iD Blog Author: Donna

Meet another one of our Do Something Big success stories: Mike!

By first attending, then teaching at iD Tech Camps, Mike was able to find his passion for technology while combining it with his love of music. Mike is now pursuing both of these interests at college and on his own time.

Read an excerpt from our interview with Mike, below:

iD: What’s your hometown and state?
Mike: West Chester, PA

iD: How many years at iD (attending and working)?
M: Attended for 3 years at Villanova in 2001, 2002, and 2003 and instructed at Villanova and Sacred Heart University in 2008.

iD: What are your favorite things about our summer camp?
M: The people are a ton of fun and are all interested in learning, whether in the classroom, outside or just through conversation.

iD: How has iD inspired you?
M: iD has taught me to think bigger. After attending and working for iD Tech I was convinced I wanted to work with computers when I was older. It also taught me that I don’t have to restrict myself to one thing. I love technology, but I also love music. I’ve decided to combine those skills in my continuing studies.

iD: Is iD a good place to make friends?
M: iD is absolutely a great place to make friends. I still talk to a few of the kids I went to camp with years ago, not to mention the staff I worked with this summer.

iD: What’s your favorite tech gadget?
M: My MacBook Pro or iPod Touch; they get me through the day and keep me organized.

iD: How has iD helped you improve in other aspects of your life besides technology?
M: iD taught me a lot about being myself. When I was younger, I was a traditional geek, but iD broke the stereotypes and made me realize that you should be who you are – regardless of stereotypes. Aspire to better yourself at all times.

iD: How did iD Tech Camps prepare you for your current position?
M: Attending iD Tech gave me the idea to major in Music Industry, combining music with technology and business. Working for iD gave me experience to talk to kids and teach. This teaching is something I now do quite often to help underclassmen register for classes, etc.

Mike, we’re so proud of what you’ve accomplished and look forward to welcoming you back to instruct this summer!

Check out the full interview with Mike by clicking here.

Find out more about the courses Mike taught and the locations he worked at – this could be your chance to do something big with your summer!

Last week, iD Tech Camps launched it’s second annual Spring Break Beta Camp, held right in the heart of Silicon Valley! We invited students ages 7-17 to attend and take iD Tech Camps courses taught by trained instructors during Spring Break. We are happy to announce that Beta Camp was a huge success! (Scroll down to view more photos from Beta Camp.)

iD Tech Camps Beta Camp is a trial version or “beta version” of our summer computer camps and courses. For a fraction of the cost of a regular week of camp, our Beta Campers attended a week of day camp filled with fun camp activities and professional instruction. Like iD Tech Camps, there was a small student to instructor ratio – we wouldn’t have it any other way. Each student also got the opportunity to work with leading brand name technologies and completed a project by the end of the week.

One of the highlights of Beta Camp is that our students get an exclusive sneak peak at our Summer 2009 courses and curriculum. This includes new courses like: 3D Game Design–Role Playing Games, 3D Game Design–1st Person Shooters, Graphic Arts, Digital Video Design and more.

We are thrilled to announce that the feedback we received about the new curriculum was overwhelmingly positive! But don’t take our word for it – check out what some of the student had to say:

“It was a life changing ( in a good way ) awesome and a rocking experience.”

- James, Student

“I enjoyed this camp very much…everyone here was friendly and I expanded my knowledge of making a website and animation. This was very enjoyable working with my friends and meeting new people.”

- Mayer, Student

“Graphic Arts was really fun and I liked how I got to express myself with art.”

- Jordan, student

“iD Tech Camps has always been an amazing experience for me, and this year is no exception. Excellent instructors and an excellent education program combine to form an amazing camp experience.”
- Matthew, Student

Thanks for the rave reviews; we are glad you had a great time! We would also like to thank you for helping to kick off the 2009 Camp Season and look forward to seeing you again this summer.

You can learn more about Beta Camp or register for our 2009 summer computer camps right online. Courses and locations are selling out fast so check availability at one of our 60 locations by clicking here: view all locations. We invite you to check out photos from Beta Camp below.

Meet our awesome Beta Camp staff!

Just need to tighten this....got it!

And now for the finishing touch....

Nice moves!

Hands on Tech Fun

This wasn't staged at all, we swear.....

Cutting edge technology + great staff + cool activities = Happy Campers!

Thanks again for a great week everyone!! You can view all Beta Camp photos by clicking here. See you this summer!

Team iD

When it comes to applying to college, some people turn to the U.S. News & World Report’s Top 25 List that comes out annually for guidance. Below is the Top 25 for 2009 in the “National Universities” category. According to U.S. News, “Schools in the National Universities category, such as Yale and UCLA, offer a full range of undergraduate majors, masters, and doctoral degrees. These colleges also are committed to producing groundbreaking research.”

Keep in mind that these are not necessarily the “most popular” colleges according to number of applicants. Numerous lists are compiled annually, including a list of the best smaller, liberal arts colleges. *Please note that some rankings came out as “tied” and therefore numbers may be repeated.

Why is any of this important? Well believe it or not, a school’s popularity and prestige plays a huge role in both the minds of the prospective students as well as the parents. With this in mind, iD Tech Camps and iD Teen Academies pride itself on offering students the opportunity to experience life on campus at many of the colleges below (and many more prestigious university locations that are not listed). Click below to learn more about the day camps and overnight camps we offer at the location of your choice.

Get a leg up on the competition and plan early!

