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March 29th, 2010 by: Alisa
There are numerous programs in the country focused on encouraging girls’ interest in technology, math and science. Yet, boys still gravitate in greater numbers to these interests. There are many reasons and theories out there as to why such a discrepancy exists between boys and girls. You could read for days on the topic. Whatever the factors, there are many girls who are interested in these areas. So, how do we serve their needs?
Over the past twelve years, iD Tech Camps has been paying attention to what girls attending our youth summer technology camps want to learn. The best way to know what girls want is to ask them. In general, they are interested in being able to create something or to express their curiosity in a topic. Maybe they want to design a fashion line and launch their own online store. Maybe they care about animals and what to tell others how best to care for them. Or, maybe they want to design a game that takes their players on a journey through a new land.
We design our technology curriculum around serving the interests of both boys and girls. They can attend the same course, yet, take their projects in totally different directions. That’s what customized instruction offers – the ability to mentor each student. At our camps, we are lucky that 30% of our instructors nationally are women. Many of those women came to camp and now want to encourage other girls in technology.
Our courses that address the interests of girls most frequently include:
- Graphic Design – They can build a digital arts portfolio incorporating design concepts for logos, fashion apparel and merchandise.
- Web Design & Flash® Animation – They can create and publish a website with their own signature personality.
- Digital Photography – They can capture images and digitally manipulate them into their own expression of art.
- Game Design – They can develop environments and characters that exist within their own digitally-imagined world.
- iD Visual Arts Academy – A two-week, intensive program for teens, where they can focus on documentary filmmaking, professional photography or web design.
iD Tech Camps is honored to be supporting girls’ interest in technology. And, we will continue to listen to what they want to learn. We look forward to seeing where our girl students will take their technology interests into their professional career. We’re sure they will be influential.
For those interested in finding out about careers in technology, here are several links to help get your search started:
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!
March 29th, 2010
Posted in: iD Tech Camps, Summer Camps
March 26th, 2010 by: Ryan
Not your parents’ camp experience
By Kristin Boyd
When it came time to select a summer activity last year, twins Ross and Scott Padalino of Bucks County were uninterested in the typical fishing/hiking/roasting-marshmallows-on-an-open-fire/sleep-away camps.
Instead, the computer enthusiasts enrolled in iD Tech Camp, where staff members taught them how to build interactive Web sites using Dreamweaver. Afterward, the 10-year-olds started their own Web site development company and designed a new Web site for Wrightstown Used Auto and Truck Parts in Newtown.
The boys didn’t know it then, says their mother, Hope Padalino, but the weeklong Web course was as much about experiential learning as it was about enjoying summer vacation.
“The staff made computers so fun that the boys didn’t even realize they were learning skills that they could use much further in life,” she says. “It got them so excited, and they were motivated to build Web sites. It gave them a skill for life, and they didn’t realize this was educational for them.”
Specialty camps like iD Tech Camp, Curious Jane and the Franklin Institute’s Discovery Camp are popular options with parents who want to enhance or supplement their child’s education without boring them. By incorporating fun, hands-on projects and activities, specialty camps can tap into a child’s interest, hobby or natural curiosity while also promoting continuous learning.
According to summer camp administrators, the reinforced educational component is what makes learning-based specialty camps stand out, particularly because most stray from the standard A-B-C, 1-2-3 lesson plan. For example, courses might teach vocabulary through screenwriting, math skills through robot building and reading skills through mock newscasts.
At the Franklin Institute’s Discovery Camp, which offers programs for ages 5-13 and will launch a preschool program this summer, children are immersed in science and technology through hands-on projects based on themed weeks.
“It’s to inspire a passion of learning of science and technology,” says Dr. Steve Snyder, vice president of Exhibits and Program Development at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. “We want to maintain or reengage their curiosity about the world and make science real and successful to them,” he says.
