NEWS RELEASE
Got an Idea or Just a Good Question? Upcoming Event Helps Turn Curiosity into Action
Eastern Oregon Innovation Jam invites students and community members across Eastern Oregon to explore real-world problems, learn new skills, and compete for more than $30,000 in prizes - no prior idea required.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 30, 2025
CONTACT: Carter Gudell, cgudell@revcenter.org, 860-899-8395; Grace Donovan, gdonovan@revcenter.org, 248-409-8983
Students and community members who are curious about innovation but are unsure where to start will soon have a new hands-on opportunity through the Eastern Oregon Innovation Jam launching in early 2026.
The event is designed to welcome participants with or without pre-existing ideas, guiding teams through problem discovery, collaborative idea generation, and early prototyping with support from mentors and industry professionals.
Community members are encouraged to participate; each team must include at least one currently enrolled college student.
The Eastern Oregon Innovation Jam will take place on Saturday, February 28, 2026 (9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.) and Saturday, April 4, 2026 (9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.), at Eastern Oregon University bringing together students from Eastern Oregon University, Blue Mountain Community College, and Treasure Valley Community College, along with interested community members.
The experience serves as a qualifying event for InventOR 2026, Oregon’s only statewide collegiate prototyping challenge. Winning teams from each participating institution will advance to InventOR, where they will receive a $2,000 prototyping grant, fully covered travel and accommodations for Bootcamp and Finals, one-on-one advising and mentorship, and a chance to compete for more than $30,000 in cash and prizes at the InventOR Finals Pitch Competition & Prototype Exhibition in June.
In addition to student participation, the Eastern Oregon Innovation Jam invites faculty, professionals, and community leaders to contribute as mentors, instructors, and judges to strengthen Eastern Oregon’s regional innovation ecosystem while supporting the next generation of problem-solvers.
The Eastern Oregon Innovation Jam is hosted by EOU, in partnership with Invent Oregon, the Oregon Frontier Innovation Hub, an initiative of the Rural Engagement & Vitality (REV) Center, and EOU’s Greater Oregon Science Technology Engineering & Math (GO-STEM) hub. OFIH is supported by Business Oregon.
For more information, or to schedule a classroom or community presentation, contact Carter Gudell at cgudell@revcenter.org, (860) 899-8395. To register, go to www.revcenter.org/2026-innovation-jam.
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