Mesa Public Schools brings Camp Invention to Las Sendas Elementary School this summer for children in grades one through six, and it’s a real thrill!
The weeklong program immerses children in creativity and imaginative play, reinforcing school-year learning in science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) and other fields—without them noticing the learning part. Children will work together to seek innovative solutions to real-world problems. Using teamwork and creative problem solving, they will rotate through five learning modules disguised as nothing but fun.
In Problem Solving on Planet ZAK, children will crash-land on an alien planet. There, they collect important data about its environment to help them design sturdy shelters and robust spacesuits to survive the planet’s harsh living conditions.
In another scenario, Saving Sludge City™, children are called to explore green city design and create an eco-friendly infrastructure of pollution-free water filtration systems, environmentally sound landfills, safe waste disposal systems and transportation powered by renewable resources.
The Imagination Point: Ride Physics™ module leads children to investigate the science behind thrill rides. Young scientists jazz up Newton’s Laws of Motion (inertia, momentum and centripetal force) with homemade race carts and such. In the Game On: Power Play™ module, students get to use nontraditional equipment—think water balloons—to add their own twists to classic games.
Finally, a participant favorite, children will be introduced to tool safety when they take apart a discarded household appliance, and use its pieces and parts to invent a working, multi-step machine in I Can Invent: Edison’s Workshop.
Local educators will facilitate Camp Invention program modules. Enthusiastic high school and college students will serve as program counselors. This approach ensures one staff member is in place for every eight children.
Camp Invention CREATE begins on June 13. Debbie Allen, a teacher with the Extended Learning Program, directs the program at Las Sendas Elementary School. The cost is $215, but discounts apply if you bring a friend or sibling. Registration includes a free Camp Invention T-shirt. Availability is limited, so visit www.campinvention.org, or call (800) 968-4332 to reserve a spot today!