Camp Invention at Bend’s Miller Elementary School brings week of creativity and fun for Central Oregon kids

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A summer enrichment camp has arrived at Bend's Miller Elementary School for a week of fun. The school is bustling this week, as kids from around Central Oregon participate in Camp Invention. 

The nationally recognized nonprofit brings exploration and creativity to children in grades K to 6. 

"I get to play around with my friends and also, like, do fun stuff," High Lakes Elementary student Simon Grove said Monday, the first day of the camp.

Camp Invention promotes STEM -- science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 

Camp Invention director Marci Adams said, "The kids are doing all kinds of things - they're working on all kinds of design, creating, inventing -- STEM camp. So they are making glow glasses to watch how vision works."

The program costs more than $200, with more than 100 kids enrolled in the week long program. 

Another High Lakes student, Zara Hilsee, said, "The second year I came, we made this jellyfish aquarium and got to catch our own jellyfish. And that was the fun part!"

They're also inventing and designing their own sports games, as well as prototyping their own inventions The hand-on activities encourage learning and leadership.

Camp Invention says they see kids return year after year.

Adams said, "They do come back every year for camp, and they're super-excited to be here. I've seen kids that, they came in as kindergartners, and I'm seeing them here now as fourth-graders."

Camp Invention serves more than 100,000 students every year, in partnership with more than 2,500 schools and districts across the nation.