You are currently browsing our archives.
December 22nd, 2010 by: Ryan
The year 2011 just got a lot greener. iD Tech Camps, the world’s largest summer technology camp, has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees, and lots of them. For each camper enrolled in 2011 with iD Tech Camps or its Teen Academies, iD will donate one tree. The initiative is called One Camper, One Tree.
iD Tech Camps teaches students ages 7-18 technology skills through programming courses and classes in digital photography, robotics and more. Prestigious schools such as Harvard, Stanford and MIT are among the 60 universities across the country that host iD Tech Camps as well as its more intensive offshoots for teens, the iD Gaming Academy, iD Programming Academy and iD Visual Arts Academy. Students work closely with their instructors in small classes (average 6 students per instructor, maximum 8 students) to learn essential technology skills and produce a final project showcasing their new knowledge. The project serves as the foundation for a growing portfolio – the more sessions at camp, the larger a student’s portfolio. Students use their portfolios as the launching pad for getting into their dream schools and turning their hobbies into potential careers.
This is not by any means the first time that iD Tech Camps has demonstrated its commitment to the environment. It has been a green company continuously over the years, with greening initiatives such as beach and graffiti cleanups and incentive programs for its employees and campers to find creative ways to get to work, to camp, and to recycle. The CEO of iD Tech Camps, Pete Ingram-Cauchi, even bikes to work whenever possible. “I love when, at the end of the week, I still have a full tank of gas – and my pants fit better too,” says Ingram-Cauchi. “We want our students to have the technology skills to succeed in their future careers, and we also want to make sure they have a green world to live in—so we must act as role models. It’s easy to do nothing. But taking care of Mother Earth is a responsibility.”
The implications of the Arbor Day Foundation partnership extend beyond a greener world. iD Tech Camps hopes that in showing such a commitment to the future of the planet, it will inspire all students to think about their personal futures. When students start amassing technology skills as carefully as they collect bottles and cans, the potential for stable, fun careers in the future skyrockets.
Written by Audrey Van Norman
December 22nd, 2010
Posted in: iD Tech Camps
December 17th, 2010 by: Josh
Hi all – This week we have a guest-blog from our super-star regional manager Keri! I hope you enjoy – Grizzle!
You might not think we do much in the off-season, but your Regional Management team is busy year around! We pour over evaluations and find solutions to any problems we might see. We fine tune and test new curriculum. We create new systems to better the camp experience for all! We also spend time working with our university partners. In some cases the planning for 2011 started on the last day of camp in August!
Our university partners are an invaluable part of our success each summer. You may not see them while you’re at camp, but trust us, they are always there! They make sure that our campers have great accommodations, that meals are provided as scheduled (sometimes they give up their own 4th of July to make sure we have meals when all other campus departments are closed), they make sure we have fields to play on (and that we aren’t sharing the field with the football team) and every once in awhile, you can talk them into sharing the top secret, highly coveted water key to the outside faucets (you know, when it’s so hot and you just need an afternoon of water games).
Don’t tell them, but this year we are sending them some homemade goodies to celebrate the season and say “Thank You” for all of their hard work. Sharing is caring, and since we care about you we thought we would share our recipes for yummy treats and some other great HoliDay gift iDeas!
My nieces are almost old enough* for camp so guess what they are getting for Christmas? A WEEK OF iD TECH CAMP! Wrap it up in a bow, hide it on the tree, stuff it in a stocking, whatever you do, it is sure to be the best gift ever! When you give the gift of camp, you really are giving a gift that keep on giving.
Why iD? Mom and Dad, you are sharing cutting-edge technology education with your child. You are introducing them to a college atmosphere and maybe inspiring them to attend one of our great universities! You are giving them tools that they can use at home, at school and beyond. What can the gift of iD Tech Camps do for your child? Check out our Do Something Big stories…Your son or daughter could be next!
