Students bring learning to life at Camp Invention
Posted on 06/16/2021
Camp Invention camper testing her creation(SPS) -- As you walk down the 400 hallway of Holmes Park Elementary this week, you will need to watch your step. The students participating in the Road Rally module are testing out the self-propelled, pulley-operated vehicles they built.

These creations are part of the week-long Camp Invention program hosted by Sapulpa Public Schools.

Camp Invention is a fun, safe, and open-ended experience for the more than 100 participating campers to learn hands-on STEM activities while helping them build their problem-solving skills.

“STEM provides an opportunity for students to take what they learn in math and science class and apply it to the real world,” said Megan Cannon, Camp Director and Sapulpa Public Schools STEM Coordinator. “STEM lends itself to a student's natural curiosity and often it's not about a right or wrong answer, it's about working together to figure out the best solution to a real problem.”

That is exactly what these Kindergarten through 6th-grade students are doing. They are learning lessons in teamwork and inventive thinking in a safe place that allows them to ask questions about the world around them.

“If students walk away from Camp Invention with more confidence in asking questions and being curious, then I think we've done our job,” said Cannon.

Camp Invention 2021

So, what are the modules that the students are participating in to help fuel their inquisitive minds?

Road Rally - Children apply nature-based discoveries to design their own unique vehicle. Along the way, participants explore energy, fuel, and movement while collecting energy points to spend on special materials for their vehicles.

Duck Chuck - Campers let physics fly as they launch rubber ducks to far-flung locations around the globe. They reconstruct famous landmarks and add detail. Putting trajectory, velocity, and geometry to practical use, children engineer upcycled items to invent the ultimate Duck Chucking Device.

Open Mic - Participants discover the fascinating components inside of a microphone, many of which were invented by National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees, before designing their own original inventions.

Solar Bot - Students build and adopt their very own solar-powered cricket. They experience a cricket’s point of view as they design habitats, cricket-inspired inventions, and protective gear to outsmart predators. They employ sustainability, physics, and engineering to design tire swings, trampolines, and other playground equipment to help save the day. They jump into cricket anatomy, including how crickets create sound, and build musical instruments to compete in a grand finale Chirp-Off.

Camp Invention Games - Participants practice teamwork, cooperation, and coordination skills during fun, energetic games. Creative problem-solving skills are emphasized, rather than winning or losing. Participants play and then reinvent classic games. These activities are based on the premise that, like inventions, traditional games can be modified and reimagined. Camp Invention Games encourages strategic thinking and builds 21st century skills through physical games that enrich and energize.

Camp Invention 2021

“Now more than ever, it's important for students to experience learning in a fun way that keeps their mind sharp and stimulated.”

Keeping a student’s mind crisp is key in helping them during the two and half month summer break before they head back to school.

“Educational camps like Camp Invention help students get ahead in their learning by challenging them to think in new, creative ways. This type of thinking can then be transferred into the classroom starting in August when school resumes,” said Cannon.

Camp Invention is one of the many enrichment programs Sapulpa Public Schools offers to students during the summer. The camp goes through Thursday and concludes with an inventors’ showcase in which parents are invited to come in and see their student’s creations.