San Mateo Daily Journal – July 9th, 2008

August 21st, 2008 by: Ryan

Computer Camp Teaches Children New Technology

By Heather Murtaugh

Flocks of sheep can fly and talk with Scottish accents.

Well not in day-to-day life, but those are common sights in 12-year-old Eric Snyder’s modification of video games, also known as modding. Actually, Snyder does not yet know how to give the sheep the accents. But the flock is definitely soaring overhead. Learning to create these different situations in an existing video game is just one lesson students can choose to pursue at iD Tech Computer Camps. The camp is offered in 23 states, Washington, D.C. and through a study abroad program in Spain to students 7 to 17 years old. In our ever-changing technology-driven society, many of the skills children learn at an early age can be put to use for professions in the future.

Or in the case of 14-year-old Nick Peterson from Burlingame, those skills can be used straight away. Peterson first signed up for camp four years ago. The first two years he opted to go during the day. This year and last year he stayed over night. Each session gave Peterson the ability to build on tech skills.

During his various camp sessions, Peterson has taken digital video, Web design, special effects and gaming design.

He’s been able to use his video skills as a sort of side job.

“I love camp, and I learn a lot,” he said near the end of his one-week session.

ID Camps average about six students per staff with only adult staff. Additionally, each student has their own computer in which to work. Camps are partnered with over 50 universities – locally with Stanford University. Through the week, students learn skills such as web design, animation and Flash through projects.

Foster City resident Sandra Kung, 11, was able to build a Web site about puppies. She picked the topic because she really wants a dog but can’t have one.

Kung previously attended a different technology camp. She left it unimpressed and brought those same apprehensions to the first day of camp in Palo Alto this year. She was pleasantly surprised, however. Kung plans to help her friends design Web sites.

Fourteen-year-old Stephanie Lee designed a site about soccer. She plays for a local club team as a defender.

“It’s fun to be able to create [a Web site]. It’s a lot of fun and it’s cool to see when you finish,” said Lee as she showed various aspects to her soccer Web site.

Although the focus is on technology, it is still a camp, explained Lead Instructor Dory Abrams.

“It’s really fun but also educational,” she said. “It’s a hard balance, but we manage to pull it off.”

There’s special activities planned each night for the students like movie night, talent show and an ice breaker event where staff introduces themselves using costumes and funny skits.

Students also have set time away from the computers in the afternoon to play games and sports.

Participating in camp can be rewarding for the staff was well.

Director Lydia “Big Apple” Luxama teaches ninth grade English during the school year. This is her ninth camp season, and the sixth with iD Camps. As her time with the company expanded and grew, so did her opportunities, she explained. Luxama began as an instructor. Today she is the director at the Palo Alto location.

For Luxama, a big component of camp is enhancing the children as individuals. Students get tickets for things like working well with others or helping another person. Those tickets go into a raffle at the end of the week.

Eleven-year-old Paul Touma from Atherton had a lot of tickets stored in the lanyard around his neck holding his ID. Touma was participating in a special camp allowing him to choose a sport - in his case tennis - to participate in half the time with the rest of his camp focused on technology.

Touma was nervous to attend camp, which he regretted by the end of camp since he made so many friends.

Learning to create the games was easier than Touma had originally thought, at least once he got into it. He created a basic shooting game. Once home, Touma most likely will not make additional games since he simply does not have access to the software.

Creating first-person shooting games has a certain amount of violence build into it. The camp, however, has a patch on the software preventing students from creating games with certain violent actions, explained Counselor Emily “Thumper” Lindsay.

Lindsay joined the staff from Canada and teaches 3-D game design and game modding. Some of her students also create a puzzle game. Each has the chance to stump Thumper with their game. Students take turns attempting to stump each other as well, she said. Teleporters seem to be very popular with the students.

Sean Morgenthaler, 12, used his skills to modify games to make games he owns harder, he said.

Morgenthaler , from Portola Valley, began taking the classes in 2004 because he really likes computers. He definitely sees himself working in the computer science industry later in life.

“This is a fun place to go and do what you like,” he said. “It’s a lot different from some of the other computer camps. You have freedom. They give you guidelines, but you can use your imagination.”

For more information visit www.internaldrive.com.

August 21st, 2008

Posted in: iD In The News

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