ABOVE: Camp Invention 2024 Leadership Mentors/DHS Students Presence Reed (Freshman), Matthew Sherman (Sophomore), and Serenity Reed (Sophomore).
It’s once again time for Danville District 118 students in grades Kindergarten through 5 that would like to be part of an amazing week of learning and fun to sign up for CAMP INVENTION. This year’s edition will be the week of June 17th at Liberty Elementary School.
Camp director Lori Woods says it’s been about a full decade now that District 118 has been able to obtain an Army Educational Outreach Program grant that pays for 110 students to attend this $300 camp for free. And the program provides all the materials needed for whatever technical and fun projects are on this year’s camp agenda.
This year’s theme is “Illuminate,” with some glow in the dark projects. And it’s called CAMP INVENTION because the idea is getting ideas for inventions from nature.
Three of this year’s Leadership Mentors are DHS students who went through the program when they were younger. Sophomore Serenity Reed says she’s practically grown up in this program, starting with kindergarten.
AUDIO: By the time I was in, I want to say, 7th grade; that’s when I started doing leadership. It has created new ways for me to think about things; coming up with my own ideas, or like simple things like building things; very fun to do in general.
For sophomore Matthew Sherman, CAMP INVENTION has been a chance every year to meet new people. He says any youngster who’s skeptical should just give it a try.
AUDIO: You make a lot of friends there. This may be something that these kids may want to go into in the future, and do something along with inventions and stuff like that. Even they didn’t want to do it, I still feel like they should do it, because it’s great opportunities.
Freshman Presence Reed has a load of great memories, such as the year the Army Engineering Outreach Program provided mechanical dogs that the students had to take apart, reassemble, and make them work again. She invites today’s young kids to create their own memories.
AUDIO: I’d say that it’s a very safe space for the kids. We have great leaders, we have great projects to do. It’s fun classrooms, and the kids love being outside.
For more information on CAMP INVENTION, please visit the Danville District 118 web site. Applications will be taken through May 9th. To apply, please go to https://forms.gle/Ug9JsCsghXmN9aoR8
