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.

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)

]]> http://www.internaldrive.com/2009/04/10/id-on-the-road-ohio-state-university-a-rendezvous-dilemma/feed/ 6 http://www.internaldrive.com/2009/03/03/id-tech-camp-and-nike-sports-camps-optimistic-about-2009/ http://www.internaldrive.com/2009/03/03/id-tech-camp-and-nike-sports-camps-optimistic-about-2009/#comments Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:32:39 +0000 Pete http://www.internaldrive.com/?p=21221

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.

—————————————————

For Immediate Release

Contact:  Donna Pianka, iD Tech Camps
408.871.3734 or donna@internaldrive.com

Does Your Summer Camp Have ACA Credentials?

Each summer, parents send their kids off for a week or more of summer fun at various summer camps for kids and teens throughout the United States. What’s the top concern for parents?  Most say “safety.”

Lori Shipley was looking for a sense of security in a cool summer computer camp environment for her son when she found out about iD Tech Camps, the nation’s largest technology camp.  iD Tech Camps has been in operation since 1999 and has over sixty camps across the U.S. and Canada at America’s elite universities.  iD Tech Camps provided the track record, reputation and credentials she was looking for.  Beyond using state-of-the-art technology to create websites with Flash, film and edit digital movies, design video games, or learn to program in C++ or Java—she also wanted to make sure that the mental and physical well-being of her son was a major priority for the camp.

“This was a great camp,” said Mrs. Shipley. “Everyone was very responsive to any questions we had and it was very safety-conscious. Since my son was only 7, I was a bit concerned about how he’d do, but he did great and loved it! Safety of campers is definitely iD Tech Camps’ main concern—and it shows.”

In 2001, iD Tech Camps voluntarily sought to be accredited by the authority in the camp industry, the American Camp Association, or ACA. Continuous, uninterrupted status of ACA Accreditation means being part of an elite group of summer camps for kids that pass over 300 criteria on health and safety.

“We follow ACA guidelines at each of our summer camps,” said Pete Ingram-Cauchi, CEO of iD Tech Camps.  “Being ACA Accredited is a big piece of the risk-management puzzle.  We have thousands of kids and teens who pass through our program each season, and we’ve been extremely successful in reducing risk—which makes our parents very happy.  I’m a parent too—I know what it’s like to drop off my kids in the care of someone else.  You need to know that they are prepared.”

Moving into their 11th camp season, iD Tech Camps is one of the only summer camps for kids and teens that boasts eight straight years of American Camp Association (ACA) accreditation.

Some aspects of camp that are evaluated and must meet very high standards in order to receive ACA Accreditation include:

-Parent Notification Procedures
-First Aid, CPR, and Emergency Care
-Sanitization Procedures
-Medication Management
-Staff Training and more…

“Our hiring process is one of the most strict I’ve seen in the entire summer camp industry,” explains 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 certification and in-person training of our staff members.  We work with risk management specialists and work hard to anticipate problems before they even arise.  That’s no small feat!”

If you would like to find out more about the ACA, please visit www.acacamps.org or for more information about the ACA Accreditation of iD Tech Camps, please click here.

Ignite your child’s internal drive to attend Stanford and Other Universities

College admittance is getting more and more competitive. What can parents do to give their students an edge in the race for admission to colleges like Stanford and Columbia? One solution is to send children and teens to academic summer camps and computer camps to increase academic readiness and put them one step ahead.

A study by the American Camp Association showed that positive youth development from pre-to-post camp occurred in many campers in all measured domains, including, but not limited to: personal identity, social skills, personal values, and physical/cognitive (thinking) skills.

Students surveyed also showed positive change in making friends, positive identity, independence and leadership, all of which are important factors when it comes to succeeding in high school and then getting into college.

While it’s tempting to say that students who attend these academic summer camps are already planning on going to college in the future–or that their parents give them the support and funds to make it possible–the individual camp experience can make all the difference.

According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, “Money [or a lack thereof] is not the barrier to college. Evidence indicates that the vast majority of students who don’t attend college are kept out by academic barriers, not financial ones.”

