Why Every Camp Invention Participant Receives an Inventor Log

All great innovations begin with an idea. It’s for this reason that historically, some of the world’s greatest inventors have kept personal notebooks where they record their thoughts, sketches and novel concepts. Famous examples of innovators who have kept notebooks include National Inventors Hall of Fame^® (NIHF) Inductees Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla.

Inventors keep notebooks for a practical reason as well, as it can help them prove their conception of and ownership over an idea. Prior to 2013, a detailed and well-documented invention notebook was required to demonstrate to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) the authenticity of when something was invented. Today, our county’s first-to-file patent system encourages inventors to obtain a patent as soon as possible. However, keeping an Inventor Log remains critically important as a place to record ideas and chart progress over time.

Because of this, the inclusion of Inventor Logs is one of the most important components of each year’s brand new Camp Invention^® curriculum. For Jayme Cellitioci, creativity and innovation strategist at NIHF, providing participants with their very own Inventor Logs is one way the program is able to immerse participants in the creative process.

Read below to learn more about the design of our Inventor Logs, and how they are integrated into our curriculum.

The Camp Invention Inventor Log: A Key Tool for Innovators

Jayme Cellitioci 

Our education team designs Inventor Logs in a manner that allows children to ideate, explore their ideas, express themselves and record their thinking. We have discussed the value of notebooks and logs with hundreds of inventors, including our collegiate inventors, and we know that this is a key tool of an innovator.

I remember how powerful it was for me to see NIHF Inductee Don Keck’s notebook page that states, “Eureka!” as he problem-solved his way through the invention process for optical fiber. Sharing these authentic examples with children is just one of the ways we help them down the path of their own personal relationship with invention.

While children use their Inventor Logs to sketch their invention ideas, they also record other aspects of their intellectual property, such as trademark-worthy logos. Inventor Logs serve not only as meaningful souvenirs of their program experience, but also as launchpads for future ideas and innovations.

Register for Camp Invention Today!

Not sure if you will be comfortable sending your child to an in-person camp program this summer? Not a problem! The Camp Invention experience is available both in person and at home. Even better, you can select the format you prefer now, and switch your selection up to six weeks before camp starts!

To learn more about Camp Invention, we invite you to visit our website. Register today and save $40 by using the code “STEM40” at checkout.