During “Inside Out,” campers learn about engineering and design while dissecting toys and appliances. During “Going, Going, Gone!,” they brush up on physics and mechanics while studying roller coasters and launching their own rockets. In “Dirty Science” – one of the most popular themes – campers deal with “the messiest, slimiest, stinkiest science out there,” Snyder says. “It’s really fun, but, at the heart of it, it’s physics and chemistry.”
Staff members at Champions Science Adventures, held at Villanova University, use familiar materials like Popsicle sticks and plastic cups to show children how science relates to their everyday lives.
“It’s science enrichment,” says Andy Allan, the camp’s director of curriculum. “We spark their interest and build on their natural curiosity. We make it feel like science isn’t separate from them. It’s part of their lives.”
Children are encouraged to experiment, discover and problem solve by launching hydro-powered rockets 100 feet into the air during “Space and Rocketry,” building a naturalist tool kit during “Go Wild!,” and, in a nod to CSI investigators, unearthing treasure and deciphering writing during “The Mystery of the Pharaoh.”
“We want them to make something on their own that they can take home,” says Allan, a former physics science teacher. “We want them to say, ‘Science is cool, and I can do it. I can have success with it.’”
Science specialty camps aren’t the only option for youngsters. Aspiring 24 investigators can “train” at Camp Lohikan’s Spy Camp in the Pocono Mountains; teens dreaming of directing the next “Avatar” can learn how to write, shoot and edit a video project at Filmtech’s summer filmmaking camps in Philadelphia; and, like a scene plucked from an episode of “Project Runway,” budding fashionistas can learn how to sketch designs, pin and cut patterns, and sew straight, zig-zag and overlock stitches at Fashion It Sewing!’s summer camps in Westtown Township.
For those kids ages 11-17 who like to rock out, there’s Summer Music Programs, which promote learning through collaboration with peers and professional musicians. Started by music teachers Greg Wright and Chet Makowski in 1993 and held at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, the weeklong camps are offered both during the day and overnight.
“There are no one-on-one music lessons because that’s what they have all year, and most of these kids take individual lessons,” Wright says. “This is more of an outlet for their music.”
Each camper is assigned to a band, which must rehearse with a professional musician. The bands can perform cover songs or write their own music, and on Thursdays, they head to the studio to record a CD. On Fridays, their final day, they perform a full-stage concert, occasionally in Love Park in Philadelphia, for family and friends.
“What they get done in a week’s time pretty much amazes them,” Wright says, adding many campers are also more confident as they head back to school. “They are proud of themselves and their songs.”
Curious Jane, an all-girls day camp held at Bryn Mawr College and Springside in Philadelphia, encourages academic enrichment through popular classes like toy design, illustration and animal nature, says founder Samantha Razook Murphy.
“A single sex, gender affirming environment has such a powerful, positive impact on girls, both socially and with learning,” she says. “Their imagination is just going crazy. They’re figuring things out so they have these ah-ha moments.”
With classes that involve storyboarding, science experiments, magazine layout and reassembling salvaged items into new objects, the girls remain engaged in reading, writing and science while learning how to be creative and solve problems.
“They are pushed to experiment with things, and because there are no right answers, it’s OK for them to try something, even if it doesn’t work,” Razook Murphy says. “That’s something that they can directly take back to their school-year environment. They learn there are different ways to approach a project. For example, instead of turning in a regular outline, maybe they’ll sketch it out.”
As for the Padalino boys, they earned enough money from their Web site “job” to return to iD Tech Camp (offered at Villanova and Princeton universities), and take a game development course. Their success, according to spokeswoman Karen Thurm Safran, will surely inspire other campers.
“There’s nothing more rewarding than making learning fun for your children and really exposing them to something that’s taking their interest many steps forward,” she says.
Kristin Boyd is a freelance writer from Totowa, N.J.
March 26th, 2010
Posted in: Carnegie Mellon University, Villanova University
March 25th, 2010 by: Marta
Dear iD Nation,
My name is Pete, and I am the president of iD Tech Camps. Summer camp is just around the corner—90 days and counting. Can you believe it? We’ve got a $50 savings which ends in 10 days—but I think it’s important to find a camp that is right for you. I send my own kids to some wonderful summer programs. I want well-balanced programs that deliver quality, safety and fun for my kids. And I don’t want to waste my money. How about you?
