How Amanda DeMaris Helped Bring Camp Invention to Germany

This year, for the first time, America’s most innovative summer camp reached all the way to Germany.

Amanda DeMaris played a pivotal role in bringing Camp Invention^®, the K-6 summer invention education program from the National Inventors Hall of Fame^®, to students at Aukamm Elementary School (AES) in Wiesbaden.

An Inspiring Opportunity

Before becoming a Camp Invention Director, DeMaris first saw the value of this hands-on summer learning experience when her daughter began attending her local program. She appreciated how the program offered brand-new experiences each summer, leading her daughter to build valuable skills while having fun.

As the family planned to move to Germany, DeMaris wished her daughter could continue participating each summer, and she knew other military families would also benefit from the experience.

When she reached out to the National Inventors Hall of Fame to inquire about the possibility of finding a Camp Invention program overseas, the Hall of Fame team informed DeMaris about a summer 2024 program for military families based in Germany, which would be funded by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) STEM Defense STEM Education Consortium (DSEC). Inspired, DeMaris took on the role of Director for this new program.

“Just seeing how much my child enjoys it, and knowing her friends and other campers who had participated in the past and really enjoyed it, they looked forward to coming back each year,” DeMaris said in an interview with the National Inventors Hall of Fame. “I wanted to make sure it was an opportunity that was available to the military kids here.”

A Consistent Connection

As the Camp Invention Director, DeMaris worked with the National Inventors Hall of Fame team to bring the program to AES, which is part of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) and supported by the DoDEA Europe Central School District. AES serves students in grades K-5 who primarily live in the Aukamm military housing area.

“I worked with the [Hall of Fame] staff to have all the supplies sent over, and with the school to coordinate the space,” DeMaris explained. “Then I worked on recruiting volunteers to be Instructors and Leadership Interns.”

Along the way, DeMaris said the Hall of Fame team provided excellent support. “We faced some unique challenges, both being an international location and being on a military institution, and I was never alone in facing those challenges.”

DeMaris was especially motivated to make the camp a success because she understands the value of providing children access to engaging STEM and invention education.

“STEM in general is really important for all our kids. But this program in particular lets them think outside the box and be creative, be problem solvers,” she said. “They're given a challenge, and they have free rein to solve that problem or meet that challenge – and they do a phenomenal job at it.”

For military-connected children, DeMaris believes Camp Invention can provide an additional benefit: consistency. “It's wonderful that military kids here in Germany were able to participate in something many of them had participated in in the States,” she said. “Often, it's a difficult move for families. It's difficult for us as adults, but especially for the kids. When they're able to have a continuation of what they received in the States, that can really help them integrate into this community.”

A Lasting Impact

Leading the program at AES, DeMaris was thrilled to watch campers build problem-solving skills, engage in collaboration and grow their confidence.

“I think it's a wonderful opportunity. It's a week in their summer that they get to continue learning,” said DeMaris. “I enjoyed watching [the campers] interact with one another. We might have a camper who is working on a project and it's not working the way they want, and another camper could offer a solution to that. That was exciting to witness, that they were helping each other in that way.”

DeMaris emphasized that the impressive growth she witnessed took place over the course of just one week.

“Within a week we could see their confidence grow tremendously. At the beginning [campers] might be a little reserved with their ideas, and by the end of the week they are ready to jump in. There's no hesitation; they're happy to brainstorm,” DeMaris shared. “By the end of the week, they were so excited about what they had built, and there were no reservations about sharing.”

When asked if the Camp Invention Instructors enjoyed teaching the program, DeMaris responded, “Yes, absolutely. They brought their expertise from the classroom and really enjoyed being able to teach for the week of camp. It was amazing to see what their past experience brought to the program.”

DeMaris also shared her gratitude for the DSEC funding that made Europe’s first Camp Invention program possible, providing lasting benefits to the children who participated.

“Our program was made possible through a grant, and we're really thankful to have that opportunity. The students sincerely appreciated it. The parents sincerely appreciated it. And the impact on students was longer than just that week. Those students are continuing to show problem-solving skills and collaborative skills they learned through Camp Invention.” – Amanda DeMaris, Camp Invention Director
 

For nearly 35 years, Camp Invention has reached children across the U.S., and our team thanks DeMaris, all her Program Team Members and DSEC for helping to achieve an exciting milestone in bringing this program to military families in Germany.

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