Deborah Dietrich wanted to give her son an advantage, so she found a summer technology camp called iD Tech Camps. iD Tech Camps provides summer technology programs for kids ages 7-17 at over fifty prestigious universities across the U.S. At this summer computer camp, students use state-of-the-art technology to produce cutting edge projects like creating a website with Flash, filming and creating digital movies, designing a video game, or learning to program in C++ or Java. With small class sizes averaging only six students per instructor, students are given individual attention at the camp–unlike school where there are usually twenty or thirty students in a class.

“iD Tech Camps has pointed my son in the direction of becoming a true leader,” said Deborah Dietrich. “After camp, Sebastian’s confidence increased as he learned real world technology skills that will take him far in life.”

Students who attend summer computer camps such as iD Tech Camps leave with practical knowledge and skills in technology, as well as new friends. While most summer computer camps for kids and teens can claim this as well, attending iD Tech Camps has proven to put students one step ahead of their peers when it comes to getting into–and attending–college. A recent survey distributed to former campers reported that an astounding 94% of iD Tech Camps alumni went on to attend college.

“This is impressive and something we are very proud of,” states Pete Ingram-Cauchi, President and CEO of iD Tech Camps. “iD Tech Camps gives students a solid educational experience while exposing them to the many facets that make up the university experience–increasing their readiness and excitement about college. We’ve been running our tech camps for 10 years, and we are finally seeing the data come full circle. The trends are exciting.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, “roughly 35 percent of college-aged students go on to attend college.” So why are students at iD Tech Camps increasing this percentage so drastically?

One word: inspiration.

iD Tech Camps inspires students in many ways. By holding summer camps at 50 prestigious universities including Stanford, UCLA and MIT, iD Tech students get a feel for what it’s like to go to college; they then strive to get in “for real” after high school. Students at camp are given the opportunity to further develop a hobby or passion then turn it into a potential career.

The mentors at camp are enthusiastic instructors immersed in the tech field. Instructors teach using cutting-edge products that the pros use like Photoshop®, Flash®, Final Cut Pro®, Maya®, Wacom Pen Tablets® and others, inspiring students to dive into their specific program of interest.

“My daughter learned creative, programming and development skills while at iD Tech Camps,” said Madelyne Woods. “These skills will help prepare her for college and a professional career.”

Attending summer academic camps and computer camps like iD Tech Camps plays a large factor in preparing students for college.

Computer Camp Teaches Children New Technology

By Heather Murtaugh

Flocks of sheep can fly and talk with Scottish accents.

Well not in day-to-day life, but those are common sights in 12-year-old Eric Snyder’s modification of video games, also known as modding. Actually, Snyder does not yet know how to give the sheep the accents. But the flock is definitely soaring overhead. Learning to create these different situations in an existing video game is just one lesson students can choose to pursue at iD Tech Computer Camps. The camp is offered in 23 states, Washington, D.C. and through a study abroad program in Spain to students 7 to 17 years old. In our ever-changing technology-driven society, many of the skills children learn at an early age can be put to use for professions in the future.

Or in the case of 14-year-old Nick Peterson from Burlingame, those skills can be used straight away. Peterson first signed up for camp four years ago. The first two years he opted to go during the day. This year and last year he stayed over night. Each session gave Peterson the ability to build on tech skills.

During his various camp sessions, Peterson has taken digital video, Web design, special effects and gaming design.

He’s been able to use his video skills as a sort of side job.

“I love camp, and I learn a lot,” he said near the end of his one-week session.

ID Camps average about six students per staff with only adult staff. Additionally, each student has their own computer in which to work. Camps are partnered with over 50 universities – locally with Stanford University. Through the week, students learn skills such as web design, animation and Flash through projects.

Foster City resident Sandra Kung, 11, was able to build a Web site about puppies. She picked the topic because she really wants a dog but can’t have one.

Kung previously attended a different technology camp. She left it unimpressed and brought those same apprehensions to the first day of camp in Palo Alto this year. She was pleasantly surprised, however. Kung plans to help her friends design Web sites.

Fourteen-year-old Stephanie Lee designed a site about soccer. She plays for a local club team as a defender.

“It’s fun to be able to create [a Web site]. It’s a lot of fun and it’s cool to see when you finish,” said Lee as she showed various aspects to her soccer Web site.

Although the focus is on technology, it is still a camp, explained Lead Instructor Dory Abrams.

“It’s really fun but also educational,” she said. “It’s a hard balance, but we manage to pull it off.”

There’s special activities planned each night for the students like movie night, talent show and an ice breaker event where staff introduces themselves using costumes and funny skits.

