The INNOVATE Program

Power’d^™

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 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.

Hatched^™

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.

SMArt: Science, Math & Art^™

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.

I Can Invent III^™

The I Can Invent III module illustrates the joys (and frustrations) that real inventors face during the process of creating totally new inventions. Creative problem solving is fostered as children imagine and assemble the unthinkable! Younger children create fantasy inventions using pieces and parts of broken appliances and other recyclable materials. They further explore the process of invention as they market their inventions and apply for (and even receive) mock patents. Older children work in teams to build complicated, multi-step machines that solve a challenge. A participant favorite, children of all ages find this module incredibly challenging and exciting!

Global Games^™

The Global Games module transports children across the globe to explore games! Children will discover the link between the games of ancient civilizations and the sports of this generation. Children will be challenged to create lacross sticks, dice and soccer balls from found materals, just like ancient cultures used the materials they had to create games, and how even now, found objects can be used to create new challenging games. Children will use strategy and teamwork to play these games with new spins. Children will create new games to place in a time capsule for future generations.