Invent the Summer

04/10/2026

Congratulations, Phoenix - the winner of our pop-up challenge Operation Hydration! Thank you for helping us celebrate our Seeds of STEM campaign 🌱

04/08/2026

Thank you, donors! 🌱 Our Seeds of STEM campaign has officially come to a close. Thanks to you, this has been our most successful year yet! Together, we raised an incredible $6,142.

Your generosity brings hands-on STEM enrichment to community centers, libraries, and kitchen tables everywhere. You empower our youth leadership teams and help keep our online challenges free and accessible to all. We truly couldn’t do this without you!

🌼Thank you for helping us plant Seeds of STEM 🌼

The winners of our donor raffle and Operation Hydration challenge will be announced later this week, so stay tuned!

03/31/2026

860Gives has started! This United Way Central and Northeastern Connecticut campaign brings much needed funding to nonprofits across Connecticut – including us! Please consider supporting, and thank you for your support so far. The campaign ends in 48 hours!

https://www.860gives.org/organizations/invent-the-summer

03/30/2026

Last call! We are in our final week of the Seeds of STEM campaign. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far – your generosity will plant Seeds of STEM and help confidence, perseverance, and creativity bloom.

We’re wrapping up our annual campaign by participating in 860Gives! Join us and other Connecticut nonprofits tomorrow for 48 hours of difference-making. Donations made through our 860Gives page will still be counted towards our raffle – and your support makes Invent The Summer eligible for awards! Learn more and check out our page here: https://www.860gives.org/organizations/invent-the-summer

03/27/2026

Looking for a fun weekend activity? Our pop-up challenge Operation Hydration is still live! Remember to share your solution with us by April 2nd to be entered to win a prize.

We’re over halfway to our fundraising goal and matching gifts through Sunday! Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far. There’s still time to help bring challenges like Operation Hydration to even more young innovators.

https://invent-the-summer-2026.causevox.com/

03/25/2026

💐Donation matching opportunity!💐 A generous donor has agreed to match every donation made between now and the end of Sunday, March 29, doubling the impact of every gift during this time!

Your support helps Invent the Summer continue creating hands-on STEM experiences for young innovators while also growing the leadership opportunities that make our program so unique.

If you have been considering making a gift, now is your chance to make twice the difference!

https://invent-the-summer-2026.causevox.com/

As a reminder, every $25 donated also earns one ticket toward our donor prize drawing for a countertop hydroponic garden.

03/23/2026

You’ve probably heard us say “by kids, for kids” and we really mean it! Invent The Summer was started by kids, and all our challenges remain “kid-designed.” Repeat inventors (perennials, if you will🌼) can join our youth leadership teams, starting with the Junior Board of Engineers (ages 13-15), where they come up with challenge ideas.

After serving on the Junior Board, youth leaders can join the Senior Board (ages 16-18), which plays a key role in the leadership of Invent The Summer. They mentor the Junior Board, edit challenge videos, help with marketing and social media, and even sit in on Adult Board meetings.

We believe in creating pathways for inventors to become leaders, learning important life skills and inspiring others along the way. Thank you to all our youth leaders who help make Invent The Summer possible!

Did you know you can donate specifically to help the youth leadership teams? https://invent-the-summer-2026.causevox.com/

03/19/2026

Just like seeds need soil to grow, we need you! Annual campaign support helps us deliver hands-on STEM, but there are more ways to get involved! Volunteering is a great way to support small nonprofits like us.

Henkel interns volunteered with us to put together activity packs. Each activity pack contains supplies and challenge ideas to spark the imagination and plant seeds of STEM. They are given away at workshops and community events so young inventors can take home the fun. Thank you Henkel volunteers, and everyone who shares their time with us!

Check out our volunteer opportunities to learn more: https://inventthesummer.org/get-involved/volunteer/

Support our Seeds of STEM Annual Campaign here: https://invent-the-summer-2026.causevox.com/

03/16/2026

Our challenges are all about nurturing confidence! Each challenge is designed by past participants who know what it takes to come up with a solution: an idea (or several), trial and error (emphasis on the error), and some creative thinking.

We always say failure is where the learning happens, and where perseverance and confidence grow. As young inventors tackle more challenges, they become more confident in STEM principles and problem-solving skills.

Help us nurture confidence by supporting our challenges and workshops! https://invent-the-summer-2026.causevox.com/

03/13/2026

This is a big year for Invent The Summer!

We’re partnering with more community organizations, attending more STEM fairs and events, and bringing challenges to even more young inventors! We’re branching out into new ventures while still keeping our online kid-designed challenges free for families.

None of this happens without your support – Thank you for helping us bloom!

Learn more and help us grow here: https://invent-the-summer-2026.causevox.com/

03/11/2026

We simply can’t wait until summer – it’s time for an engineering challenge! The challenge: design a self-watering system for your plants. Submit a photo or video of your solution for a chance to win a garden-themed prize.

As you flex your inventing muscles to help your seeds grow, we hope you’ll consider helping us water our seeds of STEM.

Challenge details and entry can be found here: https://inventthesummer.org/2026/03/05/2026-pop-up/

Deadline for entry is April 2nd

03/11/2026

You don’t need a STEM specialist to run meaningful STEM programming.

Invent the Summer’s curriculum kits include eight ready-made design challenges, guided slideshows, facilitator tips, and supply lists. Everything is structured so non-STEM staff can lead with confidence.

Flexible. Affordable. Designed for real-world programs.

Workshops are nearly full for summer, but curriculum kits remain available and easy to implement.

Learn more here:

Bring engineering to life with our kid-designed challenges and educator-approved curriculum! Run up to 8 hands-on STEM workshops that spark creativity and teach real-world engineering concepts. Each challenge is easy to complete using common household items and basic craft supplies. We’ll provide ...