Students also have set time away from the computers in the afternoon to play games and sports.

Participating in camp can be rewarding for the staff was well.

Director Lydia “Big Apple” Luxama teaches ninth grade English during the school year. This is her ninth camp season, and the sixth with iD Camps. As her time with the company expanded and grew, so did her opportunities, she explained. Luxama began as an instructor. Today she is the director at the Palo Alto location.

For Luxama, a big component of camp is enhancing the children as individuals. Students get tickets for things like working well with others or helping another person. Those tickets go into a raffle at the end of the week.

Eleven-year-old Paul Touma from Atherton had a lot of tickets stored in the lanyard around his neck holding his ID. Touma was participating in a special camp allowing him to choose a sport - in his case tennis - to participate in half the time with the rest of his camp focused on technology.

Touma was nervous to attend camp, which he regretted by the end of camp since he made so many friends.

Learning to create the games was easier than Touma had originally thought, at least once he got into it. He created a basic shooting game. Once home, Touma most likely will not make additional games since he simply does not have access to the software.

Creating first-person shooting games has a certain amount of violence build into it. The camp, however, has a patch on the software preventing students from creating games with certain violent actions, explained Counselor Emily “Thumper” Lindsay.

Lindsay joined the staff from Canada and teaches 3-D game design and game modding. Some of her students also create a puzzle game. Each has the chance to stump Thumper with their game. Students take turns attempting to stump each other as well, she said. Teleporters seem to be very popular with the students.

Sean Morgenthaler, 12, used his skills to modify games to make games he owns harder, he said.

Morgenthaler , from Portola Valley, began taking the classes in 2004 because he really likes computers. He definitely sees himself working in the computer science industry later in life.

“This is a fun place to go and do what you like,” he said. “It’s a lot different from some of the other computer camps. You have freedom. They give you guidelines, but you can use your imagination.”

For more information visit www.internaldrive.com.

iD Tech Camps Weave Web of Learning for Kids

By Dave Thomas

Just because school is out for the summer does not mean students are not learning. One local tech camp is making sure students learn and have fun at the same time.

The iD Tech Camps, which include offerings locally at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), make available weeklong sessions for day and overnight, beginner to advanced students, ages 7 to 17, at more than 50 prestigious universities in 23 states and Spain. The local camp, which is in its ninth year in La Jolla, will run through Aug. 8 at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

Students learn how to create video games, experience game modding, improve gaming skills, build robots, design Web sites with Flash, produce digital movies, create comic books, learn programming and more.

As a result of attending iD Tech Camps, the student’s self-esteem improves as he or she returns to school and incorporates the learned technology into school projects and extracurricular hobbies. Oftentimes these students are mentors for other students and even teachers.

Every camper has his/her own computer and there is an average of six students per staff member.

Campers also get exposed to university life as they are on campus, work in the lab and eat in the cafeteria. Overnight campers sleep in the dorms.

At UCSD, students can also take a Surf & Tech program in which they spend half the day learning to surf and the other half making a Web site or creating a video game.

A number of local students are partaking in the learning and fun this summer, including Liberty and Montana Ruderman of La Jolla.

The two said they have learned how to make Web sites and flash animation. They first put the images together in Photoshop and then used Dreamweaver to create the code for their very own Web site.

Asked why they are attending the camp, they noted that they have their own Web site and their dad wanted them to get experience making Web sites while having fun at camp.

The two said the best thing to date at camp so far was flash animation, with Montana adding, “I made my character wave.”

La Jollan Kasi Ladjevardi is also attending this summer, noting that last year she came to this camp and made a cool video game.

“This week I’m making a Web page and animating a character in flash,” Ladjevardi said.

Asked the best thing about camp so far, Ladjevardi noted the help given by the instructor.

“She showed me how to animate my character,” Ladjevardi added.

Norby Cisneros of San Diego said that making a really cool comic book was fun.

“I also learned how to use the computer keyboard and mouse,” Cisneros said. “I used the Wacom tablet to draw pictures for my comic book named ‘Robots Attack.’ ‘The Unknown Creature’ is my second comic book I’m working on with my partner in class, Ava Ladjevardi.”

Cisneros added that the instructors are nice.

“I get tickets for the Friday raffle when I do stuff that’s good,” Cisneros added. “The best thing about the camp is that I like working with a partner to make an even cooler comic book.”

