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December 21st, 2007 by: Pete
For Immediate Release:
Media Contact: Karen Thurm Safran, (408) 871-3733
Video Game Sales Continue in the Billions in 2007
Again this year the hottest holiday gifts are video games. In 2006 video game sales were a startling $6.5 billion as tracked by the NPD Group. This month manufacturers are on track to exceed last year’s holiday sales with October 2007 sales already $1.1 billion. The annual holiday selling season accounts for about half of the industry’s yearly sales of video games and computer games.
Video Game Camp Prepare Students for Video Game Development Careers
So what does it take to create and develop video games? iD Tech Camps, a summer camp at the forefront of the computer camp industry has ratcheted up its video game course offerings. “A few years ago, we only had one Video Game Creation course. Now we offer multiple courses focusing on different areas of video game design and development”, said Alexa Ingram-Cauchi, co-founder of iD Tech Camps. The camp offers multiple weeklong gaming courses including 3D Game Design, Game Modding, 3D Game Modeling with Maya®, and an exclusive teen summer camp dubbed the iD Gaming Academy. The camp has seen interest in learning video game design parallel the mega growth of the video game industry. Each year the youth summer camp revamps its weeklong curriculum to offer robust game development instruction over the summer months.
iD Tech Camps partners with major players in the video game industry to ensure their tween and teen students learn by using the best tools to develop and modify video games. Their partners include Midway Games Inc., Epic Games, Inc.Valve and Activision Blizzard. These industry leaders know they must find ways to motivate and mentor young people to ensure fresh creative minds will enter the future job pool. Their association with iD Tech Camps is a tangible means to support that objective. And what kid wouldn’t want to get a foot in the door to a possible career in the game industry?
“Our company seeks out the best manufacturers to partner with year after year”, commented Karen Thurm Safran, vice president of marketing. “We want our students to use the best development tools available whether they are creating their own games or modifying existing top video games.”
In 2006, iD Tech Camps launched the iD Gaming Academy to provide teen gamers an intensive opportunity to explore their own creativity by developing a full video game portfolio. At this teen summer camp, students learn from top instructors using real-world applications like Autodesk® Maya®, Adobe® Photoshop®, Unreal® Engine and other industry leading commercial games including Unreal Tournament 3 to develop gaming portfolios. The technology camp wants its students to not only compete, but excel in the rapidly expanding fields of game development and professional gaming.
“We are not just a summer youth camp”, said Alexa Ingram-Cauchi, co-founder and chief financial officer. “We provide our students with opportunities to explore future professions via our unique summer camp setting. A lot of doors have been opened for students here at iD–they use it as a launching pad.”
About iD Tech Camps
iD Tech camps is the leading provider of summer youth technology camps with 50 locations nationwide. They provide weeklong, day and overnight summer computer camps for beginner to advanced students ages 7 to 17. As a family-owned company, their mission is to nurture children through creative learning, offering programs including video game design camps, web design camps, digital movie and film camps, robotics camps and programming camps. For more information, please visit www.internaldrive.com or call 1-888-709-TECH (8324).
December 21st, 2007
Posted in: iD In The News
December 20th, 2007 by: Pete
For anyone following the Maverick’s surf competition, this is a cool press release. We don’t just teach kids technology. We teach them some surprising other skills too. Read on! I want to thank Alisa for her contribution on this release! Good stuff, Alisa.
For Immediate Release
California Youth Technology Camp Combines Ocean Surfing with Computer Education
CAMPBELL, CA — December 14, 2007 — Where else but in sunny California would you find a youth summer camp that offers kids an innovative camp concept where campers learn to surf in the big blue Pacific, as well as create their own video games and websites? The California coast is known for the innovative, risk taking culture of Silicon Valley, but it is also home to surfing and many small enclaves dominated by the surf culture. So it is no real surprise that near one of these coastal towns, Santa Cruz, the nation’s largest technology summer camp was the first to offer a hybrid summer surf camp and computer camp.
iD Tech Camps has expanded the hybrid option with surf camps in Northern California and Southern California. Students ages 11 to 17 are able to exercise their minds as well as their bodies for a week of mental and physical challenge. They leave camp with surf skills along with skills in video game design or web design.
“Blending waves and technology is kind of a natural here in California. Surfers and gamers are social types, independent spirits, creative thinkers with strong competitive drives”, commented Pete Ingram-Cauchi, president and CEO of iD Tech Camps, one of the nation’s larger summer camp operators.
