Hi, my name is Rita Selle-Grider and you see me here with my daughter Clara. I am German and moved in 2000 with my American husband Brian and our daughter from Baden-Württemberg, Germany, to Ohio, USA.

We had planned to stay only for a couple of years while I would finish my doctorate in Education (with the focus in Human Relations) from the University in Tübingen. However, sometimes in life things happen totally different, yet, with not less hidden benefits and joy. While family needs brought my work to a halt and “resting stage”, it was also the time for our home education adventure. At the beginning our curriculum was “home-made” and very eclectic with a lot of exercises and ideas from Howard Gardener and Pam Schiller. After rather short interims in two private and an on-line school we have settled for the last several years with the Ohio Virtual Academy.

Our daughter, at present age ten, is an advanced learner with two grades ahead of her peers, and placed in 7th Grade. Her creativity and playfulness were the main factors that got me started in organizing invention work-shops. Other factors played a role as well: Fostering her convergent thinking skills (focusing ability) while benefiting from her sometimes challenging divergent thinking skills, such as moving quickly from one theme/object to another. The idea was to encourage creativity through various cognitive fun activities and to offer an outlet for creativity in a supportive and enhancing group environment. Working towards real (kids) invention competitions gave not only a purposeful goal, but also the experience of mastering deadlines.

Initially, I offered the Invention Workshops for our local home school group, and then later through The Arts Castle in Delaware, OH, as well as exclusively for OHVA students in the greater area. In 2008 we are extending another time to serve more kids and their families by offering more regular workshops and summer camps. In addition, we offer brainstorming services from a mastermind group (kids & adults) for enterprises and individuals who are in need of creative solutions. The joy and excitement doing so is on our side, especially sensing the need for a more and more important good, namely creativity.

Our Philosophy

The core belief at the Young Bright Minds & Inventors Academy is that each human being, kids and adults alike, is granted God-given creativity.

Although there are exceedingly creative people out there, for the majority, this creativity needs to be fostered and unleashed. Our belief is, that creativity should be nurtured from the early ages on through various stimuli, techniques, and exercises and actively pursued throughout life.