Leadership Interns Set an Inspiring Example for Campers

Children who participate in Camp Invention^® have the unique opportunity to learn directly from STEM role models.

Not only is each year’s all-new program curriculum developed in collaboration with National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF) Inductees and infused with lessons from real-world innovators, but the program also allows children to benefit from the guidance of high school and college students who volunteer to help lead Camp Invention programs.

It is because of generous NIHF Annual Fund donors that we are able to provide children with an unmatched experience that connects them with relatable STEM role models who can help them build their confidence and reach their potential.

Morgan Storino is one of the many young STEM leaders who has gained valuable, hands-on experience while making a difference in the lives of campers. 

Encouraging STEM Leadership 

When Storino was a freshman in high school looking for a summer volunteer program that appealed to her interests, she found the Leadership Intern (LI) program at Camp Invention.

Storino felt this was a perfect opportunity for her. “It felt up my alley because other traditional ways of volunteering hadn’t offered any sort of long-term commitment or community involvement,” she said in an interview with NIHF.

Designed for high school and college students, the LI program provides real-world classroom experience and the opportunity to earn up to 40 volunteer hours that can go toward graduation requirements or be used for scholarship and job applications.

Additionally, participants explore the importance of intellectual property and learn how entrepreneurship and innovation can be used to help others. Following their completion of the Leadership Intern program, students receive a letter of recognition from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

For four consecutive summers beginning in 2014, Storino participated in the program and appreciated the clear sense of progress and responsibilities that her school’s Camp Invention Director, Jena Brodhead, gave her each year.

For Camp Invention campers, the LI program allows them to interact with and receive mentorship from relatable STEM role models. LIs assist Camp Invention Directors in running each hands-on experience and guide campers through their challenges, step by step.

As LIs work directly with children each day, they encourage their creativity, celebrate their successes, and model the importance of collaboration, confidence and persistence in STEM exploration and innovation.

Now a junior at Syracuse University double majoring in chemistry and citizenship and civic engagement (CCE), Storino credits her experience working with children at Camp Invention for sparking her interest in helping others and believes that it played a significant part in her choosing a CCE major at Syracuse. As she prepares her medical school applications, she plans to pursue a career that uses science to make a difference in people’s lives.

“The Leadership Intern program was the first formative experience I had in my journey to seek out public service opportunities,” Storino said. “It was the first thing that got me hooked on using science in a way that allows you to communicate with others and achieve something tangible.”

Help More Children Connect with Role Models

For volunteers like Morgan Storino, Camp Invention can spark a lasting dedication to community involvement. Together, we can provide more opportunities for children to experience the same mentorship that inspired the many campers Storino reached in her four years as an LI.

Your gift to the Annual Fund ensures that Camp Invention can continue offering accessible programming with the direct involvement of relatable STEM role models, from young STEM leaders to world-changing inventors.

Use the link below and select “Area of Greatest Need/Annual Fund” as the program you would like to support to reach children across the country.

When you give today, you can change tomorrow.