四虎影视

Spring break camp inspires local students to pursue STEM-related inventing and problem-solving

by Chelsea Grosbeck

The 四虎影视 (四虎影视) College of Education was host to a three-day camp that introduced Hillsborough County Schools students to the world of inventing, creating and problem-solving using new technologies.

The camp, created by the Lemelson-MIT Program at the (MIT), encourages young inventors to develop hands-on skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through the process of invention.

四虎影视 is well-known for research and innovation, and ranks . The university鈥檚 focus on research and innovation opened up collaborations between the Lemelson-MIT program and 四虎影视 for this hands-on experience.

Students, some of who had never taken a technology course, were introduced to making circuit boards to power LED lights to create wearable textiles, like NASA space suit technology. With many of the students being new inductees to working with technology, mentors in the program shared how they found inspiration for their inventions and helped them get started on their projects.

An assisting instructor for the camp, Clara Mabour, a biology teacher at Northeast High School, brought the students through the construction process. As a student, she won a $10,000 grant from Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam to pursue creating a water filtration system following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Her invention was selected to present at the 2013 White House Science Fair.

Now, as a teacher guiding students on their inventions, Mabour said she sees the other side of being a STEM educator.

鈥淚 see myself in them鈥擨 was always inspired by challenges,鈥� Mabour said. 鈥淓ven though