iD News and Blog

What questions should you ask when selecting a summer camp?

OK Mom and Dad,

It probably seems like all your friends are way too organized for the summer. They have every detail for the next three months meticulously planned out–vacation plans: check. Summer schedule. check. Summer Camp. check. What about you?

I can’t help you with your vacation plans or your summer schedule, but as a parent of two, and as the president of iD Tech Camps, I know a thing or two about what questions to ask when selecting summer camps. How do you get started? Here a few ideas that might help you out.

1. Who owns and manages the summer camp?

As a parent, you want to gauge their qualifications, expertise, years in the business, reputation, and commitment, year over year, to their camp business. Are they still involved, or are the owners operating a web based business from Tahiti?

2. How long has the summer camp been in operation?

If it is a new camp, you can bet that the organization is still working through a lot of bugs. Look for a camp with an established track record. I’d prefer to find a camp that has been operating for five seasons or more. This proves the camp is not a fly by night operation.

3. Does the summer camp specialize in a certain educational area?

People come to iD Tech Camps because we specialize in technology. We have the hard-won reputation for being the best computer camp in the business. So, when you select a summer camp, make sure the camp specializes in a certain area: sports camps, language camps, computer camps, science camps…you get the idea. I’d even recommend doing a Google Search on the summer camp type of your choice to see what’s out there.

4. What is the commitment to safety and risk management of the summer camp?

Many camps are ACA Accredited (American Camp Association). This means they follow many rigorous safety and operational guidelines and are audited by ACA staff. I can assure you that a camp that has taken the (difficult) steps to become ACA Accredited has a greater awareness for the risks its summer camp will face. iD Tech Camps is ACA Accredited in California and each of our locations nationally follows the same risk management practices.

5. Who are the camp counselors?

Every summer camp claims to have the best counselors. But how do you really know? As an example, we only hire adult staff. They are trained in-person. We have very small ratios, averaging just 6 students per instructor. A lot of camps claim to have small ratios, but what you should ask is this…”What is the maximum number of students that will be assigned to the counselor?” This will give you peace of mind–and you’ll know what to expect. Of course, you need to go deeper with questions regarding the staff. Are they background checked? How are they trained? How old are they? Are counselors-in-training going to be supervising your kids? How are the staff trained? What is the staff retention rate? Who manages the staff? Are they evaluated frequently?

OK, are you ready to go select a camp? Good luck. Have fun! Camp is about sending your kids off to a fun, stimulating environment where they learn a new skill, make friends, and have a blast. Most camps still have a few spaces left for the summer, so make sure to see what’s still available. You might even find that waiting to register for camp, unlike those ultra-prepared friends of yours, has its benefits.

Until the next time, iD Nation!

-Pete

 

Posted in Summer Camps | 2 Comments »

 

 

Destination Fairfield

Destination Fairfield

May 2008

“Stimulating Imaginations and Learning This Summer at Sacred Hear University”

“No matter what course students take, the focus is always on fun and experimentation with new technology while articulating oneself in new and creative ways.”

Click Article to view in full size

 

Tags: News Articles, Sacred Heart University Computer Camp
Posted in Sacred Heart University | No Comments »

 

 

Summer Camp Staff Training Top 10 List

Hello iD Nation!

It’s that time of year. Yup, it’s May! Cinco de Mayo is behind us. Camp is in front of us. It’s an exciting time for us at iD Tech Camps. We’ve hired over 500 elite staff to extol their knowledge on the teen and tween tech gurus of tomorrow.

We train our summer staff in many ways. Of course you’d expect a robust online training–which happens. But you might not know that we have in-person regional trainings beginning in New Jersey, Illinois and California where our staff come from all over the country to learn from our amazing, experienced team of Regional Managers.

In our staff trainings, we focus on a variety of topics that ensure we run successful programs from coast to coast. As we’ve grown over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to mentor some smaller summer camp programs. Here is a top 10 list of tips you might find helpful when thinking about building your own summer camp training programs.

Top 10 Areas of Focus When Training Summer Camp Staff:

1. Risk Management. We must drill this point home. At iD Tech, we bring in real-world scenarios to create the atmosphere of what camp is like. We role-play these scenarios so our staff can envision how the outcomes should play out. Staff have to participate. This can’t be just a big PowerPoint presentation with one-way communication.

2. Visuals. A training program that lasts multiple days can get boring fast. We can “lose our staff” if the content isn’t relevant, fun, snappy and visual. Camp Videos, Photos, Testimonials…these are a must.

3. The Basics. Any summer camp can go so far into the details at training that the camp staff can get lost quickly. We train our staff on the details–but also the basics: Check-in times. Check-out times. First impressions. Group management. Do’s and Do Not’s. Professionalism…

4. Mission. This ties in with the point above. The entire organization–from trainers to camp staff to the marketing and accounting folks back at home base have to rally around the mission. If the staff at home base are on board, but the overall mission is fuzzy to the summer camp staff–ugh oh! Create simplicity and clarity.

5. Write it Down. In the digital age, note taking is becoming a seemingly dying art. Encourage your staff to write down what they’ve learned. Then circle back with them. Call on them. “What is the top thing you learned from this slide?”

6. Boil it Down. There are a million competing priorities when running a summer camp. How do you ensure your staff will tend to all of the details? In reality, some of the experience can only be gained by actually “doing.” So, you have to create simulations at training. But, you also have to carefully balance your priorities and make sure to boil it down: Learn more by learning less. Cramming everything you know into your training programs will most likely not be effective.

7. Fun. Remember you are running summer camps! Trainings have to be fun. Camps are about the kids–building self confidence, teaching new skills, ensuring the well-being of the students.

8. Start on time. If your trainings are unorganized, a bit sloppy, start a few minutes late…what signal is this sending to your camp staff? In reality, everything we do will be emulated. If your organization truly cares about the details–then you have to walk the walk. Start everything on time.

9. Evolve. Training programs can get stale quickly. The programs should evolve from season to season–this helps address the “been there done that” mentality of your seasoned, returning camp counselors. We must also remember that camp trends change. The world changes. The training programs have to change too. A good place to start is by attending some of the regional training sessions put on by the American Camp Association.

10. Summarize and Verify. How do you ensure that the information being presented is “sinking in?” You must verify! Circle back on the crucial elements of each lesson. Verify the information is indeed sinking in.

Our summer camp trainings for staff are now underway in Illinois, New Jersey and California. We are looking forward to making the best summer camp staff in the business even better. The above are a few ways we will accomplish that important responsibility.

-Pete

 

Posted in Summer Camps | 4 Comments »

 

 

Summer Camp for World of Warcraft Enthusiasts

A few weeks ago, a team member at iD Tech Camps sent me a link to a very cool article about World of Warcraft. We teach Game Modding in our summer camps, and one of the games we mod is Warcraft lll: The Frozen Throne. We all know World of Warcraft is huge. Huge. OK, techies and gamers know that, at least. But ten million players?

The article, by Mike Smith, highlights the fact that a populous of ten million players surely dwarfs other multiplayers–not to mention other countries. He also makes a fun argument that World of Warcraft could, indeed, be the world’s largest corporation. OK, it’s a stretch. But a fun stretch. Take a few minutes to read this article at http://us.i1.yimg.com/videogames.yahoo.com/feature/wow-inc-/1203104

 

Posted in Summer Camps | 8 Comments »