Building Confidence, Joy and a Sense of Belonging
Date December 14, 2022
Est. Reading Time 5 mins
“The world is very, very open to change. And it can be changed.” – Marian Croak, National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF) Inductee
When children are confident in who they are and what they are capable of, they can change the world. The goal of NIHF education programs is to provide children with hands-on, engaging experiences that are intentionally designed to support their growth and development by building their confidence, inspiring joy and creating a sense of belonging.
NIHF education programs – like Camp Invention® – not only encourage excitement in the learning process, but they also embody it. STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning is brought to life in a way that sparks interest, creativity and enjoyment, and the skills children gain have lasting effects both personally and academically.
As the challenges and complexities of our society continue to grow, children need skills to navigate our changing world. Every family wants to empower their children to make good decisions and maintain healthy relationships; our programs are designed to support them in this endeavor. In fact, NIHF education programs are shown to cultivate an enriched sense of belonging, future sense of self, and motivation and confidence for academic success.1
Developing Confidence
“My son told me all about the subjects he learned at Camp Invention. His self-confidence and his intellectual abilities have soared because of Camp Invention. He likes to say he is ‘smart’ now; he believes it all due to Camp Invention.” – Rebecca W., parent, Lakeville, MN
NIHF’s approach to invention education helps children discover and develop confidence, leading to a greater understanding of their creative identity. By providing opportunities to experience the act of invention — including engaging in critical thinking, collaboration, entrepreneurship and creativity — our programs help kids become confident creators as they identify problems and work toward solutions. They take pride and ownership in what they invent, and through persistence, realize their capabilities.
Camp Invention alum Treandos Thornton built the confidence to turn his big idea into a real business – a bow tie and apparel company.
Finding Joy
“Both of my kids loved Camp Invention! They loved having the opportunity to create, innovate and iterate what they had learned. They were intensely proud to tell of their work each day and to showcase their projects at the end of the week.” – Amy T., parent, Charlotte, NC
Learning must be fun. That’s why Camp Invention is designed to keep kids engaged in active, lively challenges that get their minds and bodies moving. Not only are our education programs built on the relationship between joy and learning, but their success depends on it.
We believe engaging in hands-on creating and problem solving with a playful attitude is key to finding happiness in learning, so our programs provide children with imaginative opportunities to do just that. By making joy an essential part of our programs, we encourage a positive relationship with learning and set children up to become successful, lifelong learners.
During the uncertainty of the pandemic, Camp Invention participants found joy in sketching virus-fighting robots and testing out new ideas for biomedical devices.
Building Belonging
“My son likes to build things and explore by himself. At Camp Invention, he got a lot of practice listening to other children's ideas and improved in speaking up to share his ideas. I think we were both surprised how much confidence and empathy he gained!” – Katharine J., parent, Bolivar, OH
Each NIHF education program is inspired and directly influenced by real-world inventors, including our Hall of Famers and Collegiate Inventors Competition® (CIC) Finalists. When children identify innovative role models they can relate to, this helps them feel welcome in their learning environment and cultivates a sense of belonging. Connecting with innovators who represent a wide array of fields and backgrounds helps children understand that creativity and invention are for everyone. Such connections present them with a community in which they feel accepted, and their ideas are acknowledged and respected.
At Camp Invention, as children take on real-world challenges and are encouraged to work together to find solutions, they naturally form friendships while pursuing common goals and objectives. After participating in camp, children are better able to collaborate with others.
Benefits at a Glance
- Camp Invention supports children’s inventive identity as they discover problems and work toward solutions. They take pride in their inventions and through persistence, they realize their capabilities.
- NIHF education programs improve children’s social and emotional outcomes, including their sense of belonging, future sense of self, and motivation and confidence for academic success1
- Each NIHF education program is inspired and directly influenced by real-world inventors, including our Hall of Famers and CIC Finalists
- After participating in camp, children are better able to collaborate with others.2 Working together to find solutions to real-world challenges, campers naturally form friendships as they pursue common goals.
- Out-of-school time programs can help give children a sense of belonging by being with people who see them, look like them and treat them with respect
Experience the Benefits of NIHF Education Programs
Learn more about what NIHF programs, including Camp Invention, can do for your child.
1 Summit Education Initiative. (2021). National Inventors Hall of Fame Club Invention Youth View Survey Report.
2 ChangeMaker Consulting LLC. (2014). Camp Invention Evaluation Executive Summary.