Camp Invention in Ottawa engages kids with STEM learning, creativity

Young inventors are spending their summer mornings designing gadgets, solving real-world problems and tapping into their creativity at Camp Invention, a weeklong educational program hosted at Central Intermediate School in Ottawa.

Jason Garner, a fifth-grade teacher and site director, said this is his fourth year helping with the camp and his second year directing it.

But the program itself has been a staple in the Ottawa area for much longer.

“It’s been going on here for about 13 years,” Garner said. “One of the other teachers has been doing it since the beginning.”

Camp Invention is a national program that provides schools with hands-on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) curriculum.

Each year’s activities are built around a unique theme, with this summer’s theme being “Discover,” Garner said.

“Invention, the organization that creates all the modules and materials, comes up with a different theme every year,” he said. “This year’s four main sessions are all tied into the idea of discovery.”

Garner said turnout has been steady in recent years.

“Last year, we had about 73 kids,” he said. “This year, we had around 75. It usually ranges from 70 to 90, I’d say.”

Throughout the week, students rotate through themed sessions where they get to explore scientific and engineering concepts in fun, interactive ways.

“One session is called Penguin Launch – they’re learning physics, but in a really approachable way,” Garner said. “There’s another called In Control, where they explore things like signals and Morse code. It’s all rooted in STEM but made fun.”

Another popular session is the Illusion Workshop, which introduces students to the basics of animation.

Using cardboard, mirrors, paper cutouts and a battery-powered spinner, kids construct a device that creates a looping animation when activated.

Some of this year’s student projects included a Wi-Fi signal gaining strength, a soccer player scoring a goal and a flower blooming in sunlight.

“The most fun part for me was using my imagination to figure out what I wanted to do with my animation,” said Marcos, one of the students.

“I liked sticking the pictures in and watching it spin – it’s satisfying,” Grant said.

Students also get to rummage through the Inventor’s Supply Room, a space stocked with recyclables brought from home, to find materials for their creations.

“They really love that,” Garner said. “It’s completely empty now. They use their imaginations to figure out how to bring their inventions to life with the materials we have.”

While the camp is designed to be mostly fun, Garner said it also helps kids learn foundational STEM skills in a hands-on setting.

“They’re building, problem-solving, creating,” he said. “It’s not just sitting and listening; they’re doing things. And by the end of the week, they’ve made something they’re proud of.”

But above all, what keeps the students coming back each summer?

“It’s just fun for them,” Garner said. “They get to build, learn, and hang out with their friends. For a lot of them, it’s the perfect way to kick off summer break.”