For our staff who might be working on their third degree in computer science and a little low on funds, or our campers who are looking to give a few gifts to family and friends, our team has the perfect gift iDea: food. Here is a little tutorial on how to make fun and cute holiday gifts for all:
Keri’s Fancy (Super Easy) Chocolate Pretzels
Step #1: Gather your tools (You don’t need fancy candy-maker supplies, in fact, I love using red plastic cups for dipping – the ridges are perfect for “twisting” off excess chocolate).
Suggested Supplies:
- Microwave safe glass bowls or Measuring Cup
- Assortment of Utensils: Plastic Spatula, Wooden Spoons, Metal Spoon, Whisk
- Parchment or Waxed Paper
- Plastic squeeze bottles
Step #2: Select your supplies. You can use pretzel sticks or twist. If you decide to get a little crazy, you can also use biscotti, graham crackers, or popcorn.
Beginners Shopping List:
- 1 Bag Large Pretzel Sticks
- 1 Package Dark Chocolate Chips
- 1 Package Milk Chocolate Chips
- 1 Package White Chocolate Chips
- Assorted toppings: Nuts, sprinkles, crushed candy or cookies
Step #3: Set-up your work space. I like to use non-coated cooking parchment paper (found at most stores). You can also use waxed paper. I lay out the paper so that I have plenty of space for my finished product to set-up. Tape down the edges so that your surface doesn’t slide around.
Step #4: Melting chocolate. A lot has been written on melting chocolate and fancy pastry chefs spend years perfecting a technique called tempering, but we are keeping it simple. Pour chocolate chips into microwave safe glass bowl. Melt in 15 second intervals. It’s going to take a few minutes, but trust me, don’t try to do it all at the same time. Melt, stir, melt, stir, melt, stir. One great tip I found was to keep about ½ cup of chips aside and add to your last “stir” cycle. It helps to set the sugar and cocoa butter molecules so that your chocolate is smoother and coats nicely. (DO NOT GET WATER INTO MIX).
Step #5: Pour chocolate into red plastic cup for dipping. There is no right or wrong here folks! I use a bit of a dip and twist to get excess chocolate off the pretzel.
Step #6: Roll or sprinkle pretzel with your favorite toppings. I’ve used everything from sprinkles to nuts. You can use different kinds of crushed candy or cookies. Just make sure to do this step while the chocolate is still in its liquid state. If you let it cool too much your toppings won’t stick.
Step #7: Do you want to step-it-up? Add a fancy drizzle! I like to drizzle in a contrasting chocolate (so white chocolate drizzle on dark chocolate), but you can use whatever flavor you like. I use a small squeeze bottle filled with melted chocolate. You can get two bottles for about $2 from most stores. Just squeeze lightly from right to left and over again until you have the amount of drizzle you like.
Step #8: Packaging! There are a million options for packaging your yummy pretzel treats. All it takes is a little imagination. You can find candy bags in the baking section of most stores. There are also aluminum tins all over the place this time of year. Take one of our graphic arts courses and next year you could start your own online candy label business! (I like using my craft supplies – Rotary Cutter with Pinking Blade, Craft Tissue Paper, Ruler and Self-Healing Cutting Mat – to make fun box stuffing).
Have fun, experiment and share your results with us here, on Facebook or Twitter!
No matter what you celebrate this time of year, On behalf of the entire Regional Management Team, I would like to wish you, your family and all of iD Nation World a safe, fun and happy HoliDay!
*My oldest niece will only be turning six this year, so she will have to wait one more year before going to camp, bummer. But trust me, I’m sending her! We have great instructors and iD is a great place for girls to gain an advantage in technology education!
December 17th, 2010
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers
December 10th, 2010 by: Pete-V
Hey All – this is (the other) Pete and I’ve been having quite a challenge.
I have been a representative for iD Tech Camps for the past several years in the Northeast camp fair circuit (mainly representing the Summer Camps in NY). There are two main types of fairs: Camp Fairs, which are aimed at 3 – 12 year old youth and Summer Activity Fairs, which are aimed at teenagers. This past week, I had the absolute pleasure of attending three Summer Activity Fairs.
