Blog Behind the NIHF Scenes

Learn More About Road Rally

Behind the NIHF Scenes Program Highlights

Each year when children sign up for Camp Invention®, they are able to enjoy a brand-new program thanks to the work of our talented team of education experts. To create the flagship STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program from the National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF), our team undertakes a thorough curriculum development process, ensuring that each summer offers engaging activities designed to inspire the next generation of innovators.

Road Rally, supported in part by General Motors, is one of four exciting modules in the all-new 2021 Camp Invention program, Recharge! Read below to learn more about what your child can look forward to in this high-energy activity.

 

Off to the Races with Road Rally

Children start their creative engines as they apply nature-based discoveries to design their own unique morphing vehicle. Throughout the week, campers design, construct and test both propeller-operated and pulley-operated versions of their vehicle to explore its capabilities on land. Then, they prototype different design elements that could enable a vehicle to travel in the air and underwater. Along the way, children explore concepts including energy, fuel and movement while earning energy points to spend on special materials for their vehicles. After fully exploring the imagined morphing capabilities of their transportation designs, campers zoom through a Super Road Rally! When camp ends, children keep their vehicles for endless morphing, racing and fun.

By prototyping and making iterations on their designs, children take part in the same creative process that many of the world’s greatest inventors apply in their professional lives. Innovators believe that improvement is always possible, and Road Rally reinforces this perspective as children test and retest modifications to their vehicles to achieve inspiring results.

The Innovation Mindset Difference

At the center of all Camp Invention activities is the Innovation Mindset: a growth mindset developed through lessons from our revolutionary NIHF Inductees, which can benefit children throughout their lives.

Road Rally emphasizes the following aspects of the Innovation Mindset:

Persistence: Building persistence through the process of creating and modifying prototypes.

Design Thinking: Applying design thinking to give vehicles the ability to maneuver through a series of obstacles.

Innovation: Achieving innovation by adding elements inspired by nature to morphing vehicle designs.

Composed of nine skills and traits that are reinforced each time a child applies them, every part of this mindset is strengthened by participating in Camp Invention’s curriculum.

Learn More About Camp Invention

Not sure if you’ll want an in-person or at-home experience this summer? No problem! With our new Peace of Mind Promise, you can sign up for camp today and switch your format choice up to six weeks before camp starts.

To learn more about Camp Invention, we invite you to visit our website.

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