Technology is a growing component of the surfing community. Up the Northern California coast, the prestigious international Mavericks Surf Contest® recently announced this year’s contest window from December 7, 2007 through March 31, 2008. This event brings in 40,000 spectators and has gotten so big that it is broadcast live over the Internet. Will the surfers one day be testing their skills against the infamous giants out at Mavericks? “I hope our kids stick to surfing normal waves—or the Internet”, concluded Ingram-Cauchi.
For surf and tech course details at the California youth summer camps held at UC San Diego and UC Santa Cruz, visit www.internaldrive.com
About iD Tech Camps
iD Tech camps is the leading provider of summer youth technology camps with 50 locations nationwide. They provide weeklong, day and overnight summer computer camps for beginner to advanced students ages 7 to 17. As a family-owned company, their mission is to nurture children through creative learning, offering programs including video game creation camps, website design camps, digital movie camps, robotics camps and programming camps. For more information, please visit www.internaldrive.com or call 1-888-709-TECH (8324).
About The Mavericks Surf Contest®
Every winter season, Mother Nature offers up supremely harsh conditions and the giant, unpredictable waves that characterize Mavericks and the annual Mavericks Surf Contest®. Frigid waters, dangerous currents, jagged rocks and the ever-present threat of the great white shark. Mix these with perfect weather conditions, and 24 legendary surfers will get the contest call from legendary big-wave surf pioneer and contest director, Jeff Clark. When they do, they will have only 24 hours to arrive in Half Moon Bay to face the extreme conditions, thunderous waves and each other. Coined as “the wave beyond,” the Mavericks™ brand inspires hardcore athletes to face the unpredictably raw power of Mother Nature, and stirs the souls of those who aspire to challenge their own limits. Mavericks remains true to its core: a cold, mysterious and foreboding place that demands respect from everyone who goes there and inspires them to attempt the extraordinary. For more information, including photos, surf conditions and contest highlights, visit Mavericks Surf Ventures online at www.maverickssurf.com.
December 20th, 2007
Posted in: Summer Camps
December 7th, 2007 by: Jaime
No matter what your tradition, this time of the year usually means more travel, more waste and more debt! Here are some tips on how to make it through the season without the guilt.
Greener travel
- Use electronic tickets if flying.
- Make sure your tires are properly inflated for better gas mileage.
- Put a hold on mail and subscriptions.
- When renting a car, ask about hybrids or alternative fuel vehicles.
Greener gifts
- Consider making a donation to charity as a gift.
- Send e-cards rather than paper cards or make your own cards out of recycled materials.
- A week of summer camp makes a great gift, save $75 until 12/15/07. Click here for our Holiday Special.
- Register for iD Tech Camps electronically to save paper.
- Wrap presents in recycled materials. Americans throw away 25% more garbage during this season.
Most of all, remember, take time out to cherish your friends and family this season!
December 7th, 2007
Posted in: Summer Camps
December 3rd, 2007 by: Pete
iD Tech Camps Hoping Former Staff Secure Big Budget Film Financing
Former iD Tech Camps employees Andrea Ajemian and Jon Artigo, who honed their producing skills in their management roles with the iD Tech Camps, are closing in on securing 3 million dollars to finance their upcoming feature film, a teen comedy “We Got the Beat.” The duo have collaborated on three award-winning feature films during the past six years, working with other iD Tech Camps colleagues including Kevin Painchaud, Chad Meserve, Jill MacDonald, and Julie Fletcher. Ajemian is currently in negotiations with executive producers who would include “We Got the Beat” with a slate of films pitched to investors for a total of 50 million dollars.
“We could not be happier for Andrea and Jon. They are fabulous people and we take pride in knowing iD Tech Camps played a role in supporting their creative careers over the years”, said Pete Ingram-Cauchi, president and CEO of iD Tech Camps.
They say it’s a small world.
While on a conference call, Ajemian was telling an executive producer about her former employment with the top technology camp in the country. When she mentioned “iD Tech Camps,” the executive producer burst out, “I have their brochure right here on my desk in front of me! My son is ten years old, loves creating video games and really wants to go to the camp next summer. I’m thinking of sending him to the Stanford Computer Camp.”
“I couldn’t believe it”, said Ajemian. “Here I am knee deep in negotiations and iD Tech Camps comes up. It’s another reminder of how small the world is and how our lives interconnect. Of course, I told him of my experiences and how I feel iD is the best camp for his son.”