Summer Activity Fairs are great – iD is completely differentiated from all of the other booths. The trend is, or so it seems, that most companies appealing to teens deal with foreign travel or community service, not teen summer camps. Our offering of courses in technology mixed with a rich camp-based experience on a college campus stands out as a unique and fun activity for the summer.
The issue, however, is that “tech camp” has a perceived meaning that is not really accurate in the 21st century. Some potential customers will pass my booth right by, muttering “tech camp” as if the phrase was some sort of dirty word. I’ve gotten accustomed to stopping said naysayer and asking them what they want to be when they leave high school. This conversation evolves into a pitch that technology is ubiquitous in modern times and everyone, regardless of passion, can gain some benefit from at least one of our programs. During every sequence, there arrives the moment of clarity where the perception of what iD actually does is completely turned around (at which point the subject in question can’t get her or his hands on a brochure fast enough!)
At first this behavior really bothered me. What’s so bad about tech camp? Then I realized that the stigma is a remnant of the ancient 20th century. During this prehistoric era, “tech camps” were mainly centered around creating screen savers (my tech camp experience) and programming. This was a time when graphic design was done on paper, all photography was developed using film, home movies were shot using magnetic tape, robots were things in movies, iPads were made out of lined paper, Facebook was the consequence of falling asleep while reading, websites were where spiders hung out, 3D modelling required room-sized computers and video games existed mainly in arcade. These primitive locations focused mainly on the tech operations without venturing into the camp part (which is essential). Somehow, this memory of what *was* still remains today, regardless of what actually *is*.
Our camp fair team is up to the task of setting the record straight.
Interested in science? All of the sciences have an aspect of recording and observation. What better way to record your findings than with a digital SLR camera, which you can learn how to master at the iD Tech Camp Digital Photography and Photoshop® course or the two-week iD Visual Arts Academy program in Professional Photography.
Interested in design? Two of the main tools of any designer are Adobe Illustrator® and Adobe Photoshop®, both the centerpiece of our Graphic Design for Advertising course.
Want to go into business? Why not start early and create your own income-generating app in our Programming iPhone® & iPad® Apps course or take the more intensive two-week iD Programming Academy iPhone® & iPad® App Development course and learn programming?
Not sure what the future holds? Web Design and Flash® Animation is a course that every teen should try out! The Internet is the perfect destination for you to define yourself to the world. Share your portfolio of work, photos of friends, stories, artwork, ideas or whatever you like on the world stage.
The world is full of technology that is difficult to avoid. iD can help everyone get up to speed in the tools that shape everyday life in the context of a camp – and CAMP is tons of fun!
December 10th, 2010
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, iD Tech Camps, Summer Camps
December 3rd, 2010 by: Donna
It’s that time of year again – can you believe it? Registration for our 2011 Season is now LIVE and we’re looking forward to another exciting year. While it’s always important to stay on top of new trends and technologies, the things that stay constant season after season are just as important, if not more so. Keeping traditions alive, remembering our roots and never being afraid to laugh at ourselves is a big part of running The World’s #1 Tech Camps. We love what we do and we rarely need a reason to have fun. So when the holidays roll around, we like to pull out all the stops at the Main Office and Do Something BIG!
Halloween was a great start to our corporate holiday happenings, and we’re not ashamed to admit that we like dressing up just as much as our campers do! Check out some photos, below, of our Main Office Halloween shenanigans.
Bovina from Administrative Services as a Pink Lady & Sarah from Payroll as Thing 1
Crystal from Applications Development, reppin’ Bedrock
Our Marketing Team - Racing toward the finish line
Red Riding Hood & Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas
Spiderman even stopped by for a visit!
Our campers also got into the Halloween spirit this year, albeit a tad bit early. The kids and teens at our summer technology camps and summer programs for teens definitely gave us a run for our money with some awesome costumes of their own this past August! Check out some early Halloween photos at our Stanford summer camps and Stanford teen summer programs.
As much as we love dressing up and having a good time during the Holiday Season, giving back to the community is a priority and an iD tradition that we hold close to our hearts. Striving to enrich our community through volunteerism is part of our mission.
