Parents of elementary school children in Northampton Area School District now have a new choice for summer camp.

NASD has launched Camp Invention, a week-long summer enrichment program for district students in grades 4 through 6.

The program emphasizes the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) approach to education. The 2015 program theme is "Illuminate."

"It's the first step of many for enrichment programs over the summer months," NASD Superintendent Joseph Kovalchik said.

Camp Invention takes place 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 22 through 25 at Siegfried Elementary School, Northampton.

Megan Snyder, director of the program and an NASD elementary schools math instructional support teacher, and Michelle Schoeneberger, NASD K-12 math and science supervisor, made a PowerPoint presentation about the program to administration officials and school board members at the March 23 board meeting.

The board voted 7 to 0, with two members absent, to approve the Camp Invention summer enrichment program.

Cost of the program is expected to be $130. The Northampton Konkrete Kids Educational Foundation is underwriting a discount off the full price for each student who attends.

There will be four instructors and four volunteers.

The program, according to Snyder and Schoeneberger, emphasizes "higher-order learning activities" for students and "professional development" for teachers.

The curriculum and materials are provided.

According to the Camp Invention website, for 40 years in partnership with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, "our programs have encouraged nearly two million children, teachers, parents, college students and independent inventors to explore science, technology and their own innate creativity, inventiveness and entrepreneurial spirit."

The website states that Camp Invention was created by the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

More information is available at the Camp Invention website: campinvention.org.