MILLSTONE — It remains to be seen whether Camp Invention will produce a famous product or inventor, but more than 83 inspired campers gathered recently at the Millstone Township Primary School to experience the program that was held from Aug. 4-7.
Camp Director Michelle Falanga said “everyone was busy” at camp. The youngsters hailed primarily from the Millstone Township and Upper Freehold Regional school districts. They came prepared to engage their minds in a camp that was founded by inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Members of the National Inventors Hall of Fame wrote on the organization’s website that the children are “building the future, one dreamer at a time.”
Camp Invention has already enriched the lives of almost two million children, according to the hall of fame website.
“This one-of-a-kind, nationally recognized program introduces critical science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) concepts through hands-on, creative problem-solving activities that encourage children to explore, analyze and invent,” the website states.
Falanga observed that “many times the students are having so much fun, they don’t even realize they are learning and developing new skills critical for 21st-century learners.”
“I am thrilled we offer Camp Invention here for the students in our community,” she said. “Camp Invention provides a great opportunity for inventive young minds to exercise their creativity and use their imagination in ways they don’t normally get to — through real-world problem-solving challenges.”
The programming at Camp Invention is inspired by some of the world’s most wellknown inventors, and is developed through partnerships with the Collegiate Inventors Competition and the United States Patent and Trademark Office, an agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce.
To excite campers this year, Falanga said a new curriculum called “Morphed!” was offered. The program immersed students in hands-on activities such as building original prototypes, creating a personalized motor-powered vehicle, and disassembling electronics to build an insect-themed pinball machine, according to Falanga.
“We are very grateful to have received a very generous grant from the Nordson Corporation,” Falanga said. “It allowed students to attend camp at a reduced rate, providing opportunities for more kids to experience this unique camp experience.”
In addition to directing Camp Invention, Falanga works as the gifted-and-talented specialist for all three Millstone Township schools.
Beth Topinka, the assistant director of Camp Invention, said she enjoyed many aspects of the camp.
Topinka, who teaches fifth grade at the Millstone Township Elementary School, said she was most impressed by the creativity displayed by the campers.
“It was fascinating to see the creativity and variety of what the students were able to imagine and create,” Topinka said. “In one particular module, the students were really exploring how the senses worked, and had the opportunity to act them out and create models of enhanced senses.”