Invention Club Nurtures Innovation in Children

As patent filings in the United States decrease, the Lancaster Science Factory is responding by offering children a chance to develop innovation strategies as they create their own invention in the Invention Club. This unique 10-week program begins on Tuesday, January 26th and runs every Tuesday from 3:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. until Tuesday, March 30th. The camp is for middle school-aged children, and allows students to work with actual inventors and patent holders from the Willow Valley Invention Club. Over the course of the 10 weeks, participants will come up with an idea for their own invention and build a prototype to take home.

The Invention Club comes at a time when the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced that patent filings dropped in 2009 for the first time in 13 years.

"That's unfortunate because [patent filings] are a reflection of innovation," said David Kappos, director of the Patent Office. "Innovation creates so many jobs and so much opportunity for our country. It is absolutely key to our long-term success in the global economy." [source: CNN.com, http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/11/news/economy/patent_filings/index.htm?cnn=yes]

Lancaster Science Factory's Invention Club will help cultivate the skills necessary for innovation.

"When our children finish school, they will inherit a world we can't yet imagine. In a society of constant technological change, their best skills will be creativity, problem solving, and adaptability. The Invention Club will help nurture those exact attributes," said Erich Goldstein, Director of Programs and Education at the Lancaster Science Factory.

Anyone interested in registering for the Invention Club may call the Lancaster Science Factory Education Department at 717.509.6387.

The Lancaster Science Factory is a hands-on, interactive science and technology center. With over fifty exhibits demonstrating physical science, engineering and mathematics, children will learn that science is fun. The mission of the Lancaster Science Factory is to create an environment of learning which helps children develop curiosity, think creatively and build self-confidence as they learn the principles of science and the application of science in engineering and technology. All exhibits at the Science Factory align with Pennsylvania Academic Standards. For more information about exhibits and admission prices, please call 717-509-6363 or visit www.lancastersciencefactory.org.

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