Children will have the opportunity to study live insects, create exciting new games, design and write a movie script, and transform ordinary household items into extraordinary inventions when the Camp Invention program arrives at Cheyenne Mountain this summer. The program is scheduled for June 11 through June 15 at Canon Elementary in the Cheyenne Mountain School District 12. The summer science enrichment program is likely to be an experience children will remember.

Camp Invention, open to children entering second through sixth grades, fosters creativity, teamwork, inventive-thinking skills and science literacy. The program was created in 1990 by the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation, and receives support from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The daily activities and classes are lead by a team of licensed teachers and local teens.

"Parents will find that this year's Camp Invention program provides a magical mix of creative exercises to encourage brainstorming, teamwork and problem solving," says David Eick. "Children who attend Camp Invention learn to think outside of the box. No matter how old they are, they continue to build age-appropriate inventive-thinking skills that we hope will lead them to be among the great critical thinkers of the future. "

David Eick, an experienced teacher at Canon Elementary, will direct a staff of local instructors and counselors for the third summer in a row. The program features a low staff-child ratio, with one staff member for every eight children. The theme this year at Canon's camp Invention will be "Experience."

Children in 47 states across the country attended the Camp Invention program in 2006. "We provide the perfect solution for local communities," explains Regional Coordinator Tom Doherty. "The Camp Invention program offers a highly acclaimed educational experience in a child's own neighborhood. Local educators are given the flexibility to shape the program to fit the community."

No other summer Experience is quite the same. Last summer, Camp Invention drew over 110 participants at Canon, and nearly 100 more across town at Academy Endeavor school in D-20. Also, a Camp Invention participant appeared on MSNBC's "The Most" show with his new invention - a grocery cart bread shelf. In September, the Camp Invention program was cited in Child magazine for its inquiry-based lessons that lead children to work with their hands and their minds. In October, a Harvard study recognized the Camp Invention program as a success story among summer adventures, praising it for its innovative hands-on enrichment programs. "In the past year we've received multiple accolades for our unique, open-ended approach to education," says Doherty. "As we like to say, at Camp Invention we're inventing a whole new way to learn."

The $199 registration fee, due on or before May 31, includes daily snacks, fun educational activities and a T-shirt. A discount of $19 per child is offered with the program's Bring-A-Friend program. Additional discounts for early registration are available before March 15. Registrations received after May 31 may require an additional $20 for late processing. Each program site is limited to 110 children. For more information, or to register your child for this program, visit www.campinvention.org or call 800.968.4332.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: David Eick
719-475-6140 x.28
eick@cmsd12.org