For the first year that Wilton Continuing Education (WCE) has run Camp Invention, an innovative STEM summer activity program, organizers say it was an unqualified success. They showed off that success at a showcase where the enrolled students in grades 1-6 shared their inventions with parents and guests on July 10.
Camp Invention is a program created by an outside vendor that offers curriculum based on current news and trends in the science and engineering fields. In an interview GMW.com conducted with WCE program supervisor Emily Dowden earlier this year, she explained that the program is connected with the National Inventors Hall of Fame and the U.S Patent Office.
It proved to be a very popular summer camp choice for many Wilton families.
“Wilton has the highest number of students enrolled—80—for a first year program in the state of CT!” Dowden wrote in an email at the program’s conclusion.
Because the program was so popular, Dowden was able to integrate older students to pitch in: the program had three Counselors-in-Training from grades 7-9 and 11 Wilton High School leadership interns.
Plus she tapped into the skills of several Wilton district teachers. Miller-Driscoll first grade teacher Brian Ennis, who is also a tech instructional leader in the school, was the program’s director, and his fellow first grade teacher, Jennifer Hnath, was assistant director. Working as instructors were Wilton teachers and tech instructional leaders Jason Greasley, (5th grade teacher); Tim Ley, (Middlebrook social studies teacher); Amy Korn (Wilton High School); and Joe Scholz (2nd grade teacher).