So once the excitement of Halloween has passed and we’ve thoroughly stuffed ourselves at our annual Thanksgiving potluck, each December, we give back to kids who are less fortunate by volunteering with the Family Giving Tree organization. The iD Tech Camps Main Office holds a Holiday Wish Drive to gather presents for needy children, and then we go one step further by dedicating time as “Holiday Warehouse Elves” – sorting gifts and organizing them for delivery throughout the Bay Area.
A sampling of sorted and organized gifts at the Family Giving Tree Warehouse
Participating in philanthropic events like the Family Giving Tree – as well as enriching our community through iD Greening – is a big deal to us. In fact, this year we’ve started a new “green” initiative: ONE CAMPER. ONE TREE, with the Arbor Day Foundation.
What are you doing to give back – while having fun – this season? If you want to help and don’t know where to start, check out volunteermatch.org for a list of opportunities to lend a helping hand in your area. We’d love to hear about how you’re making your community a better place! Feel free to leave a comment below to let us know how you’re spreading some holiday cheer.
If you would like to know what iD Tech Camps is up to, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Become a fan on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter!
December 3rd, 2010 | Tags: Summer Camps
Posted in: iD Tech Camps, Summer Camps
November 8th, 2010 by: Pete-V
When I say this simple sentence at a camp conference, parents go nuts! Apparently I’m not the only one who’s helplessly addicted to my smart phone and the loads of cool interactive toys that can be downloaded for a single buck.
For those that have yet to jump on the respective iPhone or Android bandwagons, an app is simply an application that is downloaded through an easy-to-use app store either on the phone or on a computer to be synced with the device. The majority of apps are free or $1 and many are, unfortunately, useless. Sifting through the hundreds of thousands (literally) programs to find the best ones is no easy task – particularly with the prevalence of fart-based applications.
I am a bit obsessed with playing the greatest gaming apps on my iPhone, so I thought I would share some quick iPhone game reviews. iD teaches game design in multiple forms so my particular slant when evaluating the merit of a game comes from a love of unique and cutting edge game design, and, in some cases, complete simplicity. Also, I believe having a good foundational knowledge of good game design is important when trying to create any new game.
This short puzzle game is entertaining, frustrating and addictive! The player draws tracks on a top-down grid to connect a colored train entrance to the correct exit. The first dozen (or more) stages are fairly simple, but the game complexity really takes off when secondary colors, combining trains, splitting trains (and colors!), track switches and paint buckets are introduced. The game ends too soon, but luckily there is plenty of challenge in the bonus stages waiting to be unlocked.
Trainyard is a great example of how the best puzzle games are very simple concepts with an almost endless array of possibilities. Trainyard is also an inspiring tale of app development for our campers. Check out the tale of how this amazing game started as a scribble on a piece of paper of Matt Rix.
It is worth noting that Matt is from Canada (“Proudly made in Canada” is displayed on the app page) and iD happens to have several Canadian summer camps in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.
Some simulations are so complex and mesmerizing that the player loses the ability to factor in all of the variables and has to constantly evolve in strategy (Civilization V). Game Dev Story is not one of those games. This guilty-pleasure time-waster makes the player the all-knowing boss of a start-up gaming company. Project and employee selection are the main actions at the player’s disposal, with other options available with more money. The unlockable attributes are cumulative from one play-through to another, so by the second or third attempt to corner the market with Hall of Fame games, the game is mindless and simple.
I liked this game for the fantasy of churning out a random assortment of games, such as a Golf Action game or a Music RPG, but it quickly becomes a formulaic number game, like Lemonade Stand. Our campers can use this as an example of how to frame a simple simulation with an enticing story, even if the experience turns out to be relatively shallow.
German board-game designer, Reiner Knivia, has multiple entries in the Apple app-store. My personal favorite is Money, a card game similar to Gin Rummy that is an excellent example of a a fluid economy in gaming. The goal of this four-player game is to acquire a couple sets of currency by the end of the game. There are 6 types of currency of varying values to gather, and choosing money from the board goes to the highest bidder. This means that it literally costs money to make money!
