As appeared in the Main Line Media…
As appeared in the San Diego Union…As appeared in the Acorn Newspapers – article about our summer camps in Thousand Oaks
Digital camp prepares kids for jobs of the future
By Anna Bitong
At a time when most teens are still exploring a variety of paths, Joshua Lipstone, 17, has chosen his future career.
For seven summers, Joshua has attended iD Tech Camps at Cal Lutheran University, which teach kids 7 to 18 how to create iPhone apps, robots, video games and websites. The camps are offered at 60 universities across the country, including UCLA and Stanford.
This summer, Joshua is learning to create a website using HTML and Flash.
“I went to these classes because I was interested in computers, but they really have (increased) my interest as well,” said the youth, who participates in an independent study program through River Oaks Academy in Westlake Village during the school year.
After high school, he hopes to attend Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, Caltech in Pasadena, or Massachusetts Institute of Technology to study computer science.
Tyler Hom, 17, joined the camp for the first time this summer to learn how to use Adobe Dreamweaver.
“I really like it. I’ll definitely leave this camp knowing more than my dad (an illustrator). Now I have some expertise,” said Tyler, who will be a senior at Westlake High School and also plans to study computer science in college.
As they build websites and create video games at the Cal Lutheran campus on a Thursday morning, students are so focused on the task at hand that their eyes rarely leave the computer screen.
Without interrupting the steady click of his mouse as he lined up animated military tanks for his video game, aspiring architect Sam Simonoff, 11, said the class would help him prepare for his career.
“It requires building, math and computer skills,” said the Robert Frost Middle School student.
Graydon Simons, 10, looks forward to a career as a video game designer.
“The best part of this class is making your own video games and getting to use animated objects,” said the student at Round Meadow Elementary in Calabasas.
Other campers enjoy the chance to be creative.
“I’m making a website about an invention I just made up,” said Jesse Chien, 11.
Camp director Ken Gorman said the kids are serious about learning.
“They come here to work. It’s nice to run a camp where I very rarely have a disciplinary problem. They get along really well. They want to come in the morning; they don’t want to leave at night,” said Gorman, who also teaches at Oaks Christian School.
Before returning as an instructor at the camp, Peter Sylvester was a student for five summers. He said the best part of the class was discovering his talents.
“I learned I could actually make games myself if I have the tools and knowledge,” he said.
Camp sessions range from one to six weeks and include recreational activities such as swimming and gaming tournaments.
Costs start at $799 for day camps and at $1,298 for overnight programs.
When their session is over, students can maintain their skills through free monthly online workshops
For more information, visit www.internaldrive.com
Click here to read this Thousand Oaks summer camps article on toacorn.com
July 21st, 2011
Posted in: Cal Lutheran University, iD In The News