My sister and I have been at the helm of iD Tech Camps for 12 years. We’re an independent, family-operated company with a loyal following 100,000 students strong. But we’re the #1 tech camp in North America because we’ve built our business one student at a time. Our goal is to deliver an unforgettable technology experience. So, why do I think iD Tech Camps is so extraordinary? Here are 5 reasons. We call it the iD Difference.
- TECHNOLOGY IS DRIVING OUR ECONOMY FORWARD. Some of the best jobs of the future are, and will be, related to computer science, green tech, green energy, web and mobile apps, social media, game design and more. The development of these skills is no longer optional. It is essential. Our fun, challenging courses are developed using products from the best technology companies on the planet. Students immediately put these skills into action—at school, preparing for college and entering the job market. Courses are beginner through advanced.
- STRETCHING YOUR DOLLARS. Saving money is important. Here’s what we’re doing.
- You save $50 when registering by April 4th. Seats are filling up.
- We have not increased tuition on Day Camps this season.
- Tuition for Overnight Camp has increased only modestly.
- When you refer friends, you save $50 and your friend does too! The rewards have increased from $25 to $50 this season.
- There are additional $50 savings for siblings and multi-week participants.
- PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTION, GUARANTEED RATIOS, ADULT-ONLY STAFF. We don’t cut corners. We average 6 students per instructor. Personalized instruction is the core of our business. We even guarantee our ratios, which is unheard of in the camp industry. If we ever exceed 8 students per instructor during instructional time at iD Tech Camps, your camper comes back for a free week of camp. Additionally, we only hire adult staff to teach and mentor—we do not have CITs (counselors in training) teach our courses. Our staff is trained in-person and all members must pass extensive background and reference checks.
- THE COLLEGIATE EXPERIENCE AT TOP CAMPUSES IN THE U.S. & CANADA. When I was a kid, I attended several camps on college campuses, and the experiences changed my life. Students at iD study, explore and play on campus, eat in the university dining halls and overnight students stay in real college dorms. And for teens looking to boost their portfolios, we offer accredited Continuing Education Units at all our locations. I’ve got a seat waiting for you at iD! Check location availability.
- LEARN ALL YEAR LONG. FOR FREE. Parents have asked us over the years, “Do you offer anything after summer?” In response, we began iD 365. We are confident no other summer camp offers this extra value. Here’s how it works:
- When you register for summer camp, you automatically get access to our monthly online workshops taught by live instructors.
- Students log on from home, learning awesome new technologies and getting their questions answered in real time.
- The best part? iD 365 is free when you register for our summer camp!
Many of us at iD have kids and teens of camp age. We want the best for our kids, just like you want the best for yours. When you drive off and see your kids in the rear view mirror, we want you to feel confident in our camp staff. We set high expectations, and your family deserves that. If you enroll at just one summer camp in 2010, I hope you’ll consider our program.
If you have questions, please feel free to give us a call at 1-888-709-TECH (8324), option 1, or for international calls, 408-871-2227, option 1. I’ve personally witnessed how iD Tech Camps has changed the lives of so many students over the years. Students who knew nothing about technology are now doing amazing things. We hope to see you this summer!
Sincerely,
Co-Owner and President
March 25th, 2010
Posted in: CEO's Blog
March 19th, 2010 by: Josh
It is College Basketball Tournament season and things are looking really exciting. With all the Bracketology, Prognositcators, and Experts out there, people are probably wondering what iD’s men’s basketball bracket looks like. We like to root on our favorite schools – those that host our summer programs and teen summer camps!
The rules for this bracket are simple:
1. Any school that hosts iD Tech is predicted to win.
2. Win goes to the team that is the higher seed if:
a. Both schools host iD
b. Neither school hosts iD
Let’s look at the Midwest Region. We have THE Ohio State University representing as the No. 2 seed. They have a strong team that’s battled through a challenging Big Ten Conference this year. They’ve got what it takes to clean house and take Kansas out of the running.
