iD News and Blog

Summer Staff Training Road Show Heads to Jersey

Flew Jetblue to JFK, then trained to Penn Station.

All Aboard!  Welcome to South Orange!

As soon as I got off the train, I met up with the training crew in downtown South Orange.

Justin had a little story for me about his flight.  He met an iD Tech Camper from last year.  Hear what he had to say (YouTube video).

Run-in with iD Camper at the Airport

We headed over to campus–Seton Hall was waiting for all 170 of us.

Even Dunkin Donuts got in on it.  Coffee anyone?

Thanks for your help!

It’s 8 AM, who’s hungry?

Campus pic.

I’ll entertain while you stand in line for breakfast!

Questions, anyone?

Safety First!

Piano Man and Big Apple, two returning staff.

Robbie and Jack, two more returning staff

We ordered Dunkin Donuts for Mike (returning Director at our MIT camp location) and the other 169 people at the training.  Mike is very loyal to Dunkin Donuts.  Mike, how did we do?  Are we listening?  Mike, don’t forget, you owe me a coffee!

I know the answer to the question in this round of Jeop-iD.

Ren-Dog surveying the scene in the dining hall.

Yummy!

Sooo good!

Why are you taking my picture, Pete?

Discussing camp logistics at lunch.

How’s the food?

Personality Exercise.

Justin, leading a training session.

Randy, leading his training session.

Dedication.

Teambuilding, Group 1.

Jami and Joy heading up the teambuilding session.  Here is Joy “giving it her all” during one of the teambuilding exercises!

Check out Joy on Youtube:  Joy in Action.

A little boy who was attending a wedding nearby.  He wanted to play frisbee!

Don’t try this at home!

Cari and Julie, all ready for day two.

The raffle prize?  Paint Justin’s noggin.

Robbie, taking a break.

OK, this blog entry is all about the pics and the people.  We’ve got a spirited bunch that can’t wait for camp to start.  To all of you who attended the training, we thank you for taking the time to travel from so far away.  Your presence helps makes iD the best in the business.

Best of luck this summer!

-Pete

 

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Computer Camp Rap: Summer Staff

One of the fine traditions we’ve got at iD is the creation of a quick and light summer camp video that we create for our staff at training.  Our regional management team is tasked with making us laugh–but to also get some training points across to our summer camp staff.

You have to check out this video.  I am sure it will be a big hit with our campers too!  For those of you who don’t know, this was shot on a digital still camera and edited just the night before training.  But, I think it is really, really fun.  Go RM team!

Training is serious business.  Kids are serious business.   But, we can’t take ourselves TOO seriously.  We have to remember that this is camp!  This video goes a long way in demonstrating that the best in the business can also have a good time!

Click below to check out the video!

Summer Camp Rap Video

I am currently writing from Gotham City.  Beautiful day here.  Breezy.  In the 80’s.  We’re on the heels of our next training here in the Northeast.  Very exciting.  The training begins tomorrow.  We’ll see 200 of iD’s best and brightest.  Get ready people!

But, before we get going on this week’s training, I wanted to upload pictures from the last week.  A lot of staff made some great new friends.  I want to thank Cari and Elmer (Emu) for sending me some additional pics.

So, what do Guitar Hero, Dummies and Airplanes have in common?  Browse below to find out!

More pictures from staff training in the Midwest:

Training to training

Attentive

Teambuilding

Proud Trainers

Elmer and Crew

Proud Camp Director

Raffling off iD towels

Taking aim.  She was good, folks.

Surveying the seen.  (Keeping Scott, to my left, in check)

Yes, nice throw, Jami.  Props!

Jamba!

Hugs before we go!

New sheriff in town!

Boy Wonder tussles with the periodic table of elements

Do we understand the rules?

It’s Good!

Explaining the rules

Lunch time.  Get crazy, people!

Late night trainers’ preparation

Making it look easy the next day is hard, hard work.

Taking a break with the Wii

Warming up staff with some early morning Guitar Hero ll

What’s your level?  Medium?  Hard!

Me too!

Move out of the way, boys!

It’s my first time!  (You rocked!)

You too!

Getting serious again in training with the Camp Nurse

Heading home in the airplane.  Dazed and Confused.  Last seat in the back!

CPR in the main office

It’s hard to believe that our summer computer camp begins in just a week.  In the fall and winter, summer always seems so far away.  Then, suddenly, it is upon us.  We’re looking forward to another amazing season.  It starts with recruiting, hiring and training the best.  My sincere appreciation to all of our fine staff who are so engaged in our mission.  Let’s get this party started!

