Cedar Springs — “I call it the Trashforcer,” third-grader Greg Zielbauer said proudly, holding up a four-wheeled, toy-sized vehicle in his hands — something he dreamed up to address litter and pollution issues. The device was decked out with paper cups, little compartments and even a tiny motor.
“What it does is, it sucks up trash,” he said. “This little part here gives off heat, and it burns so there’s no more trash.”
Greg then set the thing down on the carpet, switched on the motor, and watched as it cruised across the classroom.
The Trashforcer — patent presumably pending — was just one of the dozens of student inventions developed during Camp Invention, a weeklong summer day camp that offered hands-on STEM activities to 60-plus first- through sixth-grade Cedar Springs students.
The camp, a tuition-based program organized by the National Inventors Hall of Fame and staffed by district teachers, made its Cedar Springs debut in mid-June. Spread throughout one wing of the Early Childhood Center were various classroom modules, each diving into a different aspect of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Students moved through the stations, completing, at each one, individual and group projects that honed problem-solving and critical thinking skills in a fun, collaborative way, said Kimberly Morden, director of extended learning and engagement.
‘When you’ve been working together with people, you realize it’s not just working together, it’s actually making friends.’
— sixth-grader Emma-Lou Schippers
“They’re all creating stuff,” Morden said, making her way from one module to the next. “They’ve had to invent things and pitch things. … They’re all really interactive modules that they go through every single day, (doing) hands-on STEM activities.”
Prototypes with Practical Applications
In the Making Waves module, which was devoted to ocean- and water-themed projects, fifth-graders like Gabriella Eaton designed boats, surfboards and other aquatic gear that addressed some kind of pressing problem.
Gabriella had prototyped a special surfboard that would, ideally, be almost impossible to fall from.
“It’s a magnetic board that comes with a specially made suit with magnets on the bottom, so you can stick to the board without falling,” she said.
Fifth-grader Quinn Beckwith came up with a surfboard that beeps when another swimmer or an animal is near, “so you don’t run into anything or run over an animal with the surfboard,” Quinn explained.
Sixth-graders James Morden and Cooper Kogelschatz had strong feelings about human overcrowding and water pollution: James invented what he dubbed “anti-human spray,” containing poison ivy, bleach, pepper spray and more, to “keep people away so you can actually have space to do stuff” when you’re on the water, while Cooper developed a human-detecting glitterbomb to detonate on anyone who sullies the water with waste or litter.
The work didn’t end with designing the prototypes; the students also had to come up with a way to advertise their new product, with many designing banners and billboards to attach to their watercraft.
Elsewhere in the ECC, students built their own planets, planned out their own ecosystems, launched rockets and learned about forensics by solving scripted crimes.
Making Friends, Solving Problems
The whole experience proved to be a unifying one for students like sixth-grader Emma-Lou Schippers and fifth-grader Amelia Van Dam, who didn’t really know each other when Camp Invention started, but became fast friends after working together on various projects.
Both Emma-Lou and Amelia said their favorite part of the week was getting to know new people.
“I just really like getting new friends and being able to work with a bunch of different people,” said Amelia.
“When you’ve been working together with people, you realize it’s not just working together, it’s actually making friends,” Emma-Lou added. “And Camp Invention isn’t about just working.”
Teachers enjoyed the program as well. Alexis Snyder, who teaches seventh-grade science at Cedar Springs Middle School and led the module on forensics, said it was a joy to teach some more advanced concepts to younger students.
“It’s cool that they get a little bit of experience this young, in more of a fun setting,” Snyder said. “It really focuses on skills that both scientists and inventors use.”
Morden, who was responsible for bringing Camp Invention to the district, was glad to see it strike a chord with students, parents and educators. It’s been such a hit, she said, that she’d love to bring it back next year.
“Every day I hear from parents that the kids can’t wait to come back, that they’ve enjoyed it so much, which is so great to hear,” she said. “And the staff has been really positive about how engaging the program is.”
Read more from Cedar Springs:
• Have you heard? New district podcast aims to set record straight
• They’re building community one cup at a time
