DALTON, Ga. — While the team of three City Park School students didn’t win the recent K-12 InVenture Prize Competition at Georgia Tech, the trip was still an eye-opener for them.

The trip to Atlanta sparked the students’ interest in possibly attending Georgia Tech or another college, said Lisa Cushman, the City Park STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) teacher. In all, eight teams of students went on the trip although only three — fourth-grader Andrea Hernandez and fifth-graders Glendi Deleon and Jailyn Garcia, members of the Rainbow Unicorns team — participated in the competition. The students who didn’t compete toured the Georgia Tech campus where they visited the InVenture Studio, which has 3D printers, laser cutters and other equipment.

“I love that a seed was put in their mind to attend college,” Cushman said. “It kind of shows them at the end of the rope that if you work hard, study and stay in school, college is there for you.”

The three City Park School STEP (science, technology, engineering and production) Club students created the “No Bakey Shakey Blankie,” a flame-retardant safety blanket that can detect smoke. It warns of fire by beeping loudly, flashing lights and vibrating.

In February, the Rainbow Unicorns team won a competition among STEP Club groups at the school, judged by local entrepreneurs and educators, and presented the blanket at the K-12 InVenture Prize Competition. The students were tasked with solving a problem related to fire, waste, health or food while following an engineering design process.

The K-12 InVenture Prize Competition began in 2012. More than 2,000 students participate in the program to “identify real-world problems and design novel solutions through careful analysis, creativity and the scientific method,” according to the competition’s website.

The top three finishers in each division were named. A team from Kelly Mill Elementary in Cumming took first place in the Elementary School Division, in which City Park School competed, with their invention “Simply Sanitized.” The winners of each division are eligible to compete at the annual National Invention Convention. Industry experts and Georgia Tech community members judged the projects and rated the entries on eight categories, including creativity and marketability.

This was the first time a group from City Park competed in the event, Cushman said. The students said they enjoyed the experience.

Deleon said although she was “kind of nervous,” presenting was a good experience.

Hernandez said the best part of their presentation was their speech. She also said the judges were surprised the blanket vibrated.

Garcia said she enjoyed competing against other students, adding that the event “was really cool.”