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iD In The News

iD Tech Camp Launches Program at UBC in Wake of “Social Olympics”

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.

 

 

Playing Video Games Leads to Lucrative Tech Jobs

February 11th, 2010 by Pete

For Immediate Release

San Francisco, February 9, 2010

As a featured guest at the Pittsburgh Technology Council’s Pre-G-20 Forum this past fall, Google Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt was asked what type of training young people should pursue to gain the skills necessary to work in the tech sector of the future.  Not surprisingly, he wants kids and teens to learn programming.  But the idea that surprised many in the room?  He thought playing video games had value too.

“The game world is good training for a career in tech,” said Schmidt.  “It teaches players to build a network, to use interactive skills and thinking.”

Schmidt’s words may come as a shock to those of us who weren’t born with a laptop or a smart phone in our hands.  His comments directly contradict what popular culture has been telling us for years; that video game playing is only for entertainment value and doesn’t lead to any long term benefits.  We think of gamers as chip-eating, soda-drinking couch potatoes destined to work minimum wage temp jobs for the rest of their lives.  We haven’t connected the dots…that gaming can actually be a valuable stepping stone leading to better results for surgeons, athletes, computer scientists and engineers.  An AP Article covered a study from Beth Israel Medical Center with the title “Surgeons may err less by playing video games:  Three hours a week decreased mistakes by 37 percent, study finds.”

“It’s refreshing to hear somebody like Eric Schmidt address the topic,” said Pete Ingram-Cauchi, President and CEO of iD Tech Camps, the nation’s largest youth summer technology program.  “We’ve been preaching that same sentiment for years and have actually seen the positive effects that programming and video game design can have on students.”

The summer camp uses gaming as a vehicle to build critical thinking skills.  Students work with gaming titles like Unreal Tournament^® 3 and Half-Life^® 2, along with the 3D modeling package Maya^®, and game development software from Multimedia Fusion 2 Developer ^®.

“Our students want to learn how to create video games—to learn game development skills.  But that’s the head fake.  Along the way, they gain problem-solving skills and teambuilding skills which are absolutely vital in the tech field.” said Ingram-Cauchi.

Are the days behind us where kids and teens are treated as outcasts for having a keen interest in video games?  Probably not.  But Mom and Dad can now rest a little easier after spending $50 on a video game.  It just might be an investment.  And who knows, it might lead to fulfilling the dream of attending Stanford, UCLA or MIT.  Or even getting that lucrative dream job.  Eric, you still hiring?

###

Written by Ryan Barone

 

 

Using X-Code for iPhone & iApps?

April 17th, 2009 by Pete

Developing apps and widgets for the iPhone, Facebook, etc. is hot right now.  There is keen interest in developing the skill set to enable the development of these apps.

Our client services department recently received an email from a client looking to register for the iD Programming Academy.  The client wanted to know if the skills learned at our summer camp will be transferable to a MAC working with X-code for the iPhone (specifically developing iApps).

Here is the answer, unedited, from our curriculum developer

Skills learned at iDPA are definitely transferable to X-Code.
The iD Programming Academy curriculum starts off with a brush up of programming basics and
then we jump right into programming of graphical user interfaces using
the Swing framework for Java and/or .NET for C#. Both frameworks are
extremely similar to Apple’s iPhone SDK (software development kit) used
to write iPhone applications on the Mac platform using X-Code. Students
will also learn how to create 3D graphics and animations using OpenGL, a
technology that is also integrated into Apple’s iPhone SDK. In summary,
the iD Programming Academy is the best fit for this student.

The iD Programming Academy is offered at Stanford University, and is almost sold out.
iD Tech Camps also offers programming camps in both C++ and Java at locations across the country.  The goal here is to create the next generation of computer science students.  Have fun.  Get interested.  Learn to program!

Check out all iD Tech Summer Camp Courses by clicking here.

