At invention camp, learn to turn your ideas into real products

WHITTIER – Rio Hondo College will host its second annual Invention Camp Río program for adults 18 years and older and high school students.

In partnership with Lemelson-MIT, Rio Hondo College faculty members in the disciplines of business, engineering and architecture will collaboratively lead the Invention Camp Rio.

Participants will learn the invention process, prototyping, how to generate a business plan and a pitch for a product that can later become patented. A makerspace lab will be available to help design their product.

The Invention Camp Río program aims to help participants think creatively and learn to work independently and in teams to solve problems in the community.

The summer program is funded by a Title V grant known as Communities Uniting to Model and Build Regional Entrepreneurial Success (CUMBRES). In Spanish, CUMBRES means summit or an important pathway. The federal grant is created for Hispanic-serving institutions.

The program is free for any adult 18 years and older and high school students who are curious and eager to learn new things. It will be hosted from Monday, July 15 through Friday, July 26 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rio Hondo College. Lunch and snacks will also be provided during the two weeks.

Business Management Instructor, Eric Caesar, who led the summer program last year with LMIT educators and Rio Hondo College faculty, emphasized the importance of joining the program by highlighting the invaluable skill of developing creative solutions to problems.

“The ability to develop creative solutions to problems is not just a necessary skillset to current and future entrepreneurs, but something that is incredibly valuable to employers of all types,” Caesar said.

For more information, including how to apply, visit the Invention Camp Rio website at www.riohondo.edu/business/invention/ or email cumbres@riohondo.edu or call (562) 463-7392.