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As appeared in The Times of Trenton – article about our NJ tech camps held at Rider

July 2nd, 2009 by: Ryan

Move over crafts this summer camp is high-tech

By Allie Ward

LAWRENCE — Although the traditional summer camp must-haves include cabins, ghost stories and s’mores, this summer, at Rider University, campers are in for something a little different — technology.

Celebrating its third season at Rider and 11th overall, internalDrive’s weeklong iD Tech Camps give students ages seven through 17 the opportunity to gain a comprehensive technology education while incorporating the more traditional summer camp elements.

“It’s all hands-on and project-based,” said Karen Thurm Safran, vice president of marketing for iD Tech Camps. “Some kids will be making video games; some will make movies and Web sites, build robots or learn programming.”

Campers take courses and complete a project by the end of the week. Averaging one instructor for every six students, the groups are small and the attention personalized. Day and overnight sessions are available and run June through August at universities nationwide.

As perhaps the largest tech camp in the United States, iD utilizes cutting-edge products from Apple, Adobe, Autodesk, Microsoft and more to create 2D and 3D video games, design Web sites and make graphic design portfolios, among other things.

Caitlin Jackson, 14, is currently working on a 3D video game from scratch, an experience that allows her creativity to flow.

“Our instructors help us to put in the characters and then we can design them however we want,” Jackson said. “My game is mostly about (the book) The Lightning Thief; I’m basing it off the book. I’ve created a whole bunch of notes about different characters and what the main plot is.”

Matt Lebowitz, 12, is also creating a video game. He is using a program called FPS Creator to develop a 3D first-person shooter game.

“My second level is called Zombie Apocalypse and it’s kind of like a tunnel and most of it’s underground and you’re searching for this guy who makes zombies,” he said.

Some of the younger campers who are just starting out focus more on creating individual characters or animations using other programs.

“We use Adobe Photoshop and we draw our own characters and little monsters,” said Hunter Yankelevich, 10.

While some may see summer camp as a place for kids to get some fresh air, Safran believes that the educational benefit of an iD Tech experience trumps traditional views.

“The kids want to go and parents want to send them because anything that involves learning is something they want to be a part of,” she said. “To me, stimulating a kid’s imagination through technology is so important.”

Safran also added that campers do get outside throughout the day and have the chance to explore the university or play team sports and board games.

Michael Roslansky, 14, is attending his third year at iD Tech Camp.

“I just found this a really good learning experience,” Roslansky said. “The first year I did game creation, then last year I did Web design and I learned Flash and this year I’m working with Final Cut Pro.”

Roslansky is working on a movie based off his own original concept and is using the Final Cut Pro program to do the editing.

“It’s a movie about a guy who doesn’t have an idea for his movie-making class so he sells his soul for a movie idea,” he said. “There are schools that have majors in film communication so this (experience) is really going to help me out.”

Above all, Safran stresses that one of the camp’s main goals is to instill in its students the technological skills that can one day be used in a real world setting.

“What’s better than taking a kid’s hobby and turning it into a potential career?” she said. “You love to doodle? Well, guess what — you can be a graphic artist.”

For more information about iD Tech Camps, visit www.internalDrive.com .

http://www.nj.com/news/times/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-17/124650752033690.xml&coll=5&thispage=2

July 2nd, 2009

Posted in: Adelphi University, Columbia University, Fordham University, iD In The News, New York Institute of Technology, New York University, Pace University, Princeton University, Seton Hall University

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As appeared in The Tennessean – article about our video game summer camps in TN

July 2nd, 2009 by: Elise

Tech camp brings real-life teamwork to video games

By Jamie Sarrio

Jordan Cammon always brings the conversation back to video games.

Like other passionate gamers, the 10-year-old wants to talk about the characters, the levels, the sequences and the challenges that make his favorite games so exciting. And this summer he’s in good company – working with other students to create his own computer games during iD Tech Camp at Vanderbilt University.

“I love to talk about video games,” he said, fidgeting in his chair. “Since I love video games so much, I wanted to make games.”

The weeklong camp is held every year at universities all over the country for students age 7 to 17 who want to learn how to create 2D and 3D video games. Sessions in Nashville will run through July 17, and the camp starts at $700 and goes up to $1,200 a week, if campers elect to stay overnight.

Counselors, who are given gamer nicknames like “Sonic,” work with students to teach them how to use new programs and make their own video games. There’s also camaraderie among students, many of whom have a rare passion for video games.

“A lot of these kids have no identity at their regular schools,” said Tracey Price, camp director. “Tech camp is a great place for them to come and do what they love instead of doing it at home alone.”

Younger students start simple by picking characters, scenic backgrounds and objectives – older students build 3-D role-playing games or enhance existing games to make them their own. There’s one instructor for every eight campers, so the instruction is very personalized, Price said.

No applications are required, and students are separated based on ability and age. That’s partly to prevent younger students from being exposed to video games that are too violent or mature, she said.

Kids get taste of college

Campers also get exposed to life on a college campus and future careers in computer programming, though many are too young to know what they want to do just yet. They also take frequent breaks from the screen to play outside and share jokes.

Ethan Sloan, an 11-year-old from Franklin, says the food – dining hall style – is also a perk. “I think I am learning life-long skills I can use later,” he said. “It’s really helpful.”

Mostly boys attend the camp, but a few girls, like Kyra Tyler, sign up, as well. Tyler, a 12-year-old David Lipscomb Middle School student, wanted to come to the camp because she loves to play alternative reality games, like The Sims. At this camp, she’s working on building her own. “Most of my friends go to cheer camp or the mall, and I’ll do that stuff,” she said. “But I’d rather do this.”