The teen comedy Ajemian and Artigo have written demonstrates they have a unique pulse on today’s youth. Both credit “being in tune” to their professional experiences with iD Tech Camps. They spent time with and around young people–giving them fodder for their creative inspirations in their own teen movies.
Artigo and Ajemian’s latest film “Still Green,” a teen drama set along the gulf coast of Florida, just began it’s festival run. Just weeks after premiering the film at the 32nd Annual New England Film and Video Festival in Brookline, it took top honors winning the Best Narrative Feature Award. “Still Green” won the Spirit of Independence Award for Best Ensemble at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. As they wait to hear from upcoming festivals regarding acceptance, they are in negotiations with a sales agent who will then represent the film to both international and domestic distributors. The film stars Sarah Jones (HBO’s Big Love, Showtime’s Huff), Noah Segan (Brick, Cabin Fever II), Ryan Kelly (Mean Creek, Stolen Summer), and Douglas Spain (HBO’s Band of Brothers, But I’m a Cheerleader).
iD Tech Camps was one of the first nationwide technology programs to offer movie camps and film camps to young students ages 10 to 17. They have been offering cutting-edge courses to students in digital movie editing since their inception in 1999. Their curriculum incorporates professional–grade Apple® Final Cut Pro® in which they have seen significant progression in the software’s capabilities over the years.
In 2008, iD Tech Camps launches the iD Film Academy at UC Berkeley in California. The teen movie camp offers intensive study in filmmaking and post-production. Students in this teen film camp learn from top-tier instructors who have an insider’s knowledge of the industry and film festival circuit. Surely, one of these students will be pitching their own movie project someday.
December 3rd, 2007
Posted in: do something BIG
November 21st, 2007 by: Pete
Happy Thanksgiving!
On Monday, Alexa (iD Co-Founder and CFO) and I sent out a newsletter via email to our current summer camp clients and those that have expressed interest in our summer computer camps and video game camps.
In the newsletter, we highlighted our HoliDay Special along with the big announcement of using some of the hottest commercial games on the market, in several of our gaming programs.
We’ve been moving fast and furious since our summer tech camps ended in August. The business cycle and early preparation of the entire summer camp industry continues to move up–earlier and earlier each season. In the not-too-distant future, participants may be registering for camp an entire season (or two) before the actual camp start dates. With increased competition, the camp industry, like any other industry, will be compelled to innovate, and service levels will continue to increase–along with the expectations of clients (campers and parents). This is good for everyone. We are excited to meet the challenges of the next generation of summer camps.
It is hard to believe that we are now celebrating Thanksgiving, and rounding the corner to the new year. We want to wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving. We thank you for your loyalty and patronage.
Did you know that 2008 will be our 10th season in operation? When we established iD Tech Camps, Alexa and I were both twenty-somethings. We had a vision—to provide the best summer technology camps…but we didn’t know where it would take us. Today, we have seen the result of our technology programs come full circle. We now have an established legacy and growing pool of iD Alumni who have gone on to do great things, measured by both small and large accomplishments.
Where are they now?
Some iD students-turned-entrepreneurs have designed, created and sold video games to their classmates. Others have created websites for their mom or dad’s small businesses. Many have gone on to college. Other still have become iD instructors or come to work full time for our growing company. Several have graduated from college and gone on to launch careers at Google or other renowned technology firms. Recently, an iD student received a large book deal based on his programming skills. Another iD alumna had her documentary work featured on HBO.
While these stories are becoming commonplace at iD, they never grow old. We hope to instill the internalDrive in each of our students. Our company was founded on this principle. If we can give each student a boost in tech-confidence and self-esteem, then we have done our job. We can’t wait to see what the next year brings. Are we thankful? You bet we are!
On behalf of all of us in the iD Family, we wish you and your family a happy and safe Thanksgiving.
Sincerely,
November 21st, 2007
Posted in: CEO's Blog
November 1st, 2007 by: Pete
Wow, It’s November 1! Our registration is now live and parents are saving some big bucks! The phones were ringing off the hook today. Exciting! The most popular question we are asked when we are out and about doing camp fairs is “what do you do in the off season?” We are asked the question because we fall into the category of “summer camps,” so the question is understandable. The work behind the scenes is difficult to explain. But, the workload is immense. And, it will continue to be if we want to solidify our spot as the #1 tech camp in the USA.
