Unleashing Creative Genius

The Camp Invention program returns to Boone this summer for the third straight year.
Appalachian State University is hosting the Camp Invention INNOVATE program the week of June 28 through July 2, from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., for all current kindergarten through 4th grade students.

During a week of daytime excitement, children are immersed in imaginative play that both reinforces and supplements school-year learning through inquiry-based activities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), as well as history and the arts.
The Camp Invention program helps cultivate the ideas critical to STEM by encouraging exploration and curiosity during everyday activities so children understand that science is everywhere - fostering "whole system" thinkers.

The premier program of nonprofit Invent Now Kids, the nationally-acclaimed Camp Invention experience has been inspiring the minds of children nationwide for more than 20 years. Renowned for the opportunity it extends to elementary-aged children to explore the unknown, tinker with ideas, Camp Invention satisfies an innate sense of curiosity, while providing a safe, creative outlet for them to experience extended summer learning taught by familiar local educators.

Each day of the program week, children rotate through five integrated modules that require creative thinking to solve real-world challenges. Working together, children learn vital 21st century life skills, such as problem solving and teamwork through hands-on activities disguised in fun.

Since its inception in 1990, the Camp Invention program has grown to include nearly 1,500 sites in 49 states. In 2009, more than 65,000 children participated nationwide.
"We're getting to the root of innovation by providing motivation to learn, create and excel - particularly in the critical areas of math and science," said Michael J. Oister, president of Invent Now Kids.

Ensuring fresh, timely curricula each year, the curriculum writers at Invent Now Kids have put together the INNOVATE program for returning host sites, where children not only rebuild a virtual world and act as entrepreneurs as they establish a new marketplace in the "Hatched" module and explore alternative energy to power their robotic creatures in the "Power'd" module, but also explore the surprising mathematical connections between soap bubbles and lightening bolts in the "SMArt: Science, Math & Art" module.

Every Camp Invention program features the "I Can Invent III" module, where younger children take apart discarded household appliances and create fantasy inventions, while older children use the pieces and parts to build Rube Goldberg machines. Also featured is the "Global Games" module, where children explore ancient cultures and sports like lacrosse and soccer from civilizations around the world.

Snow may be on the ground in the High Country, but summer will be here soon, and early bird rates for Camp Invention are now in effect. To learn more about how to secure your child's spot in the program, visit http://www.pathways.appstate.edu or call (828) 262-2530.