PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Camp Invention, a nationally recognized, nonprofit summer enrichment program, is coming to University of Maine at Presque Isle the week of June 28 to July 2.
At this local camp, families can choose Camp Invention’s in-person or at-home option. And to address any uncertainty that families face when planning for the upcoming summer camp season, the camp offers a “Peace of Mind Promise,” where parents can switch their experience format up to six weeks before the camp start date.
For its in-person option, Camp Invention will continue to adjust its programs to comply with best-practice safety measures to ensure the health of campers, teachers, families and communities.
These precautions may include daily health screenings for all children and program team members; the use of masks; social distancing within classrooms; providing individualized materials to limit sharing; increased sanitation practices and scheduled hygiene checks within the building; and smaller student groups with staggered lunch schedules. Programs will follow all state and regional COVID-19 guidelines.
A hybrid program featuring both offline activities and optional online sessions, Camp Invention at home will enable hands-on exploration by delivering an Innovator’s Toolkit, packed full of fun materials, directly to each participant. With four themed activities, step-by-step guides and an Innovator Workshop, the program focuses on imagination, creative problem solving and fun.
During the at-home format, local certified instructors will take the campers through the day’s activities, with the children choosing to attend the four daily online collaborative sessions or move at their own pace.
Each year, the program features a new curriculum inspired by the National Inventors Hall of Fame inductees. This year’s Recharge curriculum encourages children to be confident in their ideas and explore their innovativeness though hands-on activities, including the following.
Open Mic: Campers amplify their creative voice, reverse engineer a wireless microphone, and then develop and promote their own extraordinary invention.
Duck Chuck: Through hands-on experiments with trajectory and velocity, children build their own device to launch rubber ducks around the world.
Road Rally: Imaginations accelerate as children design nature-inspired vehicles that can zoom across land and add prototype elements for moving through air and water.
SolarBot: Campers build and take care of their very own solar-powered robotic cricket, creating protective gear, a customized habitat and a fun cricket playground.
Whether parents choose the in-person or at-home format, the camp will provide a STEM learning experience for their young innovator.
A NIHF program in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Camp Invention challenges children in grades K-6 to tap into their natural curiosity and use their creativity to solve problems. Through hands-on activities, Camp Invention promotes STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning; builds confidence, leadership, perseverance and resourcefulness; and encourages entrepreneurship — all in a fun and engaging environment.
For additional information or to register, visit invent.org/camp.
