Identify a problem, and invent a solution. That’s what we’re all about.
Peter’s problem was that he was bored on a stormy winter day. He was 11-years old and all activities had been canceled due to the weather. It was miserable outside, and he was stuck inside.
He plopped himself on his bed to read a book, then realized how dark his room was. So he got off his bed, walked across the room and flipped the light switch. That flip of the switch turned on his engineering brain. Instead of going back to his book, he ran downstairs for supplies and spent the rest of the day inventing a way to turn his light on and off from the comfort of his bed. He tried several potential solutions, most of which failed miserably. But he learned from each mishap and refined his method and materials until he got it just right.
At dinner that night, the family talked about the coming summer. We like to spend our summers exploring new ideas and activities that we don’t have time for during the hectic school year. Want to try a new instrument or hobby, or give musical theater a shot? Summer is the perfect time. Peter wondered if he could try to start his own business or website. We brainstormed ideas and talked about how any new business should solve a problem… sort of like an invention.
And suddenly, the idea was born. He would build a program around summer engineering and invention challenges. It would solve a problem for kids who are bored, and for parents who can never seem to come up with an interesting activity. Everyone in the family liked the idea and everyone wanted a role in the project.
So we set a budget – the equivalent of two weeks of camp – and got to work. We launched Invent the Summer as a family project in 2019, and it was such a great experience that we decided we wanted to make it bigger and better. The following year, we turned Invent the Summer into a nonprofit organization and formed the Junior and Senior Boards of Engineers to help us further our mission of inspiring the next generation of creative thinkers, innovators, and entrepreneurs.
Each year we expand our programing and outreach with the hope of flipping that engineering switch for other kids across the country and around the world. We hope you’ll join us!