What DO we do in the off season? Well, to prepare for this launch, we have researched hundreds of tech products, solidified contracts with over 50 existing universities, and a handful of new locations too. We’ve completely re-written content and redesigned pages on internalDrive.com–that’s hundreds and hundreds of pages of web content. We’re gearing up for summer camp staff hiring–which begins next month. We’re launching a dozen new courses and announcing a lot of cool new offerings including Camp Fatality (a course co-designed by the world’s best known pro gamer), launching the iD Film Academy in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Ultimate Gaming Weekends–a specialty teen program. We’ve also added a new course for our Study Abroad Program in Spain.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. We’ve also launched a new and easy Refer-a-Friend program, and will be unveiling a new carpool application for our parents. Our pricing structure has become more “client friendly” and includes better savings for multi-week students and families sending siblings.
We write all of our applications in-house, which means we can “create what we dream.” This is a big strategic advantage for us. It may be more costly and time consuming, but we get to do it our way and not rely on cookie-cutter applications to force the shoe to fit. Computer camps are our art form. They are our expression of creativity. We love what we do–and this is why we work so hard all year round. We want to be the best, and we want to stay on top. We look forward to serving our new and returning clients.
Well, I am signing off for now. I wanted to salute my team for this latest launch. We met our goal of November 1. An immeasurable amount of work has gone into planning for this launch–all with the goal of evolving the greatest, most fun, tech-filled computer camp on the planet.
Take a moment to check out our site. And, if you are in the mood to check out a few new fun webmercials, click here. These were produced in-house by some of our creative folks.
Have a great day. Happy November! Don’t forget to set your clock back this weekend.
-Pete
November 1st, 2007
Posted in: Summer Camps
October 24th, 2007 by: Jaime
Our Hearts go out the Families Affected by the Southern California Wildfires.
Although I currently live in Portland, OR, I grew up in Encinitas, California, in San Diego County. I was visiting my parents this weekend when the fires started. We sat, glued to the television, making up checklists of things we needed to get out of the house if forced to evacuate. Then the calls started coming in. My cousin had to evacuate, my aunt got two reverse 911 calls telling her she was under voluntary evacuation; we added to our checklist. Medications, cat food, insurance papers, bedding…we imagined setting up our air mattresses at the crowded evacuation center in Qualcomm stadium, thinking of the images we saw from Katrina.
The fires roared on, the air quality getting increasingly worse. When we left the house to go to the train station, ash was sitting on the cars; it smelled as if a campfire was raging in our yard. People walked the streets with masks on. We couldn’t open the windows. I realized how much we take fresh air for granted.
People say that higher temperatures and global warming may be to blame for the fires. We haven’t thought however of the effect of the fire on global warming. According to Professor Thomas W. Boutton, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management at Texas A&M University, the result of the burning of 384,000 acres across Southern California has resulted in the emission of 20 million tons of greenhouse gases or the equivalent of 3.5 million cars (25% of all of the cars in California).
This is a terrible tragedy for the people of San Diego County. Many people have lost their homes. Our hearts go out to the families affected by the fires and we hope they are contained soon.
Looking to find out if someone you know is safe? Check out the Red Cross Safe and Well list. https://disastersafe.redcross.org
As of this morning, my parents still haven’t had to evacuate.
The smoke heading toward my parent’s house October 23rd.
October 24th, 2007
Posted in: Summer Camps
October 22nd, 2007 by: Jimmy
Hi, I’m Ruth! I will be writing a guest blog column called “Snacks!”
I have always been a big supporter of snack time so when I started at iD Tech Camps, I was determined to provide some seriously tasty goodies to my iD Family. Snacks = happy iDers = happy campers. As a result, this iD Snacks blog was created! (Disclaimer: The creation of an iD Daily Exercise blog might be needed after a few of these entries.)
Hello iD campers, families, and the general blogosphere! Have you missed me? Sorry about the two-week hiatus. It’s been pretty busy here at iD, and everyone is excited about making this coming summer camp season the best yet!! So to keep tabs on us, just keep checking back to our summer camp site and this blog. (Props to the iD Web team for making our awesome new website! If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend you check it out.)
Anyway, back to the important stuff – this week’s snack! It’s officially autumn which means that pumpkins are popping up all over the place. They’re seriously starting to show up everywhere, especially with Halloween coming up. Kids, do you have your costume yet? If you don’t, just wear all your iD gear and dress up as a summer camper! 