I think that any young game designer should be required to play Money. The game teaches how a variable system based on demand allows for incredible depth and multiple strategic pathways.
Katamari Damacy was one of the first games that really inspired me to look at gaming critically and appreciate experimentation in the gaming space. The strange story and aesthetics of this classic cult game merged perfectly with the quirky world and gameplay. Osmos has similar gameplay and gives the player the treat of an immersive and captivating universe to explore. The main goal is to navigate a particle through two-dimensional space, absorbing smaller particles to become larger while avoiding larger particles. Movement releases a bit of gas, making the particle smaller, which means the player must constantly strike a balance between momentum and available resources.
Osmos is great for campers that are used to “normal” games as an inspiration to think outside the box. The experience created by the visuals, interactions, music and sound works in perfect harmony and demonstrates the strength of good design.
Every year we strive to teach campers the fundamentals of good game design. The future great app creators will begin their journey at an iD Tech Camp, which is good for me, because perhaps I’ll get a discount!
November 8th, 2010
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, iD Tech Camps, Summer Camps
November 3rd, 2010 by: Ryan
Amazing New York Times article about 10-year-old twin brothers, Ross and Scott Padalino who attended our New Jersey summer camps held at Princeton!
By David H. Freeman
Donald Garner Jr. was at his auto-salvage lot shooting the breeze last year when a customer mentioned that her nine-year-old twin sons had just gotten back from computer camp. Great skill to have, said Mr. Garner, who…
Click to read the full article about our camps in NJ
November 3rd, 2010
Posted in: Adelphi University, Columbia University, Fordham University, iD In The News, New York Institute of Technology, New York University, Pace University, Vassar College
November 2nd, 2010 by: Pete
It’s on!
We have just launched our new systems, new site, new locations and new courses for 2011. So, what do we do in the off season? We work 24/7, getting all the details in order for the next season. 2011 is going to be an amazing year…we hope you agree.
I am very proud of our team. Nobody tries harder, or cares more. When we say we are the World’s #1 Tech Camp, we are not only referring to size. We are also referring to our big ideas. Every kid, every teen, should have access to technology. And there has never been a better–or more important–time to engage in STEM skill development (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). We invite you to check out our site. Call us with any questions at 1-888-709-TECH (8324), or 408-871-2227, option 1 for international calls.
What’s New in 2011?
Welcome to our 13th season! As the world’s #1 summer technology camp for kids and teens, we know you count on our family and our team, to pave the way. Our coveted leadership position in the summer camp industry is one we take seriously. Nobody has dedicated their lives, passion and focus to this business like our team. We have a commitment to deliver the best. This is the iD Difference.
Check below for a sneak peek of what’s new in the 2011 season. You can register for 2011. You can request a brochure. You can schedule in your preferred locations, dates, and courses. You can do it all…and do it now. If you are thinking of registering today, you can hold your space with a $200 deposit/week…and you still save $100 with our Holiday Special (thru Dec. 15). Here’s what’s new:
- Promotions – Families want iD Quality along with meaningful ways to save. Current promotions.
- Digital Catalog – Our summer camp catalog is now available.
- Refer-A-Friend – when you refer-a-friend, you now save $50 and your friend does too!
- New Locations – New prestigious university locations in the U.S. and Canada.
- New Products – From Apple®, Adobe®, Autodesk®, Google®, Microsoft®, and more.
- New Courses at iD Tech Camps – Awesome new courses, for beginner through advanced students, include Graphic Design for Advertising, Adventures in Robotics with LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT, 3D Game Design – Racing Games, Game Design for iPhone® & iPad®, Programming – iPhone® & iPad® Apps, Surf & Video Production, 3D Game Modding – StarCraft® II: Wings of Liberty™, and more. Go to courses and programs. Course offerings vary by location.