1. Harvard University
2. Princeton University
3. Yale University
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
4. Stanford University
6. California Institute of Technology
6. University of Pennsylvania
8. Columbia University
8. Duke University
8. University of Chicago
11. Dartmouth College
12. Northwestern University
12. Washington University in St. Louis
14. Cornell University
15. Johns Hopkins University
16. Brown University
17. Rice University
18. Emory University
18. University of Notre Dame
18. Vanderbilt University
21. University of California-Berkeley
22. Carnegie Mellon University
23. Georgetown University
23. University of Virginia
25. University of California-Los Angeles

You can find more university and college rankings from U.S. News here. You can also register for our camps or contact us with any questions.

We look forward to seeing you this summer at one of our 60 prestigious locations nationwide!

When you choose your child’s summer camp, you want staff and instructors who are knowledgeable, caring, professionally-trained and FUN! As a family company, we place huge importance on hiring, training and retaining only the best staff. Other summer camps may boast these features in their summer staff, but few can say they have a staff return rate of 65 percent. iD Tech Camps can. This is the iD Difference.

iD Tech Camps recruits tech savvy, passionate staff from the nation’s top institutions including UCLA, MIT, Stanford, UT Austin, NYU & more!

Our goal is to ensure that every location is comprised of experienced, returning summer camp staff along with new individuals who bring a fresh perspective and energy to camp. Our staff knows that when they get to camp, they will be working alongside the best in the industry. We interview thousands of candidates each year – but only those applicants who meet our strict criteria are chosen. Next, staff are required to pass strict guidelines and attend in-person trainings. Much of the success of iD Tech Camps we attribute directly to our careful staff selection process and comprehensive training.

“Our hiring process is one of the most strict I’ve seen in the entire summer camp industry,” said Kate DeHart, Human Resources Manager at iD Tech Camps. “We hire adult-only staff and we conduct criminal background checks, multiple reference checks and require valid CPR & First Aid certification and in-person training of our staff members. We work hard with risk management specialists to anticipate problems before they even arise. That’s no small feat!”

A 65 percent summer camp staff return rate means our staff is committed to providing an amazing experience for your kids. Staff retention-like camper retention-means we’re doing something right. How we teach is a big factor.

iD Tech Camps provides some of the best camper-to-instructor ratios, with an average of 6:1. The small class size allows campers the individual attention necessary to thrive in their chosen course(s) and the opportunity to complete an impressive project by the end of the week. Instructors then get the opportunity to bond with their campers and create lasting memories that encourage, inspire and drive campers to do something big with what they learn at camp. We have built our reputation on small ratios. Parents notice. Instructors are inspired. Students are engaged. The quality speaks for itself.

“Everything is really organized and it is obvious iD designs everything around fun and safety,” said Bryan Campbell, an iD Tech Camps Director. “iD is incredibly supportive so it’s reassuring knowing that the staff can reach someone at the iD office anytime 24/7.”

We expect a lot out of our summer staff, therefore we pay them considerably more than other camps. Our staff appreciates the excellent work environment that we provide – high expectations, high pay, periodic evaluations, in-depth curriculum, teaching tools, clear processes and endless summer fun. We train our staff both in person and via the web, and evaluate them consistently. There are even surprise camp visits by the iD staff throughout the summer to ensure that our high standards are being met. By the time camp rolls around, the iD staff is motivated by excellent compensation, thorough training, small class sizes and the knowledge that they are inspiring students to do big things.

Our staff is pleased to work for a professional organization. They want to work for the best. If you choose one summer camp this season, make sure it’s iD. Then sit back, relax and get ready for a summer with stellar instructors who make tech learning fun while enjoying their job. See you this summer!

Keeping with our “Do Something Big” theme, Genevieve Anderson came to camp as a 17 year old hoping to learn more about Web Design & Flash® Animation but came away with a lot more. She now is thinking about majoring in Web Design in college! Not only that, she used what she learned at iD Tech Camps to improve her online vintage clothing website.

Read below to learn more about Genevieve and how she’s doing something BIG after having attended our iD Tech Camps.
iD: How many seasons have you attended iD Tech Camps?
Genevieve: This year was my first year!

iD: Where are you from?
G: Roanoke, Virginia

iD: Which iD location did you attend?
G: University of Virginia

iD: What course(s) have you enrolled in?
G: Web Design & Flash Animation

iD: What do you do for fun when you aren’t at our computer camp?
G: Besides high school, I play steel drums, travel abroad and manage my online vintage clothing business with my sisters.

iD: Does coming to iD help you improve in other aspects of your life besides technology?
G: Yes! I learned to be a better leader and to be more independent.

iD: Is iD a good place to make friends? Why?
G: Yes, everyone is very friendly and nice.

iD: What are your future goals? Will you be attending college?
G: I am applying to the University of Virginia, Emerson College, Boston College, Suffolk University in Boston, Columbia College and Roosevelt University in Chicago.

iD: How has iD impacted these goals?
G: I am considering majoring in Web Design.

iD: What’s your favorite tech gadget?
G: My cell phone — I am a teenager!

iD: What’s the #1 way you communicate with your friends?
G: Texting

iD: Why would you keep coming back to iD?
G: Because it’s a fun way to learn and get great website and graphic design advice!

iD: Any advice for future iD Tech campers?
G: Be sure you come prepared to meet new people and have lots of fun while learning some new stuff!

iD: Anything else you’d like to add?
G: Coming to iD Tech Camps helped me so much with the look and function of my online vintage clothing business! Before I came to camp, my website was pretty good. But the counselors really helped me add some great interactive features. I learned how to link pages and added Flash animation to my website. Thanks for everything!

Learn more about other iD Alumni who have gone on to Do Something Big! You can also learn more about our courses and locations.