-Pete

 

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Midwest Summer Computer Camp Staff Training

It’s May.  We have our first summer camps starting in Texas in a few weeks.  All of our national camp locations roll out from there.  We’re ready!  Training has been well underway for all of our summer camps across the country.  My crew and I are posting live from Chicago, where we have a regional training presently underway.  This particular training site has 20 trainers who are currently training 120 summer staff members.

We take our “road show” on tour for a month straight.  Nobody does it better.  I am so proud of my crew.  One unique aspect of iD is our “support network.”  Our full-time, year-round regional managers each manage a small cluster of sites.  They also train their staff, instilling expectations of excellence.  And Techcellence.

I’m also proud that our crew is so involved from the top down.  I personally train our staff.  It means something when every level of the organization is present.

Here are a few fun factoids about our staff and staff trainings:

1. We’ll train over 500 staff this summer.  Many of them are returning for their 2nd, 3rd, 4th…seasons.  Instructors come from the best universities in the country.  Directors are some of the finest teachers, tech coordinators and mentors in the business.  Why do we attract the best?  (Well, we have the best reputation in the business…and it doesn’t hurt that we pay quite a bit more than your average computer or summer camp.  We also have some of the smallest staff:camper ratios in the industry, if not THE lowest).
2. Why do we hire so many staff?  This is our greatest expense as a camp.  We have VERY tight ratios, averaging just 6 students per instructor.  This is incredibly costly–but also the greatest way to ensure 1-on-1 personalized instruction.  The quality shows.  Obviously, our methodology is working.  We’re the #1 technology camp in the country, and we do not plan on relinquishing our leadership position.
3. Each of our 10 regional managers was also a former iD Camp Director.  They know what it takes.  They BREATHE camp.
4. Our staff fly in from every corner of the U.S. and Canada to attend our in-person training sessions.
5. We bring in experts to supplement our training sessions:  Risk Management Experts & Camp Nurses.
6. Our in-person trainings are just one step in the long journey toward actually manning a camp.  The prelude to our in-person trainings is interviews, background checks, reference checks, CPR/First-Aid Certification, online trainings, online quizzes, creating lesson plans…our expectations are high.  Our team of regional managers guides each staff member.  Each staff must also receive high marks during training.  It is not easy.
7. After our training sessions, staff head to their respective summer camp, where on-site orientation begins.
8. We don’t just require our Camp Directors to attend our in-person trainings.  Every position is required to attend…from Camp Directors, Assistant Camp Directors, Health and Safety Coordinators, Lead Instructors, Instructors…(but one group you won’t find at our trainings, or our camps, are Counselors-in-Training.  Why?  We have respectfully created a policy of no-counselors-in-training at our computer camps–we hire adult staff only.  Our campers deserve the best instruction.  You deserve what you pay for.  Period).

When all is said and done, we’re instilling confidence and best practices in our staff.  Our staff in turn deliver the best camp experience to our campers.  Our campers become more confident, and go on to do great things both big and small.  Camp should be a fun, learning experience–where memories are created that will last forever.  We plan on being the incubator for those memories.

OK, now to the fun stuff.  Let’s see some pictures from the last few days.  Check out these pictures of our trainers preparing:

That’s me, above, getting coffee for the crew.  “Coffee for 140 people, please.”

Above:  Boy Wonder with 130 Einstein Bagels.  Yeah, they looked at him funny.

Best Dressed?  Yes!

Some of our trainers, early in the AM.

A shoe.  Two squash.  What does it all mean?

Thanks for checking in on the blog.  We’ll get some more pictures posted tomorrow.  I want to thank all 120 staff members and 20 trainers who flew in, took the train in and drove in to attend the multi-day training.  There is no doubt you will run the best summer technology camps in the country.  I am very proud of you all.  Our camper families will appreciate all your efforts–the final results will speak for themselves once camps are in session.

Until next time!

-Pete

 

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From Summer Computer Camp to a Career at Google

Hello iD Nation!

I roam the office a lot here at iD.  One of my employees mentioned in passing that one of her friends (a recent college grad) now works at Google.  She went on to explain that her friend also attended iD Tech Camps when he was a bit younger.  Her friend’s name is Jasper.  Should iD Tech Camps take credit for 100% of Jasper’s success?  Of course!  Not.  But, as you’ll read below, iD Tech Camps obviously helped him along his path, and this is something we are all proud of in the company.  Please read the below interview I had with Jasper.  There are some intriguing responses.  This blog entry might be especially interesting for our older iD students who are looking to pursue a career in a hi-tech company.  Hint:  Start by going to a hi-tech camp.

