Area schools to host Camp Invention, a national vacation day camp that encourages children to develop their innate creative abilities.

The Abby Kelley Foster Charter School in Worcester, the Hillside School in Monson, Quaboag Regional Middle-High School in Warren, the Marlborough Intermediate Elementary School in Marlborough and the Old Mill Pond School in Palmer will all host Camp Invention, a national summer day camp that encourages children to develop their innate creative abilities. The one-week summer camp is for children entering second through sixth grade.

The Abby Kelley Foster Charter School in Worcester, the Hillside School in Monson, Quaboag Regional Middle-High School in Warren, the Marlborough Intermediate Elementary School in Marlborough and the Old Mill Pond School in Palmer will all host Camp Invention, a national vacation day camp that encourages children to develop their innate creative abilities. The one-week camp is for children entering second through sixth grade. Each school has identified a Camp Director, who is a teacher or administrator within the school. District Camp Directors include Ann Boover at the Abby Kelley Foster Charter School, Colette Bidus in Monson, Al Button at the Quaboag Regional Schools, Amy Herring in Palmer and Rebecca Murphy in Marlborough.

Camp Invention is designed to promote creative learning by providing children with hands-on, interactive activities that encourage creative solutions. Children participate in five inventive modules each day, which include: disassembling old machinery and using the parts to make their own invention, building a command center to make contact with aliens, and studying and replicating ancient cultures.

The camp was started in 1990 by the National Inventors Hall of Fame, a nationally recognized, non-profit resource center for creativity, in Akron, Ohio. It is presented in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Schools in 41 states will host Camp Invention this year.

Area locations and dates include: Abby Kelley Foster Charter School in Worcester (July 7-11), Hillside School in Monson (July 14-18), Quaboag Regional Middle-High School in Warren (July 21-25), Marlborough Intermediate Elementary School in Marlborough (July 14-18) and the Old Mill Pond School in Palmer (June 23-27). Several other schools across the state, from Cambridge to Stockbridge, will also host Camp Invention this summer.

Kelley Conrad, Regional Coordinator for Camp Invention, said, The interactive activities spark the imaginations of children while combining science, math, history and the arts – but most of all, fun. The get kids to think out-of-the-box."

The $220 camp fee ($199 in Monson) includes snacks and a t-shirt. Discounts are offered for early registration, multiple week enrollment and siblings. Registration at each site is limited to 110 children. Please call 1-800-968-4332 to register. For further information, visit the website at http://www.campinvention.org or call Ms. Conrad at 508-529-3381.