe everyone can be an innovator—and that includes your students! But what does it really mean to be an innovator, and why is it so important?
Being an innovator is about:

✨ Uncovering and defining real needs.
✨ Improving on what we already use.
✨ Changing behaviors for the better.

To help students develop innovative mindsets, we dove into the stories of historic innovators—like Rosa Parks and the Wright brothers—found in our collections. Despite their diverse backgrounds, we discovered common Habits and Actions that connected their stories.

These became the foundation of the Model i Framework—a social-emotional learning tool designed to inspire innovation through five key Actions and six essential Habits. It’s perfect for classrooms, field trips, and even at home!

Want to empower your students to think like innovators? Explore Model i with our free professional development course and start unleashing their potential today. 🔗 Learn more at https://bit.ly/3BxAyh4

What makes inHub's curricula unique? inHub's curriculum resources draw on stories of innovators to help students build knowledge and skills that they can apply in the real world. Our ready-to-use lesson plans and activities — available for grades K-12 — foster innovative thinking skills in your students, preparing them for the future.

🪨 Innovate for Tots (preK-2) Make material science come alive for curious young minds using integrated STEAM-based activities focused on 18 unique materials. This curriculum helps to lay the foundation for a lifelong interest in problem solving and discovery.

🔬 Innovate Curriculum (grades 6-8) Help students connect our stories of history to STEM and other core subjects to real world applications through an interdisciplinary online curriculum that accelerates development of 21st-century skills. This curriculum leverages primary sources from the Henry Ford Archive of American Innovation to shed light on the way people have innovated across 300 years of history.

✈️ Model i Primer (grades 3-12) Explore the actions and habits of innovators through 12 learn-by-doing activities and lessons that feature real-life stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

💡 Invention Convention Curriculum (grades K-12) Ignite the spark in your budding innovators as students work through the seven steps of invention. This curriculum teaches problem-identification, problem solving, STEM, creativity and entrepreneurial skills as students develop an invention to solve a real-world problem.

All of our curriculum resources are available when you sign up for a free inHub account. Learn more today https://bit.ly/3rSYDcY

The Henry Ford's collections are filled with examples of the Actions of Innovation and Habits of an Innovator, part of the Model i framework. The story behind the Aeron Chair, designed by Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick, is a great example of the Habit of an Innovator: Be Empathetic.

Inspire students to practice their empathy skills by putting themselves in others' shoes and asking questions like: How will my idea impact other people? What special accommodations do I need to consider when designing my solution?

Use our free Model i Primer lessons to dive deeper into the Actions and Habits, accessible when you sign up for a free inHub account. https://bit.ly/4eyfR43

Our Learning & Engagement team has had so much fun this week hosting the 2026 cohort of Educators-in-Residence at The Henry Ford. The program brings together educators from across the country to meet and inspire one another, discover the resources offered within our inHub digital learning platform, and discuss strategies for creating a classroom culture of innovation.

Learn more about the Educators-in-Residence program by visiting https://bit.ly/42N5tii

Every student has the potential to be an innovator. By introducing learners to stories of inventors, entrepreneurs and problem-solvers, educators can help spark curiosity, creativity and a mindset that turns “what if?” into “what’s next?”

The Henry Ford’s inHub makes it easier to get started. Create a free account to discover hundreds of classroom-ready resources designed to help educators implement innovation learning in meaningful, flexible ways https://bit.ly/3OzxPaG

⚠️Due to the continued hazardous and very unhealthy air quality conditions affecting Southeast Michigan, The Henry Ford Summer Camp will remain closed on Friday, July 17, 2026. The health and safety of our campers and staff remains our top priority, and this decision has been made out of an abundance of caution.

Please know we carefully evaluated every option to continue programming, but are unable to provide the safe, high-quality experience families expect while Greenfield Village and the Ford Rouge Factory Tour remain closed. We appreciate your patience, understanding, and support as we navigate these unprecedented conditions. Please stay safe and healthy during this time.