Staff report
Camp Invention, a national nonprofit summer enrichment camp program, has announced four upcoming camp dates scheduled in Northern Kentucky this summer.
A program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Camp Invention challenges children in grades K-6 to tap into their natural curiosity and use their creativity to solve problems. Through hands-on activities, Camp Invention promotes STEM learning, builds confidence, leadership, perseverance and resourcefulness and encourages entrepreneurship in a fun and engaging environment.
Each year, the program features a new curriculum inspired by some of our nation’s most world-changing inventors — the National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees. This year’s Spark program encourages children to be confident in their ideas and explore their innovativeness through hands-on experiences including:
• Space Morphers: Kids build a DIY rocket and launch an epic mission to transform a new planet’s atmosphere, terrain and ecosystem. After a high-energy Rover Race to collect samples and data, they grow dazzling crystal trees and hatch a mysterious animal egg in a Space Lab.
• Make Waves: Campers ride the waves of entrepreneurship and invention! Inspired by a surfer’s journey, they create prototypes, pitch their innovative products to hook investors and build a billboard boat to set sail and “make waves” in the market.
• Fur-ensics: Kids sharpen their animal detective skills with Cap E. Bara and a fleet of robotic capybaras. They investigate a trail of footprints, collect bits of fluffy fur and examine suspicious splatters before forensically analyzing evidence that has a surprising twist.
• The Infringers: Campers use their invention superpowers to solve challenges in their community and around the world. They miniaturize top-secret innovations, safeguard their designs using cryptography and protect their intellectual property from the Infringers.
All local Camp Invention programs are facilitated and taught by qualified educators who reside and teach in the community.
2026 Northern Kentucky dates include:
• Erpenbeck Elementary School, Florence, the week of June 8
• Thornwilde Elementary School, Hebron, the week of June 15
• Beechwood Elementary School, Fort Mitchell, the week of June 16
• Ignite Institute, Erlanger, the weeks of June 22 and July 13
Camp Invention serves 140,000 students every year and partners with more than 2,600 schools and districts across the nation. Since 1990, Camp Invention’s education programs have served more than three million children, and 297,000 teachers and Leadership Interns nationally.
For more information or to register, visit invent.org/camp.