Jasper Seldin

Q: Where do you work now, and what do you do?

I work at Google as an AdWords Associate. I help our advertisers understand Google’s systems and get the most out of their advertising dollars by analyzing search trends and determining what the most relevant terms are based on their webpage or service.

Q: Where did you go to college?  How did you decide on that college?  What did you major in?

I went to Santa Clara University, and to be honest, a scholarship I received played a large role in my decision to attend. I also was attracted to the location in California, which isn’t a bad place to live   I majored in Political Science.

Q: You say you got a cool technology start at iD Tech Camps.  Where did you attend camp at iD Tech Camps—which location?  What courses did you take?

I attended iD Tech Camps in Colorado Springs, CO at Colorado State University – Colorado Springs. I took the Digital Video Production course.

Q: When did you go to camp?  What was your most memorable experience?

I went to camp in 2000. My most memorable experience was showing our finished product to a room full of campers and parents. Everyone was amazed at how much we could accomplish in only a few days. I also really enjoyed interacting with the counselors — they were really cool and flexible with our schedule. They didn’t just tell us what to do — they were involved in every aspect of our video production, and even starred in our movie.

Q: Did you go to Day Camp or Overnight Camp?  What was cool about it?

I went to overnight camp. I really liked the interactions that occurred after camp hours and would strongly recommend it. There was a nice mix of games and physical activities that made it a lot like a traditional camp experience. It was also really cool to hang out with the counselors.

Q: Have you applied any of the skills you gained at iD Tech computer camps to your professional or personal life?

Definitely. A large part of my role at Google requires me to work as a part of a team, and I was able to develop project management skills through iD Tech Camps. The environment is similar to the work environment at major technology companies.

Q: Who are your favorite role models?

I really admire Bill Clinton. I think he was a great leader and I really admire his devotion to charity work after leaving the White House. I also admire Thomas Friedman for his innovative analysis of the changing world.

Q: What is a typical day like for you at Google?

I spend portions of my day learning about new Google products, helping advertisers with their accounts, and analyzing advertising campaigns to identify areas for improvement. It’s really exciting to be a part of such an innovative company because there’s always something new to master.

Q: What are your favorite video games?

My favorite video game of all time is Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. I also like Donkey Kong Country and Final Fantasy Series. I’m a die-hard nintendo fan.

Q: What do you do when you aren’t at Google?  For fun?

I really like to travel and have been all over Europe, The Middle East, and Australia. I also like watching Baseball, Football, and Basketball. (Note From Pete, it also looks like you like feeding animals at the zoo.  Be careful, Jasper.  Yes, working at Google is dangerous, but not nearly as dangerous as being a bird feeder.)

Q: What are some of your favorite new technologies coming out on the market?

I’m really excited about the potential of the Nintendo Wii. I think we’ll see some really cool games in the years to come that make good use of the Wii technology. I also can’t wait to get my hands on an iPhone.

Q: Can you attach a couple of pictures so I can get you up on the blog?

Pictures attached

- Jasper

OK, Nation!  I hope you enjoyed this entry.  Jasper, we wish you all the luck in the world at Google.  Tell Larry and Sergey I said hi.

-Pete

 

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Simple is best

Sometimes, the simplest messages are the best.  This email was just forwarded to me.  It really sums it up:

-Begin email-

From: Former iD Student (name withheld for confidentiality purposes)
Date: Apr 29, 2007 8:21 PM
Subject: re: old friend from Internal Drive
To: Kevin Painchaud (lead digital video instructor)

Dear Kevin,

I got your e-mail from Chad. I hope you remember me. You were a mentor/instructor when I was in high school and you taught at Internal Drive. How are you? I hope that you have been well. I know it’s been a while since we last spoke, but I’m e-mailing you because I would like to invite you and a guest to a graduation dinner party that I am holding. I’m graduating from USC Film School this May, and I decided to hold a party to celebrate and thank all of the people that had a positive influence in my life. You no doubt had an influence on my life during high school, and I would be honored for you to attend. Chad and Joy are coming, and I would love for you to come too.

The party will be held on Saturday May 12th…

-iD Student

-End of Email-

Kevin was working back with us in ‘99, and is still working for us today.  He has been a mentor to hundreds, if not thousands of students.

 

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