- Expansion of our Teen Academies – The iD Programming Academy has new courses, and has expanded beyond Stanford and MIT. The intensive game development program, the iD Gaming Academy has new courses, and has expanded to Canada. The iD Visual Arts Academy has new courses, including Film Production – Extreme Sports where our budding filmmakers film professional skateboarders. The Teen Academies are for ages 13-18.
- iD 365 – Endless Summer – Upon registration at iD, you now get access to our monthly FREE online workshops, taught year round by live instructors. There are new sessions each month. More.
- Receive Continuing Education Units from Villanova University or Stanford Continuing Studies Students can now receive Accredited Continuing Education Units. See details for applicable ages.
- The iD Guarantee. We guarantee ridiculously small class sizes (Average 6:1—Max 8:1) for personalization and 1-on-1 instruction. Our cutting-edge curriculum is taught by adult-only staff. If we exceed an 8:1 ratio, you get to return for a free week of camp at equal value. It’s that simple! It’s iD quality. And it’s only at iD! Get details.
- New Games – Hot new commercial gaming titles used in our gaming courses, gaming tournaments and Ultimate Gaming Weekends.
- Focus on STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math are critical disciplines. iD Tech Camps is at the forefront of skill development in these areas. There has never been a better–or more important–time to build these skills.
- Learn Valuable “Life Skills.” We’re building additional new life skills content for this year. The curriculum will round out the summer experience. See the benefits of iD. We’ve also got fun new camp activities for students.
- Technology Isn’t Just for Boys – We’ve created more courses and modules that might be more appealing to girls including Web Design & Flash® Animation, Graphic Design for Advertising, Video Editing & Special Effects, Digital Photography & Photoshop and the new teen-only iD Visual Arts Academy.
- Go Green – We continue our iD Greening initiative by promoting carpooling, reducing travel and energy consumption and establishing new outreach partnerships in the communities we serve. We are an official sponsor of the Arbor Day Foundation. One tree. One camper.
- The Basement. For Students Only! Find out what the buzz is about. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. Blogs. Student Project Uploads. Camp Photos. iD 365. And more. Head down to the The Basement!
Welcome to the iD family! Please contact us with any questions by calling 1-888-709-TECH (8324), or 408-871-2227 for international and local calls. We’re working hard to make it look easy, and we hope you like what you see!
See you this summer!
-Pete
November 2nd, 2010
Posted in: CEO's Blog
October 27th, 2010 by: Ryan
iD Tech Camps, the World’s #1 summer technology camp for kids and teens, has announced the winners of their Sony® / iD Tech Camps® photography contest.
Campbell, CA – October 27, 2010 – Having just completed its 12th season, iD Tech Camps, the World’s #1 summer technology camp for kids and teens, has announced the winners of their Sony® / iD Tech Camps® photography contest. Participants originated from iD Tech Camps new Digital Photography & Photoshop® course as well as the new Professional Photography course at the iD Visual Arts Academy. The students used high-quality Sony® α (alpha) digital SLR cameras to create stunning images.
During these summer courses, students learned about the fundamentals of light, shadow, exposure and composition. They applied these techniques by capturing photos featuring flowers, insects, landmarks, animals, plant-life, cityscapes, people and other objects in their environment. With over a thousand photos produced and submitted to the contest, the judging panel selected first, second and third place contest winners.
The first place winner, Najwa K., created a stunning, intricate photograph of a plastic cup covered with droplets of dew resting on blades of vivid green grass. Najwa received a brand new SLT-A33 camera, which features Sony’s newly-released Translucent Mirror Technology, allowing photographers to achieve the highest-level of auto focus speed for both still image and movie shooting. The camera also comes equipped with continuous Advance Priority AE Mode, automatically adjusting for the best exposure. Second and third place winners (Jesse E. and Evan P.) received Amazon® gift cards. Jesse’s artistic photo showed MIT buildings in vivid colors and dynamic angles. Evan photographed a vibrant leaf covered with small water drops. All winning photographs are showcased on Sony’s website at www.sony.com/electronicsblog.
