This summer marked the third annual science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-based camp, Camp Invention held at William B. Wade Elementary School. Eight classrooms at the school were transformed into hands-on learning environments for rising second- through sixth-grade Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) students. The free camp was open to students who attend Wade and CCPS Title I schools. The camp split the students into primary and intermediate classrooms depending on age.
Camp Invention director Alexandria Hott and assistant director Roshanda James worked together with the CCPS Title I office, Wade principal William Miller, school nurse Tiffany Powell, high school student interns and other Wade staff to ensure the camp ran smoothly. “It’s been cool working with others in the county from the Title I office,” Hott said. “They have been super supportive,” James said. “It’s been good seeing their development from the first day to the last, showing their creative side.”
The four-day camp transformed from a group of 50 Wade students in year one to 140 Wade and students from Title I schools this year. The sign up for the camp was first-come, first-served. “This year we opened up camp registration to students who attend Title I schools,” Hott said. “In less than 24 hours Wade’s registration filled up and in less than 48 hours, the Title I registration was full.” High school students assisted at the camp, receiving 40 volunteer hours, a certificate of completion and a letter of recommendation from Hott. Each classroom had an instructor who is a Wade teacher and the camp had four instructional assistants (IA), two from Wade and two Title I staff members.
The camp consisted of four main modules that focused on various STEM-related activities for the students, Operation Hydrodrop, In the Games, Let’s Glow and Prototype. Operation Hydrodrop is underwater robotics, creating circuits without causing electrocution, In the Games focuses on independent creating a design game board, Let’s Glow focused on looking at different ways things glow in the dark and Prototype focused on building robots and learning a little bit about trademark.
Rising sixth grader Khalil Brooks said that the In the Game classroom was his favorite session at the camp. Students created game boards that resembled a classic Skee-Ball game. The board consisted of a launching pad with a game ball and launcher. The goal was to launch the game balls to score points by making them drop into slots in a target. Brooks mentioned that his favorite part of putting the project together was “building the hooks and dip bowl to throw into the target.”
“The transition from year one to now has been smooth. You see a lot of smiling faces and hands doing work,” Hott said. “The routine and structure of the modules are not the same as school, students get to take it and run with it. Students get to invent for themselves.”
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 27,765 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 38 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Mike Blanchard, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.
CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).