Between December 2019 and February 2021, The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), presented the Little Inventors challenge, Mission: Protect our oceans.

The challenge was launched in partnership with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO), in collaboration with Let’s Talk Science, The Canadian Science Fair Journal, Digital Mi’kmaq, OCAD University, and the support of multiple makers, artisans and animators. Take a look at our Partners section to see a full list of collaborators.

The challenge encouraged Canadian youth to explore their own creativity and become the inventive thinkers of the future, giving them the freedom and inspiration to use their imaginations and their STEAM learnings to provide solutions to real-world problems.

Mission: Protect our oceans asked children across Canada to become ocean inventors and submit an invention idea that could solve one of the many problems faced by our oceans or improve the oceans' health.

From the hundreds of invention ideas submitted, 15 have been brought to life and are presented together here to celebrate this year’s launch of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

The 15 selected inventors showcased here have worked with a maker or artist to bring their invention idea to life.

Other ingenious little inventors had the wonderful opportunity of seeing their ideas published in the Canadian Science Fair Journal. We also chose one invention a month to receive a copy of the Little Inventors Handbook.

The challenge was supported with online tools, videos and resource packs for teachers, mini-challenges and drawing sheets for students to use at home and online talks by leading Canadian ocean experts. Take a look at Our Resources section.