The West Region has Vanderbilt University of Nashville, Tennessee. They’re only a 4 seed and will have to face Syracuse to make it to the Final Four.
In the East Region, we’ll get to watch some Huskies run the court! University of Washington, which hosts iD Tech Camps and iD Gaming Academy (where students learn game design), would be quite the Dark Horse to advance as far as we’d like!
Finally in the South Region, we’ll be rooting for four teams! University of California: Berkeley will have to pull off a pretty big upset to beat Duke in the 2nd round. With iDTC and iD Visual Arts Academy running on campus this summer, we know they can do it! Purdue has had a solid year, but comes in as a No. 4 seed. We’ve been on campus for only two years, but we think the Boilermakers can easily advance to the Elite 8. Then, we get to watch St. Mary’s of California go up against Richmond. If, I mean “when”, they advance, they’ll then be pitted against another of our home teams – Villanova. They’re our favorite spot in Philly for iD Tech Camp and even where we hold our staff training. They should go deep this year.
The iDeal Final Four would be The Ohio State vs. Vanderbilt and Villanova vs. Washington. Are we that crazy to put an 11 seed UW into the Final Four? They’ve got a big cheerleader in their corner to take them far. Championship game would then be Ohio State against Villanova. With the game in Indianapolis, this would be great for Buckeye fans! But since it is a match of No. 2 Seeds, our bracket system is stuck!
Who do you think would win this matchup?
Or do you have someone else in the Final Four? Time to sound-off readers, I want to hear support for your teams in the comments!!!
BIG thanks to Charlie for giving me this iDea and providing the B-ball insight!
March 19th, 2010 | Tags: basketball, bracket, mens division, ncaa
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers
March 18th, 2010 by: Elise
March 18th, 2010
Posted in: Arizona State University, iD In The News
March 17th, 2010 by: Pete
When we say we are a family company, we mean a lot of things. I’m the CEO of iD Tech Camps, and Alexa, my sister is the CFO. We’ve been labeled “an inspiring brother and sister team,” but there are other longtime connections that run deep and help make up our ‘iDNA.’
In the early days of iD, circa 2000, we were fortunate enough to bring on Andrea Ajemian and Jon Artigo as summer staff members who would later join iD full time as Regional Managers. These exceptional individuals eventually left iD after many years of service, to pursue their dreams of making movies full time.
Since then, this talented duo has collaborated on many award-winning films. Freedom Park is one of those films. It was created in collaboration with other iD Tech Camps colleagues including Chad Meserve, Julie Fletcher, and Kevin Painchaud.
With light-hearted and fast paced scenes, Freedom Park is an ideal film for our students who want to learn video editing with professional content and professional editing software Apple® Final Cut Pro 7®. The challenge and experience of editing raw footage to meet the vision of the film is “on the job training” at its best. Curriculum for our film camp course is titled Video Editing & Special Effects. The curricuulum has been developed by Jon Artigo, Writer and Director of Freedom Park, who is also currently Assistant Chair and Teacher for the Film Department at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Student projects will ultimately be posted on YouTube at iD Tech – Freedom Park.
These days, Andrea Ajemian, Co-Founder and Producer of Artigo/Ajemian Films, is busy with promoting their latest film, BoyBand BoyBand, starring Hollywood talent, is a teen comedy about the formation of the world’s first boy band in 1982. The film recently screened for distributors in Beverly Hills and is awaiting distribution news.
At iD Tech Camps, anything is possible! We are thrilled to have such creative talent on board. We hope all of our students will have a blast editing real footage from Freedom Park the movie. This is an extremely unique opportunity–and one I am convinced will be top notch for our budding young filmmakers. Who knew movie camp could be so cool? Ready to do something big this summer?
Have a great day!