 

 

iD On The Road: Ohio State University, a rendezvous dilemma

April 10th, 2009 by Josh

Hey guys, I’m currently on the road at one of iD’s Tech newest locations: Ohio State University! Let me tell you I’m excited for this location! After my tour today I have no doubt that we are in good hands at OSU, here are some of the highlights:

• One-bedroom apt. style dorms: Each dorm room has a living room and a bedroom area and its own bathroom! During the year, these rooms house 4 college students but we’ll be using them for only 2 iD Tech Students (shh… don’t tell the OSU freshman that!)

• An amazing Campus! OSU is the biggest single campus university in the entire country and every inch of it is filled with something interesting, cool art installments and amazing architecture from also most every American period.

• Lots of fields to play on, nice cafeteria, lots of fun stores and cafes to visit, I could go on!

Additionally, while on campus I experienced an amazing chance encounter!

As I was heading toward my car to leave I ran into my good friend Jennifer who I had known in Davis, CA but had since lost touch with. I had absolutely no idea that she had enrolled as a Ph.D. student as OSU. This lead us ponder; what were are the odds that we would run into each other in that fashion? As an engineering student, I’m sure she’ll appreciate this handy work. The odds of us having a rendezvous were:

9.9282872 × 10^-26

derived from:

(1/12*1/260*1/240*(1/76,447,800*20) )*(1/7 * 1/274*1/480(1/76,447,800*20))

-or-

(M*D1*T1(L1*20))*(P*D2*T2(L2*20))

Variables:

Odds that I would be responsible for this particular iD Tech location. As we have 12 regional managers (an un-paralleled level of support for our camps) let the odds of me managing this locations: “M” = 1/12

Odds that I would be visiting OSU on that particular day of the year. Though there are 365 days in a year, there are only 260 work-week days on which I can conduct business so let days: “D” = 1/260

Time spent on campus. As I spent about 4 hours and our rendezvous would not have occurred if I was offset by even 1 minute, let: “T1” = 1/240 (60 minutes)

Odds that I would be in that specific location on campus. . Ohio State University is the largest single-campus university in the entire country, weighing in at 76,447,800 square feet. So let my odds of being in that particular location be: “L1” = 1/ 76,447,800.

Constants:

Though I can only be in one place at a time we must assume that I can identify people within 20 square feet of me so we’ll need to multiply L by 20.

Currently we have equation:

1/12 * 1/260 * 1/2 * (1/76,447,800*20)

-or -

M*D1*T1(L1*20)

However, this falsely assumes that my friend

1) Was not considering any other PHD programs when applying

2) Stayed in a fixed position on campus all day

So we need to include an entire other half of the equation for her. It will be similar to mine but we have to adjust certain items. For instance we’ll assume that she spends 3/4’s of the year on campus (D2) and we’ll assume that OSU was one of 7 different PhD programs which she applied to (P). Also we’ll assume that on days she is on campus she spends the entire day work-day on campus (T2). So her side of the coin looks like:

(1/7 * 1/274 * 1/480 (1/76,447,800*20))

-or-

(P*D2*T2(L2*20))

When combine with my side, the result is 9.9282872 × 10^-26 which is a face-meltingly small number, far lower then getting a royal flush in poker or even winning the state lottery.

(outside one of the engineering buildings at OSU)

 

 

iD Tech Camps and NIKE Sports Camps Optimistic About 2009

March 3rd, 2009 by Pete

Media Contacts:

iD Tech Camps: Karen Thurm Safran, 408-666-8353

For Immediate Release

Choosing a Summer Camp? Bet on Quality this Year

The summer camp industry, like the rest of the country, is facing serious challenges this year. Choosing the right camp can be grueling for parents and kids alike. The good news is there are thousands of camps out there, seemingly a buffet of options that meet every need, fill every niche, and can accommodate most any budget. Video Game Camp? Check. Golf Camp? Check. Technology Camp? Spanish Camp? Day Camp? Sleep Away Camp? Check, check, check and check.

