A summer tradition came back to Minster Elementary this year for area 3rd through 6th graders, Camp Invention once again was held at the school to encourage kids to think outside the box and work in STEAM, or science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.
With several days of camp to attend - the students had plenty to do throughout the week.
"We dug for fossils, and we're also learning how to run a farm," said Trey Lefelt, a fifth grader.
"We've made boats, I made a pontoon boat, and we also made little reaching contraptions so that you can reach things out of a fake high voltage net," said Brooke Garringer, a fifth grader.
Other activities included working with robots and learning about innovation.
Giving these students a chance to explore the world of STEAM and maybe discover something new or learn from mistakes is a big plus, especially right before they head to junior high and high school.
"This is a completely open-ended experiment; they go out to the up-cycled room and they gather any materials that they find, and they have to use all their imaginations and their creativity," said Katie Eilerman with Minster Local Schools. "The things that they accomplish at this camp is amazing."
"To be able to take a risk and accept failure - failure is a part of taking steps towards success and working through that emotional experience of it and just continuing to persevere," said Lori Brunswick with Minster Local Schools.
New this year, Camp Invention added arts to some of the activities that they include during the week - adding another layer of creativity and interest for students to explore and possibly gain some interest in.
"They went ahead and tried to draw with their Orbots, and they had to work together and made one big Picasso picture with their Orbots," said Sarah Poeppelman with Celina City Schools. "It just makes all the learners think differently and creatively."
Camp Invention is held nationwide, with around 130 thousand students attending every year.