-Pete
March 17th, 2010 | Tags: film camp, movie camp, summer film camps
Posted in: CEO's Blog
March 12th, 2010 by: Marta
When designed creatively and effectively, icons are a great way to convey a simple, universal message without having to use words. If you look around at the iD site, you can find icons everywhere. Take a look at the Web & Graphic Design Course page…it has a nice large icon right at the top of the page so right away the viewer has an idea of what the course is about. If you look deeper into the iD site, you’ll be sure to find other icons.
After seeing how we use icons, you might be thinking to yourself…how can I find some cool free icons to use in my projects? Easy…create your own! Let’s get our design fingers ready, our genius minds in gear and create some awesome icons.
WHAT YOU’LL CREATE
Each of the icons we’ll be creating won’t require any intense drawing skills, since they’ll all be created by merging different shapes that are already available in Adobe Illustrator.
We’re going to create three iD youth summer camp icons; an iD Texas Summer Camp icon, an iD Arizona Summer Camp Icon and a fun, Summer icon. Here’s an example of the style of icons that we’ll be creating and the final result that you’ll have after this tutorial:
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
There will be four main tools that we’ll be using in Illustrator for this project. These will be:
The Shape Tool: This tool gives you the option to create all different kinds of vector shapes. Unlike Photoshop, where you create raster shapes, vector shapes can be enlarged or minimized within Illustrator or another vector program without losing their quality.
The Direct Selection Tool: This tool allows you to select a specific point or path on a shape. Each shape you create will have multiple points and paths, which will combine to make one final shape.
The Selection Tool: When you want to move an entire shape rather than a specific point or path on a shape, you’ll use this tool. It picks up your entire shape and lets you move it around your screen to another location.
The Fill and Stroke Tool: You’ll use these two tools to choose which colors you want your shape to be. The Fill Tool will be the color of the inside part of the shape, while the Stroke Tool will be the color of the outside stroke of the shape. 
The Pathfinder Palette: This palette allows you to combine and subtract different shapes to one solid shape. Since this is an intermediate tool, we’ll be getting more in depth later on in this tutorial.
PREPPING YOUR WORKSPACE
Since it’s sometimes difficult to draw things from memory, it can be helpful to grab images off of the web so that you can get an idea of how something looks. Below are the starting images that we’ll be using. You may want to right click and save them to your computer so that you can bring them into Illustrator.
Open Illustrator and create a new 8.5” tall x11” wide web document. Then bring in the image that you just saved, by going to File>Place>Select the image you want to bring in.
Just like Photoshop, Illustrator has a Layers Palette. It’s always a good idea to name your layers for better organization. To rename a layer, double-click on the text that reads Layer 1, then re-name it “Original Clipart”. Now lock the layer and create a new one labeled, “Icon Circles”.
Now let’s create our circle for the icon. Click and hold on the Shape Tool to select the Elipse Tool. Then draw circle that has a black fill color and a 10-point green stroke color.
Copy and past three more icons to use later on for the other icons. Lock this layer and create a new layer, called “Icon Artwork”.
SHAPE UP: CREATING THE TEXAS STAR SUMMER CAMP ICON
What we need to do now is figure out which shapes will make up the Texas icon. Looking at our image of the star , we can pick out two shapes. The circle shape and the five star shapes.
Using your ellipse tool again, draw a circle in one of the four icon circles you drew previously. (Remember you’ve locked the “Icon Circles” layer, so your new shapes shouldn’t interfere with the original image.)
Now go to your Shapes Menu and click on the Star Tool. Change the fill color and stroke color to white and draw a star inside the circle you created in the previous step.
Change your fill color and stroke color to green and draw four, tiny stars to surround the star and circle you just created.
And you’re done with your first icon! How easy was that? Think you’re up for the next icon creation challenge?
FEEL THE HEAT: CREATING THE ARIZONA SUMMER CAMP ICON
To create the cactus icon, we’ll be using the Rounded Rectangle Tool from the Shape Menu. Click anywhere on your artboard to bring up your Options Menu and then change the Corner Radius of your shape to 25 px.
