Durham College welcoming first Canadian offering of Camp Invention

Durham College (DC) has been chosen to host the first-ever Canadian offering of Camp Invention.

A program of the non-profit National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF), in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Camp Invention provides children knowledge about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and the importance of intellectual property, while exploring, creating and designing.

To bring Camp Invention to Canada, DC is working with the Canadian branch of the NIHF

From Monday, July 8 to Friday, July 12, the college will welcome up to 60 young innovators, ages nine to 11, to learn about STEM disciplines while building resourcefulness and problem-solving skills, and encouraging entrepreneurship as they learn in a hands-on summer camp environment.

“We are absolutely thrilled to host the first Canadian offering of this dynamic program, thanks to the vision of our School of Continuing Education and its dean, Debbie Johnston,” said Don Lovisa, Durham College president.

“As a leader in experiential learning, we have seen firsthand the impact of exploration, investigation and physically working with materials and concepts. We also know it is important to expose learners to these ideas at an early age. When you can do so in a way that is more like play than work, it has a tremendous impact,” Lovisa added.

Overseen by four teachers from both the Durham District School Board and Durham District Catholic School Board, and eight counsellors, the newly announced 2019 Supercharged program will have campers learning about ocean navigation and survival skills on a remote island, conducting mock DNA tests on farm animals, and learning to protect their own ideas.

“We are delighted that Durham College is hosting our first-ever Camp Invention program in Canada. Under the leadership of president Don Lovisa, the college is recognized as a leader in innovation and emerging technologies. Participants will have the unique opportunity to experience Camp Invention in DC’s state-of-the-art Centre for Collaborative Education,” said Shelley Jones, vice-president of NIHF Canada.

For more information about Camp Invention and to register for the Supercharged program at DC, visit www.durhamcollege.ca/summercamps