Hockinson elementary student’s invention idea wins her a trip to Austria

HOCKINSON — Hockinson Heights Elementary School student Kenzi Cayton, 8, recently was named the U.S. winner of the Ideas4Ears invention competition, held by hearing technology company MED-EL. As the grand prize winner, Kenzi won a June trip for two to MED-EL’s international headquarters in Innsbruck, Austria. Kenzi’s winning idea was to create an implant that allows users to automatically and electronically change their skins to anything they want by clicking a button in an app. According to a news release, “The implant would be made of material that works like a screen saver on a phone or computer, so the design can be changed instantly with the push of a button. The app would have tons of different colors, styles and designs so people with implants could easily change the look of their processors as often as they wanted.” “What Kenzi is the most excited about in winning the Ideas4Ears competition is meeting other kids with cochlear implants — it makes her feel at home,” Kenzi’s mother, Kelli Cayton, said in the news release. She will accompany Kenzi to Austria with her father and older brother. “She is looking forward to getting to know children from around the world who have shared a similar experience and getting to represent the USA,” Kelli Cayton said. A total of 215 children participated in the contest from 28 countries, with 171 invention ideas submitted. Those who came up with the top 12 ideas were chosen to visit Austria.