Learn More About SolarBot

Thanks to our incredibly talented team of education experts, each year when children sign up for Camp Invention^®, they are able to enjoy a brand new experience with the flagship STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program from the National Inventors Hall of Fame^® (NIHF). Our team undergoes an extensive curriculum development process to make sure that each summer provides engaging content to inspire the next generation of innovators.

SolarBot is one of four fun modules in the all-new 2021 Camp Invention program, Recharge! Read below to learn more about what your child can expect from this solar-powered adventure.

Brighten Possibilities in SolarBot

Inspired by live crickets, SolarBot combines the life of insects with robots and the power of solar energy! First, children build and adopt their very own solar-powered cricket. Then they experience a cricket’s point of view as they design and build habitats, cricket-inspired inventions and protective gear to outsmart predators. Participants also explore topics including sustainability, physics and engineering to design tire swings, trampolines and other playground equipment. To wrap up the experience, students jump into cricket anatomy and learn how crickets create sound. Inspired by this discovery, they go on to construct musical instruments to compete in a grand finale Chirp-Off!

By guiding children to care for their SolarBots and creating inventions to help them, this module supports social-emotional learning (SEL): the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

The Innovation Mindset Difference

At the core of all our activities is the Innovation Mindset: a growth mindset developed through lessons from our revolutionary NIHF inductees, which can benefit children throughout their lives.

SolarBot emphasizes the following aspects of the Innovation Mindset:

Creative Problem Solving: Using creative problem solving to apply an understanding of cricket anatomy to build inventions that can overcome a sticky situation.

Persistence: Developing persistence while designing and testing protective gear for SolarBots.

STEM: Discovering STEM concepts by investigating crickets’ antennae, molting abilities, sound detection and powerful legs.

Made up of nine skills and traits that are reinforced every time a child applies them, every aspect of this mindset is strengthened through Camp Invention’s curriculum.  

Learn More About Camp Invention

Unsure if you’ll want an in-person or at-home experience this summer? Not a problem! With our new Peace of Mind Promise, you can sign up for camp today and switch your format choice up to six weeks before camp starts!

To learn more about Camp Invention, we invite you to visit our website.