Posted: Sunday, August 15, 2010 6:35 pm

Every hand in the room went up when R&D Director for External Science and Technology Katie Hunt asked ‘how many of you want to be inventors today?’ Hunt was the guest of honor at Camp Invention in Ambler, one of three programs that Dow sponsored this summer to get kids excited about science. Among Hunt’s activities - having the curious students
“build” a roof using a prototype of the Dow Powerhouse Solar Shingle. This summer, Dow is providing a combination of sponsorships and scholarships to 300 children in Pennsylvania and Delaware. This is the 10th year that DOW (previously Rohm and Haas) has sponsored Camp Invention programs and over 100 have operated due to the company’s support.

Among the lessons were “Power’d,” which challenged the students to invent their own fantasy creatures and get them moving with electric power, and “Global Games,” where they created sports equipment out of recycled materials and changed the rules to play their own games. Both were part of a curriculum called “Innovate,” which Dow also helped fund.

“In a global economy where innovation provides a competitive edge, science education is a top priority in schools,” said Barbara DelDuke, Public Affairs for Dow. “Rohm and Haas was a local leader in science education for decades and Dow is continuing that tradition in the Greater Philadelphia region. As a company grounded in science and committed to contributing to our communities, Dow is funding science fairs, teacher education and summer science enrichment to get
our kids engaged and interested.”

The Camp Invention program was created by Invent Now, Inc., a national non-profit providing STEM enrichment programs for elementary school students in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The program fosters creativity, teamwork and a passion for science. Children learn physics, structural engineering, forensics, and creative problem-solving through innovative activities.