Now using the same shape multiple times in different sizes, recreate the cactus so it looks similar to the one below:
It’s time to use the Pathfinder Tools! This menu of tool can be a lot of fun and really helpful. You’ll see why in this step. First select all of the shapes that make up your cactus. An easy way to do this is to click hold the Shift Key, while selecting each shape with the Selection Tool (V).
With all of your shapes selected, go to the Pathfinder Menu. (If it’s not open, you can go to Window>Pathfinder.) Then click on the Unite Tool. (It will be the first one on the top row.) Your cactus should now be one, solid shape.
In design, the details make all the difference. So I’ve changed the color of my cactus to be green on the inside and have a white border. Then I added the cactus needles by using the line tool. I also added a slight highlight by drawing another thin rounded rectangle in white and setting its Opacity to 60%.
ADD & SUBTRACT: CREATING THE SUMMER CAMP ICON
The Summer Camp icon is going to sharpen your Illustrator skills even more. First we’ll create the bucket portion of the icon. To get started we’re going to draw a green rectangle. Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) and click on the bottom right corner of the rectangle. Then use the left arrow key on your keyboard and move the Shape Point over about 5 spaces. Now, use this same process to move the other bottom point in.
Next, change your fill color to black and your stroke color to green and a thickness of about 2. Draw an oblong oval and place it on top of the shape you made in the previous step. Create another oval with a green fill and stroke color and place it at the bottom of your main shape.
To create the bucket handle, draw a circle with no fill and a white stroke. When you draw a circle in Illustrator, the circle is made up of four paths (or lines). Use the Direct Selection Tool to select to two paths on the top of your circle and delete them so you have half a circle left.
Now move your half circle over your bucket so that it looks like a handle hanging down. Depending on the size you made your circle, you may need to make it bigger or smaller to look correct. Let’s group all of the shapes that make up your bucket by selecting them all at the same time and going to Object>Group.
To create the sand castle, draw another green rectangle and this time, move the bottom corner points out about 3 spaces. Duplicate the shape you just modified and place it on top of the first one and make it a bit smaller so it looks like a tier on our sand castle.
Create another half circle, and place it in the bottom, middle of your castle to make the door. Then draw two squares on the first tier and a single square on the second tier for the castle’s windows.
To add the flag on top, use the Line Tool and draw a short, white line on top of your castle. This will be the flag pole. To make the flag, draw a long, green horizontal rectangle. Next we need a triangle so that we can create the two points on the right side of the flag.
There’s not a triangle shape in our Shape Menu, but there’s an easy way to create one. Click and hold on your Shapes Tool and choose the Polygon Tool. Then click anywhere on your artboard and the Polygon Options Menu will pop up. Change the Sides Setting to be 3. Click OK and a triangle will appear on your screen.
Resize your triangle to be larger than the rectangle you just drew. You’ll begin to see the shape of the flag if you place it correctly.
With all of your shapes selected, go to the Pathfinder Menu. Then click on the Minus Tool. (It will be the second one on the top row.) Your new shape will look like the shape of a flag. Pretty neat huh?
Your new shape will look like the shape of a flag. Pretty neat huh? Place it on top of the small line that you made for your flag pole. You’ll probably need to resize it so it looks proportional to your sand castle. Once you’re satisfied with how it looks, you’ll want to group all of the shapes of your sand castle together.
WHEN ALL IS SAID & DONE
You can see that making icons really isn’t too difficult. You’ve just created three highly graphic icons by using simple shapes like rectangles, circles and stars. If you want, you can even bring them into Photoshop and add some cool effects like a glare or a drop shadow. Like any graphic design project, the possibilities are endless.
Now that you have an idea of how modify shapes into images for your icons, it’s easy to go out and create your own. A good rule of thumb for icons is to keep them simple. Many icons are resized to be very small on websites, so the less detail you can get away with the better. We here at the iD office would love to see some new icon creations that you’ve come up with, so if you create any, send them our way at info@internalDrive.com.
Until next time iD readers…here’s to hours of icon creation fun.