As a leader in digital imaging sensors and equipment, the Sony α DSLR line of cameras incorporate a range of high-performance features and auto focus lenses. This lets students capture breathtaking images with detail, vivid colors and clarity – showcasing technical quality, composition and the ability to seize a visually stunning subject or moment. Incredible 10.2 megapixel resolution provides superb image detail, and exceptionally quick AF response helps you capture the perfect moment. Moreover, in-camera Super SteadyShot® optical image stabilization reduces blur with every Sony, Carl Zeiss®, and legacy Minolta® a-mount lens.
“It was amazing to see the high quality and professionalism of each of the photos,” said Karen Thurm Safran, VP of Marketing at iD Tech Camps and iD Visual Arts Academy. “Choosing three ‘top’ photos was extremely difficult because the combination of the Sony α DSLR camera technology with students’ skills and creativity made for some really outstanding projects that showed great depth.”
iD Tech Camps provides weeklong, day and overnight summer technology programs for ages 7-17 held at 70 prestigious universities. Besides Digital Photography, students take courses in Game Creation, Game Modding, Web Design, Graphic Design, Video Editing, Programming and Robotics.
ABOUT iD TECH CAMPS
iD Tech Camps is the World’s #1 provider of summer computer camps and technology camps for kids and teens with programs at 70 elite universities in the USA and Canada. Locations include Stanford and Princeton. Established in 1999 in Silicon Valley, the company is family-owned and operated. iD Tech Camps offers technology courses including 3D Game Design, Digital Photography, 3D Game Modding, Maya®, Game Development, Programming in C++ and Java, Programming iPhone® Apps, Robotics, Web Design, Flash® Animation, Graphic Arts and Video Editing. The summer camps consist of weeklong day camps and sleep away camps, and multi-week teen academies. Courses are appropriate for beginner to advanced learners. The company teaches the latest technologies from Apple®, Adobe®, Microsoft®, Autodesk®, Sony®, Valve® and more.
Najwa
Jesse
Evan
October 27th, 2010
Posted in: iD In The News
October 22nd, 2010 by: Josh
Hey everyone! This is a follow up to a previous article I wrote, Four Games to Exercise Your Brain, I’m back with four more super-fun (addicting!) games, this time with a focus on vocabulary and mathematics – watch out SAT’s!
1) Pearls Before Swine – http://www.transience.com.au/pearl3.html
Mental Muscles Flexed
This is a replication of classic Chinese game of Nim, first documented in the 16th centaury but believed to be much older. In the game of Nim, players alternate subtracting objects from rows (technically “heaps”) and the player stuck with the final object loses. Sound easy? It ain’t. In this version you play against an AI engine with a lovably sinister cartoon persona. Due to the mathematical resolvability of this game, this little character will give you a run for your money, but he is definitely beatable!
The AI character (Juan) adds an immerse sense of narrative to an otherwise purely mathematical game, making it much more enjoyable. Narrative and story telling is an important aspect to video game design that we focus on at iD, as it can easily be over looked.
2) Free Rice – http://www.freerice.com/
Mental Muscles Flexed
- Vocabulary Building
- Service learning
This is a simple vocabulary synonym quiz in the style of SAT (GRE, etc…) multiple choice format. However, it has heartwarming rewards, for every question you get right 10 grains of rice are donated through The World Food Programme to help end hunger! Though 10 grains is a small amount, every little bit counts and that’s why you should play! To date, nearly 83 billion grains of rice have been donated. At higher levels of vocab (which you can set at any point) you’ll notice plenty of overlap with typical standardized testing vocab lists – why not kill two birds with one stone and get your community service in while studying for your SAT’s – watch out college-entrance resume, BAM!
Recently, the site has included multiple categories of play including Art, Chemistry, Forign Language, Geography, Grammar and Math. Peep them all here: http://www.freerice.com/category
3) Netwalk – http://www.logicgamesonline.com/netwalk/?g=Beginner
Mental Muscles Flexed:
- Planning ahead
- Trial and error
- Logic
This puzzle is a variant from the “pipe-laying” genre of puzzle games. Get your IT on and assume the role of a network admin who must connect a network router to a handful of computer terminals. The game play entails rotating tiles on a 2D plane to establishing a one-way flow to all of the end points. Most arrangements only have one solution though I’ve found a few with more than one. With three levels of play (in “expert” you can wrap around edges) this game is dangerously addicting and can be played for hours! I would love a portable version of this for my phone, maybe one of our students will program at our Iphone camps!
