School may be out for the summer, but the halls of Dowds Elementary School in Shelby rang with the voices of busy, happy children on Friday, June 6. The school played host not only to Camp Invention, but also to Safety Town.
Camp Invention started as an outreach program in Akron in 1990, noted Clara Pearch, Camp Invention Director for Dowds Elementary. Since 2013, the camp has been hosted at 1,235 sites with over 77,000 children nationwide.
Dowds Elementary hosted 61 Camp Invention participants from first to sixth grades.
Pearch said the students rotate between four different classes, or modules, each day. “The camp focuses on STEM: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as well as 21st century skills, hands-on problem solving and critical thinking.”
Pearch noted that the theme for this year was “Morphed.” The modules are arranged along that theme. One module, which focused on the senses, was named “Amplified.”
Another was called “Design Studio,” wherein students learn how inventions are made and view videos from the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Students then progress to inventions of their own.
“Super Go” was the title of one module. “They make a motorized vehicle, which is pretty cute,” said Pearch.
“The last module is called ‘I Can Invent Pinbug,’” said Pearch. “They bring what we call take-apart items, like a VCR or DVD player. They take them apart and make a pinball machine out of them.”
On the last day of camps, students present an “Inventor’s Showcase” and parents come to view the creative inventions.
“Everything is done out of recyclable materials,” said Pearch.
Audrey Pfahler, age 9, explained her Pinbug invention, “I pull this back, and the ball comes out. Most of the time I have to chase it down,” she said, as the ping pong ball launched across the room.
While inventors were busy tearing old electronics apart and building Pinbug machines, Safety Town was in full swing, with police and fire sirens filling the air.
The Shelby Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Richland County Sherriff and Shelby Fire Department all participated in the event, letting children see the features of official vehicles along with learning important safety facts.
Charlotte Butler, Safety Town Director, said the event was sponsored by the community of Shelby, as well as many community organizations and businesses including Phillips Manufacturing, Shelby Welded Tube, and the American Legion.
The students graduated from the program Friday. “They are going to put on their fire hats and their medallions,” said Butler, who noted that the students would perform a song before going home for the day.