March 12th, 2010
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers
March 11th, 2010 by: Pete
The use of technology from iPhones to Blackberry’s changed forever the way viewers followed the Olympic Games. Now that the Olympics are over and Vancouver is getting back to normal, a Silicon Valley based summer technology camp, iD Tech Camps, is hoping to make inroads in the local market.
Campbell, CA (PRWEB) March 10, 2010 — The Olympics are over. Countries are counting their gold, silver and bronze medals. One Olympian is even counting his self-awarded platinum. But the real winner? Technology. From mobile apps to summer tech camps, technology is changing the Vancouver landscape. iD Tech Camps, a Silcon Valley-based youth education company, is opening its doors at UBC this summer. When you think of camp, canoes, lakes and campfires might come to mind–not technology. That’s about to change. The tech camps, while popular in the US, are new to Canada. The camp has operated at 60 elite universities across the US for the past 12 seasons. Now it is expanding to Canada. But why now?
Smart phone equipped and very well-connected, this year’s Olympic viewer didn’t feel the need to be glued to the TV. Visitors to Vancouver could be seen physically attending the Super G with feet planted in the snow, while simultaneously watching curling from their mobile devices. Even Olympians participated in the social media phenomenon by Tweeting and posting timely updates to Facebook. The 2010 Olympic Games have been dubbed by many the “Social Games.” And for good reason. NBC recently released data showing there were 87 million total mobile page views (coming from NBC’s website and iTunes App) for the Vancouver Games, compared to 52 million views for the Beijing Games.
The propensity toward social media and technology blended with the excitement surrounding Shaun White’s Double McTwist and the stunning victory by the Canadian Hockey Team has caught the eye of people and business new to Vancouver.
“Our young students learn to make video games, they learn to program in C++ or Java, they learn to make iPhone Apps and websites,” said Pete Ingram-Cauchi, CEO of iD Tech Camps. “Vancouver is a great spot for our program. The buzz around the Olympics, the great university system, and the youthful, tech savvy population seem like a compelling match for us.”
“It’s no surprise that the more often kids use iPhone apps and other tech products, the more they think ‘This is pretty cool…how does this work?’,” said Mr. Ingram Cauchi. No stranger to kids and technology, the camp, whose presence is well known in the States, is offering tech courses at the University of British Columbia, and also hosts a Visual Arts Academy at McGill University in Montreal.
With the way things are trending, maybe the next hot new Olympic sport attracting the younger generation will blend both technology and sports. Speed texting, anyone? And now there’s even a summer camp for that.
About iD Tech Camps
iD Tech Camps is North America’s #1 provider of summer computer camps and technology camps for kids and teens with programs at 60 elite universities in the USA and Canada. Locations include Stanford, UBC and MIT. Established in 1999 in Silicon Valley, the company is family-owned and operated. iD Tech Camps offers technology courses including Video Game Design, 3D Game Modding, Maya®, Game Development, Programming in C++ and Java, Programming iPhone® Apps, Robotics, Web Design, Flash® Animation, Graphic Arts, Digital Photography 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.
March 11th, 2010 | Tags: Summer Camps at UBC, summer camps in canada, Summer Camps in Vancouvers, UBC Computer Camps
Posted in: iD In The News, University of British Columbia
March 6th, 2010 by: Pete-V
(the other) Pete here, buried neck-deep in new activity development for the Summer of 2010 at iD Tech Camps! I have been hard at work on several projects to enhance the fun-factor and culture of all 70 or so camps, including my attempt to create iPhone apps for our Activity Curriculum. In case anyone is wondering, programming for the iPhone from scratch is pretty complicated – which is why I really wish I could simply take the iD course this Summer instead of hacking away on my own… but I digress!
I have been mistaken for an Activity Expert, but I have always believed that I’m an Experience Expert. The difference is that while I do know a good deal of games and events that our Staff can facilitate, I prefer having the ideas come from within. Games and activities that are generated by our Staff are genuine, unique and encourage greater buy-in from the Campers. Homebrew events are not easy to encourage and execute because many times they require preparation and some level of testing. My goal, therefore, is to create tools and templates for game and activity creation to be as simple as possible.
