Young Inventors Camp 2010

During the month of July, NIHERST’s Young Inventors Camp came alive with the creative energy of 25 talented youngsters, aged 11 -17 years old. This unique hands-on camp is geared towards empowering youth to view their world logically while using basic scientific and business principles to foster technological innovation.

The specific skill set targeted for development in this camp includes but is not limited to: critical thinking, inquiry, and problem-solving which incorporate fact-finding, solution-finding, idea generation, design, prototyping, and testing. Through the fun, informal learning environment, campers also learned the importance of teamwork and healthy competition and they got a chance to develop their socialization skills as they communicated with other students from different schools and geographic locations.

The excerpt below highlights some of the key topics and activities that took place during this fun- filled, three-week experience for campers.

 

Campers using the K'Nex Constrution Toy, Buliding System Kit during their Creativty Project. Working as a team, their innovative ideas moved from thought into reality, showing they are truely creative...
Using recyclable materials, campers blasted to higher heights. Being energetic and openly collaborative, they were able to build on each others' idea during their Aerodynamic Project. The winning rocket zoomed away at approximately 80' in height and 300' horizontally.
Mrs. Dolly Nicolas took centerstage as she passionately introduced the topic 'TECHNOPRENEURSHIP'. Simplifying the term, campers grasped the business of science and the link between innovation and entrepreneurship.
Testing the strength of a bridge made from drinking straws across a 12'' gap. Brainstorming on this unique design made these campers clear winners. They created a shock absorbing layer between two horizontal platforms that allowed their bridge to withstand a total weight of approximately 50lbs!

Written: August 2010