Young Inventors Tackle STEM with Style

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AIKEN, SC (06/15/2018) Ruth Patrick Science Education infuses the love of STEM in K-12 students all year long, even in the summer.

For the 15th year, RPSEC has hosted Camp Invention, a nationally recognized, nonprofit summer enrichment camp program. A program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF), in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Camp Invention challenges children in grades K-6 to find their "inner inventor" by learning the process of innovation. Using hands-on activities, Camp Invention promotes science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning; builds resourcefulness and problem-solving skills; and encourages entrepreneurship.

"Camp Invention introduces students to STEM concepts at an early age and gets them excited about it," said John Hutchens, director of special programs RPSEC.

"It boosts their confidence, taps into their creativity, and instills STEM concepts."

And it's all done in fun, engaging and dynamic ways that young campers really enjoy. In fact, one RPSEC camper didn't even realize she was learning. After recalling her busy day of medical research, robotics, and physics as part of the various Camp Invention activities, she asked her mom, "When does the science part start?"

The theme for this year's curriculum is "Fast Forward" and features several video challenges from NIHF inductees encouraging campers to be confident in their ideas and explore their innovativeness.

The four key modules to this year's program are:

Optibot™: Campers launch into the future with their own Optibot - a small self-driving robot that senses changes in light. One day, the robot had to navigate an underwater tunnel.

Robotic Pet Vet™: Campers nurse their robotic puppy back to health and design and build dog parks as they hammer out ideas for the best park attraction. Some of the pups have diabetes, bladder infections or are dehydrated. Students learn medical testing procedures and receive prescriptions on how to care for their mechanical canine. One day, they conducted stem cell research on their four-legged friends.

Mod My Mini Mansion™: As architects, campers create and design their very own futuristic smart home filled with gadgets, LEDs, technology and innovations. They installed necessary circuitry to make the technology really work.

Stick To It™: Campers invent something new every day as they explore what it is like to be a physicist, engineer and entrepreneur. They take on real-world challenges by building their own prototypes and discovering that anything is possible when it comes to solutions.

Camp Invention leaders are certified educators from the CSRA. Their assistants are college students - some education majors and some from other STEM fields. This year, one college intern is an engineering major. In addition, middle schoolers who are now too old for Camp Invention are counselors in training.

This year's Camp Invention at Ruth Patrick is completely booked - with 119 students, including campers and CITs.

Ruth Patrick Science Education Center will host two more STEM-related discovery camps this summer: STEM Adventures, July 9-13 for rising 3rd - 5th graders and Junior Explorers, July 23-27, for students K - 2nd grade. For more information, go to: http://rpsec.usca.edu/summer/discoverycamps/ .