The 2009 Activity Curriculum featured an entire section on how to create new games, which is where many of the field games inspired by video games began. We created a step-by-step process that detailed the different pieces of a successful game (along with some industry secrets) and enabled our Staff to fully customize the activities to suit their camp needs. Our Nacho Incentive Program that was directed at the Staff encouraged creation and sharing of games throughout the whole iD Tech community – from our Connecticut summer camps to our summer camps in CA!
Another incentive encouraged the Staff to create a new version of Rock Paper Scissors for their camp. We thought that we would only get a handful of variations – but boy, were we wrong!
RPS DEFINED
Rock Paper Scissors is the foundation to many gaming interactions. The concept that Rock beats Scissors beats Paper beats Rock, appears in many popular games, both virtual and real. Football, for instance, matches two sets of plays, an offense and a defense. Depending on the choice of the opponents, the advantage will shift from one side to another. The showdown between a pitcher and a batter in Baseball follows the same pattern. Choices dictate success or failure. While other factors inform these choices, such as picking up details in the formation of the other side or watching for the turn of the baseball, the concept of making a choice based on as much information as you have available is consistant with RPS.
American RPS involves two players that repeat aloud, “Rock Paper Scissors, SHOOT!” while hitting one fist onto an open palm for for each beat. The fourth beat, or “SHOOT,” is the moment they flash one of the three symbols:
ROCK
PAPER
SCISSORS
Many RPS players believe that the game is based completely on luck, while others seem to win more than half of the time. Another gaming concept emerges, which is that of identifying patterns. Humans are relatively rotten at randomization – rather, humans playing RPS are rotten at randomization because they believe they have a strategy. If one is playing to win, they attempt to incorporate a strategy that will inform their choices, based on the perceived choices of the opponent. Let’s look at an example:
Round 1:
Pete – Rock
Bryan – Rock
Result: TIE
What are the players thinking after this round? Neither player is going to play Scissors next, because they believe that Rock will be played again (a common move). Of course, if Rock is played again, then one must play Paper to win. Taking that a step further, if one player goes as far as Paper, the other may want to play Scissors – which leads to Round 2…
Round 2:
Pete – Rock
Bryan – Rock
Result: TIE
Each player thought that they outsmarted the other. Now the fun begins. Three of the same symbol in a row is generally unlikely, or so many players will believe. That makes Rock the least likely symbol for either to throw – meaning that the logical play is Scissors. But wait – the logical play is to do the unexpected, which is another Rock play. Each player at this point has to make a choice based on the pattern that they observe. There is no randomness to the symbol that they choose, instead a calculated decision based on the information they have available.
Round 3:
Pete – Rock
Bryan – Paper
Result: Bryan WINS
Round 3 ends the game in a dramatic fashion. Pete believes that the least likely play is Rock, which means that Bryan will likely play Scissors. This logic is based on the thought that Bryan also knows that Rock is unlikely to be played. Pete’s strategy is that Bryan, as an experienced player, will deduce that Pete is going to play Paper to defeat the unlikely Rock. The truth is that Bryan knows that Pete loves repeating the same symbol and doesn’t overthink it, leading to his victory.
(variations after the break)
(more…)
March 6th, 2010
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, iD Tech Camps, Summer Camps
March 3rd, 2010 by: Patrick
iD Tech Camps wants to congratulate Christine Suver! Christine has won a free week of Day Camp for iD Tech Camps! We are super excited to have you join the iD Family! Christine is the second Camp Fair Raffle winner of the season. Stay tuned! We’ll be holding 2 more raffles, one per month and announcing future winners here!
Come see us at a camp fair event near you and enter for your chance to win! To find a camp fair in your area, simply click here or call our client service department at 1-888-709-TECH (8324), option 1.
- Team iD
March 3rd, 2010
Posted in: iD Tech Camps
