Ossining Students Learn Innovation, Creativity At Summer Camp

OSSINING, N.Y. -- This year 45 students participated in Ossining’s Summer Programming & Innovation Academy, whose goals include developing critical-thinking and problem-solving skills while encouraging creativity and innovation.

Students use alligator clips to circumvent keyboards and play video games.
Photo Credit: *Contributed*

Students play music on a virtual keyboard.
Photo Credit: *Contributed*

Students build structures out of Popsicle sticks.
Photo Credit: *Contributed*

Students operate a weathervane with electricity.
Photo Credit: *Contributed*

by Jason Bisnoff

07/27/2015 3:30 p.m.

This was the third year of the two-week program, which was funded by the Ossining MATTERS educational foundation.

Isabella Cedo, who played "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" on a virtual keyboard, said the summer academy was “very interesting” and she learned a lot. “You could use your imagination and build anything,” she said.

Activities included building structures out of Popsicle sticks, using electronic modules to provide lighting, creating animation, printing 3-D designs and creating robots. Participants ranged from third to eighth grade.

Marie Felipe, 10, and Anna Mkandawire, 11, were part of a team that built a barn and a doghouse out of Popsicle sticks. They shaped a dog out of Play-Doh and added a number of embellishments, including paper flowers glued to Popsicle sticks and anchored by Play-Doh. They used littleBits to rotate a weathervane atop the barn.

“I like how we get to use electronics to make houses and stuff, and we can make things out of Popsicle sticks, which is a strange combination, but you can make a lot of things out of unlikely things,” Marie said.

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