The Lasting Benefits of Attending Camp Invention

Thanks to the generous support of the United Way of Summit County, in the summer of 2018 the National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF) partnered with Summit Education Initiative (SEI), to study the academic impact of attending one week of our Camp Invention® program.

SEI is a research-based nonprofit backbone organization working to support personal and regional prosperity through educational attainment in Summit County, Ohio. For the purposes of this study, 750 K-6^th public school students attended one week of Camp Invention. After they returned to school in the fall, their in-school attendance, Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test scores and grade point average (GPA) for the first marking period of the 2018-2019 showed improvements compared to their 2017-2018 school year levels.

The results are exciting and suggest that attending Camp Invention contributed to improvements in all three areas!

Increased In-School Attendance

Among the students who attended Camp Invention, over half (56 percent) who left the 2017-2018 school year with high-risk rates of absences demonstrated excellent attendance (two or fewer absences in a marking period) at the start of the 2018-2019 school year—13 percent above the district rate.

Increased Standardized Test Scores

On MAP assessments, those who attended Camp Invention on average increased their scores in both reading and mathematics. In mathematics, almost half (42 percent) of the lowest-achieving students improved to an average range (a score of around 50 out of 99) when they took the test in the fall of 2018.

Increased Grade Point Average

On average, those who participated in Camp Invention saw their GPA increase from 2.8 to 3.0, and half of these students are earning a B or better in their classes and are on the path to success. Additionally, 38 percent of students who had a GPA below 2.5 during the 2017-2018 school year earned a 2.5 GPA or higher to begin the current school year.

Learn More About How Camp Invention Can Benefit Your Student 

This exciting SEI research suggests that attending one week of Camp Invention contributes to improved in-school attendance, higher standardized test scores and an overall increase in GPA. In other words, the positive effects that campers experience during the summer have been shown to increase their performance and engagement the following school year.

While there are many options when it comes to selecting an educational summer program, the most beneficial contribute to your child’s success during the academic year.

To learn more about Camp Invention and our other educational programs, please visit our website!