GREENFIELD — What makes a good inventor? What is their job? What do they do?
Alissa Solchik posed the question to a group of youngsters gathered in a classroom at J.B. Stephens Elementary School on Monday afternoon. Immediately, little hands shot into the air.
Inventors make things everyone wants, one student told the teacher. When their ideas don’t work, inventors keep trying, another student said; inventors never give up.
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Teamwork. Creativity. Problem-solving.
These characteristics of inventors are on full display this week in Greenfield as more than 140 students from across the county participated in Camp Invention — a five-day summertime learning experience that aims to get kids interested in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and math).
Camp Invention is a nationally-recognized STEM program founded by the National Inventors Hall of Fame and is inspired by some of the world’s greatest inventors, according to the organization’s website. Its curriculum is designed for kids entering kindergarten through sixth grade, and has served more than a million children since its inception in 1990.
This week’s camp is hosted by Greenfield-Central Schools, with the help of teachers, like Solchik, and high-school student volunteers. The same program was hosted by teachers in Southern Hancock Schools and Mt. Vernon Schools last month.
The program is now in its third year in Greenfield, said camp director Amanda Bradford. Participation has nearly doubled since the district first hosted Camp Invention in 2015: the first year about 75 kids signed up compared to this year’s 140, she said.
The theme of this year’s camp-program centers on robotics. Each day of camp kids get the chance to complete different hands-on activities that are age specific, Bradford said.
These include building a small self-driving robot that senses changes in light; programing a robotic puppy; and designing their own smart home.
While the camp highlights Greenfield-Central Schools’ dedication to spurring kids’ passion about STEM subjects, the educational program and others like it help to prevent the so-called “summer slide,” the tendency for students to fall behind when they’re away from school for summer break.
Camp Invention runs all day and should help students get re-adjusted to their school day schedules before the new year launches on Aug. 1.