Two of the country’s largest summer camp operators are headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. US Sports Camps, the official operator of NIKE Sports Camps, is headquartered in San Rafael, California. The camp offers hundreds of programs nationwide. iD Tech Camps, headquartered about an hour south in the Silicon Valley, runs its summer camps at over 60 prestigious universities nationwide including Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA and MIT. The company teaches technologies from Adobe®, Apple®, Microsoft® and others. These two camp businesses have been running summer camps for over thirty and ten years, respectively.

The president of US Sports Camps, Steve Pence, and the president of iD Tech Camps, Pete Ingram-Cauchi, meet a couple times a year over lunch at Perry’s in San Francisco. They compare notes and industry trends.

Ingram-Cauchi, obligatory Blackberry in hand, commented, “To our surprise, this year is actually shaping up to be better than we had hoped. We’re seeing growth at almost all locations. Parents want to give their kids a leg up—and camp is a definite way to do that.”

Pence, dressed in his Nike golf polo, had a similar upbeat response. “We’ve been running camps for over 30 years. “We’re seeing a strong trend in registrations. Parents want quality, and that’s why they look for camps with established track records.”

In difficult economic times, both Ingram-Cauchi and Pence are betting that there will be a flight to quality, just like many investors are betting on the big blue chip companies that have longstanding track records.

The summer camp industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, but many small camp operators are bracing for a tough year. Clearly, there is debate out there as to just how discretionary summer camps are in a family’s budget.

“We think parents want to invest in their kids, and they want the best programs out there,” said Ingram-Cauchi. “Summer camps, by nature, are an investment in the future. Kids learn new skills. It’s one of the last things to cut from the budget. “ But Ingram-Cauchi is still trying to get creative and be sensitive to the fact that a lot of families are tightening their belts. One of the things iD Tech Camps has done is to allow parents to pay a $200 deposit, as opposed to asking for all the tuition up front. “This allows parents to spread the cost of camp out over several months. This has been very well received,” said Ingram-Cauchi. Mr. Pence is doing something similar by offering a $250 deposit option.

Across the street from iD Tech Camps is a smaller camp operator called “Let’s Play in Spanish.” The camp, operated by Chris and Susy Dorn, has built a loyal following by offering great service and a unique offering. “We can’t complain about our numbers,” said Dorn. “Parents know we’ve been around awhile—and that means something right now. Nobody wants to waste money.”

The three camp operators are clearly engaged in the camp microcosm. “We’re in the greatest industry in the world, “said Mr. Pence. “We impact the future.”

The optimism on display with these three summer camp operators is palpable. When you talk to them, you get the sense that better days are just around the corner. That’s welcome news against the constant backdrop of negative economic information.

About iD Tech Camps

iD Tech Camps, www.internalDrive.com, headquartered in Campbell, California (in the Silicon Valley), is America’s Largest Technology Camp and teaches technologies from Adobe, Apple, Microsoft and others, to ages 7-18 . It was founded in 1999 with the mission of delivering the finest technology instruction to young students at America’s finest colleges and universities, including Stanford, UCLA, MIT and UT Austin. During the summer of 2008, more than 15,000 campers attended iD Tech Camps at 50 locations nationwide. The company also provides three teen programs: iD Gaming Academy, iD Film Academy and iD Programming Academy.

About US Sports Camps

US Sports Camps (USSC), www.USSportsCamps.com, headquartered in San Rafael, California (just north of San Francisco), is America’s Largest Sports Camp Network and the licensed operator of The NIKE Sports Camps. It was started in 1975 with the same mission that defines it today: to shape a lifelong enjoyment of athletics through high quality sports education and skill enhancement. By partnering with the country’s best coaches to direct our camps and by providing them with valuable administrative and marketing support, USSC has become the largest and most successful sports camp operator in America. During the summer of 2008 more than 52,000 campers attended US Sports Camps at 400 locations nationwide.