Camp Invention Held at Winthrop Middle School

Optibots, a robotic pet vet, optical technology, and polymers, are a few of the things that one would be familiar with

if they attended Camp Invention.

The one-week-long camp brought 45 students to the middle school last week, giving them an opportunity to learn about the how’s and whys of what makes things work. The program is designed to give children, Grades K thru 6, a hands-on approach that encourages problem solving, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Consisting of projects centered around science, technology, engineering, art and math, Camp Invention kept students engaged in problem-solving tasks from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. The robotic pet vet room was designed to give students the chance to test a robotic dog’s urine by way of lemonade that had to be analyzed on a PH strip. After the young leaners determined what was ailing the robotic dog, and they compared their findings with a chart that displayed actual dog anatomy. Following the diagnosis, the students were encouraged to use their creativity to design their own robotic dog, complete with fur and a personalized name.

“There is so much science buried in these projects,” said Rosemary McCarthy, the middle school STEM Director who leads the program. Fellow teachers Erica and Danielle Foley and Deborah Winters joined McCarthy.

Another classroom, titled, ‘Mod My Mini Mansion,’ used art to create modular homes, where students were also responsible for adding circuits and lighting. The discussion on optical technology and self-driving cars was recurring and kept young inventors curious and engaged. Another project required them to figure out the thickness of a line that would be necessary to get their optibots moving through a mock city made out of poster board.
“They are so engaged in everything, said McCarthy. “I absolutely love this program.”

Camp Invention registration begins in January every year. To find out more information, please visit:  campinvention.org/.