The INNOVATE Program

In a secret lab, a mysterious scientist has been investigating how to power robotic creatures in the Power’d™ module. The scientist requests the help of Camp Invention participants to explore new types of energy to help power the robotic creatures.  Children spend the week building, powering, and exploring the capabilities of their own fantasy creatures by investigating wind, solar, and hydro power. Children explore how they can light an LED with a small fan, waterwheels, and lemons.  They also create creatures made from everyday materials by up-cycling that will wiggle using motors and batteries to create circuits.

The Hatched™ module uses the concept of online virtual worlds to relay economics solutions to given problems!  The daily activities have children creating, buying, and selling to understand the role of economics in the world.  Imagination, creative problem solving, and economic principles lead children to create a thriving virtual world for their self-created avatars and other inhabitants of the world.  During the week, children work in teams to create a water system, as well as items for the Hatched world’s residents.  Using marketplaces and Hatched money, their created items are bought and sold between teams.

The SMArt: Science, Math & Art™ module illustrates the beauty of patterns in mathematics. Imagination, creative problem solving, and mathematical solutions are fostered as children recreate the beautiful math of Pattern Kingdom!  This module uses the mathematical fields of tesselations, topology, minimal surfaces, fractals, and angles to demonstrate that math is a subject involving some of the basic questions and areas of our lives.  During the week, children work to restore the love of mathematics that the Pattern Kingdom’s residents have forgotten by introducing them to some of the more little known areas that help to make mathematics a language that speaks to us all.

Children shake up traditional games to create new experiences that will have them thinking and upcycling their way to a brand new kind of fun!  In the Game On: Power Play™ module, children are challenged to use nontraditional equipment (such as water balloons) to play classic games.  Each day features fresh ideas that will have children mentally and physically engaged and completely entertained.  The laughter is contagious as children use fun ways to enhance their level of cooperation and coordination in these innovative, team-building exercises.  Children's minds and bodies are put to the test as they combine physical activity, creativity and fun!

During the I Can Invent: Edison’s Workshop™ module children walk in the footsteps of Thomas Edison as they create and market a multi-step machine.  Creative problem solving is fostered as children imagine and assemble the unthinkable!  Younger children work in teams to create multii-step inventions using pieces and parts of an alarm clock and other recyclable materials. Older children work in teams to build complicated, multi-step machines that solve a challenge. All children further explore the process of invention as they market their inventions and receive mock patents.  A participant favorite, children of all ages find this module incredibly challenging and exciting!