4) Scrabb.ly – http://scrabb.ly/
(Four e’s? This is the last time I do you any favors, Scrabb.ly)
Mental Muscles Flexed:
Like playing scrabble with a friend? What about with four people? What about 4,000+ people? What about 4,000 people in a real-time (not-turn based)? In Scrabbly you play Scrabble on a massive board (like enough scrabble boards to cover the state of Rhode Island) against thousands of other people in real-time, building off of your own words as fast as you can. Despite how crazy that may sound, the game play is actually quite user-friendly and ironically reminiscent of the classic game of scrabble. Here is another screen shot to give you an idea of how big this game is. Below is an “ariel” view of only 1/20th the full size of the game board, the little yellow box represents what you zoom into in-game:
Looks like a Mandelbrot set! Chaos theory anyone? This board is huge – like Canada-sized huge. Did you know we’ve recently expanded our camps into Canada? If not, be sure to check out our Canada camps!
The above four games are a great example of making learning fun, which is precisely what our educational summer camps aim to do.
October 22nd, 2010
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers
October 18th, 2010 by: Pete-V
(the other) Pete here to give my final report of the 2010 season before looking forward to 2011 and beyond!
First, it is my great honor to announce our new Nacho King for 2010, Matt from Columbia (one of the many camps in New York)! Matt took the crown from the 2009 champion, Greg, by earning 72 Nachos!
Bryan was on the scene in uptown New York City to present Matt with his enormous Nacho trophy – yes, that’s a whiteboard cut out in the shape of a Nacho. I hope that Matt’s students appreciate it!
(apparently this seasons Nacho-earning was exciting – look at all of those exclamation points!!!)
iDX, the iD version of Color Wars was launched this summer and was a phenomenal success. One of the most exciting ways to earn points for each color was breaking a world record – and sure enough, almost 30 world records were broken across the country.
Here is a small sampling of the world records that iD camps achieved in 2010, courtesy of the Universal Record Database:
The Largest Game of Apples to Apples
Cool Note: All of these records had to be recorded and photographed. The campers going to camp for Digital Editing & Photography got to take some action shots of their peers performing these feats!
This popular card game was played by 26 campers are the University of Washington to set a world record.
Unfortunately, the record was quickly broken… by iD Villanova with 63 players!
The Most People Invisible Hula Hooping at Once
iD Villanova achieved the most world records in 2010, with 21 current unbroken records. Most of the records are noteworthy, such as the Largest Armpit Fart Orchestra or the Tallest Tower of Humans Wearing One Sock Each and Brushing Teeth while Listening to Thriller (strange that the Guinness Book doesn’t include that one), but I am a huge fan of invisible hula hooping and those 27 campers look like their having a ton of fun with the non-existant toy!
Largest Group Egg Toss
iD Denver broke an existing record on URDB trumping the current 50 participants with 60!
iD Princeton decided to do 12 better and stole the record for this traditional activity with 72 players!
Most Knee Steps in 30 Seconds
A camper at iD Sacramento State (one of the many CA summer camps) managed to take 80 knee steps in 30 seconds! Unfortunately, her record was broken a couple weeks later. Hopefully she will return next year to retake the crown!
Largest Group of People Wrapping Arm Around Head to Touch Ear
iD Vassar attempted to beat this record, currently held by iD Villanova, but was disqualified because the photo wasn’t clear enough… although it looks pretty clear to me!
Those were some (a few, amazingly) of the many crazy world records set by iD Tech Camps in 2010! iDX will be back in 2011 with many more challenges and (hopefully) some new WORLD RECORDS to share! Stay tuned!
October 18th, 2010
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, iD Tech Camps, Summer Camps
