Bright Ideas - we all have them. It's what you do with them that counts; and in North Dakota, those Bright Ideas were on display and in competition with each other at the North Dakota State Fair this summer. For a handful of adventurous students, their efforts earned them top awards.

Kaitlyn Kipp of Mandan, ND, turned her love of dance into an online business idea. "I've been dancing since age two and a half," stated Kaitlyn. "I love it! And with each performance I had, a new costume needed to be purchased. I've gotten a lot of specialized dance outfits since then and most of them I outgrew before they wore out. So, I came up with the idea of Dance Diva Wear!

Dance Diva Wear is an online used dance costume store concept. "I needed some help," says Kaitlyn. "I don't fit into those outfits any more so my little cousin modeled the costumes while I took her picture. Then I designed a website to post them to."

For her efforts, Kaitlyn was recognized as the first place winner in the Business Category for the 6^th grade level of the Marketplace for Kids Bright Ideas Showcase and Contest at the ND State Fair. In addition, she received a special award for Innovation in Technology.

"The "Window Wizard" started as a project in the 5^th grade. It is a window with an automatic cleaning system built into the sill. The cleaner functions by pressing a button, which activates a solution dispenser. Then a squeegee in the sill comes out and repeatedly washes the window. All the dirty solution and the squeegee go back into the sill when complete," Joby explained. "My parents helped me in the construction of my model after I came up with the blueprints."

What is Joby's advice to young inventors? "I would say to young inventors to always keep your eyes open for problems, then try to think of ways to fix them," says Joby. "I really enjoyed speaking and presenting my idea to other people. It helped me to develop my confidence speaking in front of others and presenting ideas clearly, that is what I liked the most."

From clothing to windows to horses-that's how diverse the Bright Ideas were! Our next inventor is an avid lover of anything cowboy. And what's a cowboy without a horse? Nicolas Curren from Dagmar, MT, found an easier way to mount his horse without the assistance of an adult or by climbing on a fence. It's called the Curren Saddle Ladder.

"To reach the stirrups on my saddle, I would always need a little help. By using my Saddle Ladder, I don't need help any more," says Nicolas. "It's a rope ladder that can be used on any saddle. You put it around the horn of the saddle and drop it down. It stays with the saddle, so you can get on and off without help or without jumping.

Nicolas, a fifth grade student, received the Innovation in Agriculture Award for his Bright Idea!

Each of these students has a bright future ahead of them as they move into adulthood and become an integral part of our economy. And it all happened because they took their ideas and acted on them. In our next part, you'll meet more talented fifth graders and hear about their invention and business ideas.