What was I blogging about again? Oh yes, pumpkins! This week’s snack is pumpkin cake with chopped walnuts topped with cream cheese frosting. Why cake? Well, why not? Kids love cake and everyone here at iD Tech Camps is a kid at heart. Moms and Dads, if you have a little gamer at home who can’t seem to get off the computer, I’m positive that the enticing smell of this pumpkin cake baking will be enough to draw his attention away for a nice break. This cake is super moist and not too sweet. Also, pumpkin is very healthy and good for you so there’s not too much guilt about making/devouring this cake.
Here’s the incredibly easy recipe:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together 2 cups of flour, 3 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground nutmeg, and 2 tsp ground cinnamon. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of sugar with 1 cup of veggie oil then stir in 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. To that mixture, blend in 2 cups of canned or fresh pumpkin and add 4 eggs, one at a time. Take your flour mixture and slowly integrate it into the pumpkin/oil/sugar/egg mix. Stir in 1 cup of chopped walnuts. You can bake this in a sheet pan (for 25 mins), or as cupcakes (for 12 minutes).
The cream cheese frosting was made by whipping together 2 8oz packages of light cream cheese, 1 stick of butter, about 2 cups of powdered sugar, and 1 tbsp ground cinnamon. You can also add some pumpkin so the frosting mix to give it a little more pumpkiny goodness.
And of course, gratuitous pictures of iDers enjoying my snacks!
On another note, my birthday is tomorrow so please celebrate with me by making this delicious cake and snacking on the iD way.
-Ruth
October 22nd, 2007
Posted in: Summer Camps
October 16th, 2007 by: Jimmy
iD Tech Camps is America’s #1 Tech Camp, but don’t just listen to us. Visit this blog each Tuesday to hear what our students and parents are saying. You’ll soon see why we have such a high return rate.
“iD Tech Camps exposed my child to web design and flash in a fun, positive, and educational environment.”
Sharon Wolpert, Parent, Carnegie Mellon University
“This is my fourth year at iD Tech Camps and every summer it is always a highlight for me. I will never forget my time spent here, and I hope one day to return at as an instructor so I can share with others an experience that has meant so much to me. iD Tech Camps ROCKS!”
Adam, Student, Emory University
For more testimonials, visit www.internaldrive.com/testimonials.htm
October 16th, 2007
Posted in: Summer Camps
October 16th, 2007 by: Joy
My name is Joy and I’m the VP of Camp Operations at iD, and mother of Max… a sweet, curious, little 15 month old boy.
In a book that I own called, The Tao of Mom, I found a quote that reminds me never to underestimate my son’s capabilities.
“The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible – and achieve it, generation after generation.” – Pearl S. Buck
I remember the first time he signed “tree” in the Target parking lot. I was amazed as I had figured it would take much longer for him to learn to use sign language to communicate. Within a few months, he had mastered all the words that I had in my repertoire and he was ready for more. Luckily for me, learning more sign language to teach Max was easily accessible with the help of a book.
Languages. There are many out there. Are your kids talking about learning languages that you’ve never heard of – Java, C++, Python, ActionScript, PHP, 1337? We can help at iD! Our instructors actually speak the same languages as our students. The quote above also reminds me of our campers at iD Tech Camps as well… they attempt the impossible and achieve it.
If you have never experienced sending your child to iD Tech Camps, I know you’ll be amazed at what they can accomplish in one weeks time. Every time I visit a camp, or attend a Family Showcase, I am utterly blown away by everything from the video games students create to the Flash Animations they design for their websites. Their thirst for learning moves them at a faster pace than you would expect while their imaginations take them places I would never think to go. Their creativity simply oozes out of their hands, through the mouse, and onto the computer screen.
As we get ready to launch our line up of our 2008 course offerings on November 1st, I imagine parents perusing our website and reading the course descriptions with their mouth gaping wide – wondering, “How did we get here? Seriously? My child can learn how to create a 3D model of a character using Maya in one week? Can I come too?”
When I think about what future technologies are in store for Max, it boggles my mind. Have you played with an iPhone yet? Have you seen kids “Boogie” with a Nintendo Wii? I think it’s all pretty amazing. If those toys are any measure of where we are now, what courses will iD offer in 2014 when Max is ready to go? I’m sure they’ll seem impossible to me.
October 16th, 2007
Posted in: Summer Camps
