West Hempstead school district students spent a week building, experimenting and problem-solving during the school district’s annual Camp Invention program, held Aug. 10-14 at George Washington School.
The program, designed for students in kindergarten through sixth grade, introduces children to science, technology, engineering and math concepts through hands-on activities that encourage creativity, teamwork and critical thinking.
Throughout the week, students rotated through interactive stations where they designed and built four-wheeled robots, crafted sailboats and tested their creations. The activities challenged campers to think like inventors and engineers while learning through experimentation.
In one activity, students became forensic investigators, using simulated tomatoes thrown from different angles to study splatter patterns. Campers examined the evidence to determine the direction from which each tomato was thrown, combining observation, geometry and science to reconstruct what happened.
West Hempstead Secondary School students also participated in the program as volunteer counselors, helping younger students complete activities and navigate challenges throughout the week.
By giving students opportunities to build, investigate, test ideas and work together, Camp Invention offered a summer learning experience focused on developing problem-solving skills while encouraging students to explore STEM subjects outside the traditional classroom.
