BERKELEY LAKE - The term "summer camp" usually conjures images
of outdoor play and physical activity. However, these
assumptions are false when it comes to Camp Invention, a summer
day camp focused on hands-on education. The nationally acclaimed
camp is a weeklong program for rising first- through sixth-
graders that combines science and creativity to open up kids'
minds and broaden their horizons. Camp Invention uses hands-on
activities that teach kids to use their imaginations to invent
solutions to problems. The camp consists of five modules to help
accomplish this feat. These modules, or classes, encourage kids
to take apart used appliances, and then recycle the different
parts to create something new. Each module focuses on something
different, and the focus ranges from transportation to alien
invasion. The unique idea for Camp Invention was developed by
the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1990. The camp began as a
summer program taking place in two elementary schools, but has
since grown to reach more