Long Beach STEM Students Present Inventions

Ingenuity and academics were brought together in the Long Beach School District during the week of July 6, when students in grades 1-6 took part in Camp Invention summer opportunities. The weeklong program focused on the four components of STEM – science, technology, engineering and math –while encouraging teamwork and resourcefulness.

Each day, the students rotated among classrooms, where they made educational discoveries through engagement in various hands-on activities. The campers used upcycled materials as an environmentally conscious way to experiment and expand their learning. The assignments encouraged creativity and helped students make the connection between school and the broader world, as they applied their own knowledge in order to solve problems and complete the tasks at hand.

Camp Invention is a nationally recognized summer program that offers participating school districts innovative curricula aligned with state and national education standards. The 2015 curriculum was comprised of six modules: Illuminate, Inducted, Design Studio: Illuminate, I Can Invent: Next Level Gamers, KartWheel, and M.O.V.E.: Motion, Obstacles, Variety, Excitement. Each encompassed several interactive study units.

Throughout the week, students built circuits, designed structures, developed video game prototypes, constructed shields for water balloon catapults, created water-resistant race carts, made parachute models, assembled and launched rockets, mapped out obstacle courses and much more. Long Beach High School students volunteered as counselors and counselors-in-training, and staff members throughout the district served as camp teachers.

On the final day, parents were invited to view the students’ work and see their inventions in action.

Submitted by Long Beach Schools