As summer rolls around, here are two unique summer camp opportunities to make the months between school feel more exciting!

Camp Invention, a nationally recognized, nonprofit summer enrichment camp program, is coming to Henniker Community School the weeks of July 28 and Aug. 4.

A program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Camp Invention challenges children in grades K-6 to tap into their natural curiosity and use their creativity to solve problems. Through hands-on activities, Camp Invention promotes STEM learning, builds confidence, leadership, perseverance and resourcefulness, and encourages entrepreneurship — all in a fun and engaging environment.

Each year, the program features a new curriculum inspired by some of our nation’s most world-changing inventors — the National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees. This year’s Discover program encourages children to be confident in their ideas and explore their innovativeness through hands-on experiences including:  

In Control: Campers take control of their innovation journey as they head out on the ultimate road trip.

Illusion Workshop: Children discover the mesmerizing world of illusions, where things are not always as they appear.

Claw Arcade: Campers use their creativity and engineering skills to construct a functional Claw Arcade out of cardboard.

Penguin Launch: Children embark on an eco-expedition to investigate penguins and the ice and snow of Antarctica.

All local Camp Invention programs are facilitated and taught by qualified educators who reside and teach in the community. Camp Invention serves 140,000 students every year and partners with more than 2,600 schools and districts across the nation. For more information or to register, visit invent.org/camp.

Camp Fully Involved, a summer program for young women interested in the fire service, is currently accepting applications. The program will take place July 27 – Aug. 1 at the New Hampshire Fire Academy in Concord. All interested young women are encouraged to apply.

Camp Fully Involved is a physically challenging, aggressive hands-on, live-in week-long summer camp directed towards young women between the ages of 14 (having completed the 8th grade) and 20 who are interested in exploring the career of a firefighter. No experience or affiliation with a fire department is required, and applications from young women who do not have any affiliation with the fire service are encouraged. There is no residency requirement for attendance. Firefighting gear is supplied for those who need it.

Cadets in Camp Fully Involved will participate in numerous hands-on evolutions, including, but not limited to, vehicle and dumpster fires, rappelling, SCBA drills, room and content fires, engine and truck company operations, forcible entry, ventilation, and combined operations. In addition to the technical evolutions, cadets will also participate in evening classroom programs. Cadets are housed on-site in the Fire Academy dormitories, and the week concludes with a graduation ceremony for family and friends.

“Camp Fully Involved is an excellent opportunity for young women to learn about the fire service,” said co-directors Chief Lisa Albino and Chief Cristina Schoeck. “Throughout the week, we offer aggressive, hands-on experiences in a controlled, safe environment that allows the girls to see if they can make it as a firefighter. We’ve had many graduates go on to careers in a full-time department.”

For more information on Camp Fully Involved, or to download an application, please visit www.campfullyinvolved.com.