And not to leave out the local flavor, Cisneros added, “The cafeteria at UCSD is a buffet.”

There is still some space available at the UCSD camp. For further information and fees for the remaining weeks of camp, visit www.internalDrive.com or call (888) 709-TECH (8324).

© 2008 San Diego Community Newspaper Group

Innovative iD Tech Camp Lets Kids Create Computer Games

By Sally Applegate

North Andover -

The Blade of Awe has been stolen, and it is up to you to find The Prime Suspect and return the stolen sword to the king.

To do so, you will have to face all the creatures in the woods that don’t want you to get it back, but you have already slain a dragon.

When you reach the Palace of Darkness the Samurai warrior guards will try to stop you, but you are stronger than three of them put together.

Charley Lei of Andover, a sixth grader at West Middle School, has quite the imagination. He is in the process of creating the Quest of Dragons game in a room at Merrimack College’s Deegan Hall, where iD Tech Camp’s young campers are hard at work on their projects.

Sitting next to Charley, Ian McGinty, a seventh grader from Chelmsford, demonstrates how the heroes of these games cope with hit points and benefit from health points – until they run out, that is.

“Ian’s my friend,” says Charley as he explains what happens once your health points run out. “If you lose all your health points, you go to the Underworld, where Death himself decides whether to keep you or send you back to start all over again. It’s basically never-ending. [In my game] you can go to any other city and find another quest.”

Charley views the game he is creating as an adventure that might make a good book someday.

At the other end of the room, Ethan Gouveia, a seventh grader from North Reading, is building a first person shooter game in a futuristic urban world full of villains that must be eliminated.

“You come up and get your gun and ammunition, and there is a second gun here if you are able to get it,” explains Ethan. “It’s supposed to be science fiction. You get keys to the guns, and if you can’t get the keys, you can jump through a door.”

Ethan’s game is a maze of colorful boxes where danger lurks and hidden items will let you get yourself another weapon – or take a hit if you step on a corner, but find healing if you step on a green box – but during the game you can’t see what color the boxes are. If you negotiate the final maze of small tunnels you enter the Win Zone at the base of the game.

iD Tech Camp

Merrimack College is one of three Massachusetts colleges, along with MIT and Smith College, offering youngsters at the national camp this opportunity to spend a week creating a video game and learning many other skills such as game modding, robot building, Web site design, digital movie production and comic book creation.

The youngsters range in age from 7 to 17, and use the products Apple, Adobe, AutoDesk, Canon, Clickteam, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Symantec, VEX, Western Digital, Wacom and others as they build their video games.

They also get a preview of what college life will be like as they work on campus, eat in the college cafeteria, and, for overnight campers, sleep in the college dorms. This is the fifth year at Merrimack College for the iD Tech Camp, which is in its 10th year of operation.

Lead Instructor Greg Kinneman is a 2006 graduate of North Andover High School currently entering his junior year at Worcester Polytechnic Institute [WPI]. This is his second year teaching at the camp.

“Last year I saw a newspaper article on the tech camp and checked out their Web site,” says Kinneman. “I’d had a lot of experience working with kids and was studying game design at WPI with a major in Interactive Media and Game Design. When I went on their www.internalDrive.comWeb site I viewed it as if I were a student coming to camp, would I enjoy it? I found it is a well set up camp, with a beautiful Web page.”

Kinneman applied online, was accepted, and taught at the camp last year.

“I really enjoyed it, so I came back this year,” says Kinneman, whose camp nickname is Jazz Jackrabbit. “I’d like to work for a game development company, either nearby or in California or Texas. I could start as a programmer and work my way up to being a lead designer someday.”

The campers enjoy an outdoor hour every day, with sports, games and interacting as a group. At the end of each day, they gather outside to recognize and thank each other for the help they gave each other during the day.

Camp Director Liz Theis, camp nickname Motherboard, is a grad student at the New School in New York City, and teaches Video Production at the Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School in New Haven, Conn. She says the afternoon acknowledgement is part of the camp’s social experience, giving the campers a chance to interact with people with similar interests.

Kinneman was surprised at how diverse these young computer enthusiasts are.

“When I first came here I expected to see narrowly focused kids,” says Kinneman. “The truth is we have kids from all walks of life with all sorts of interests, really into athletics and social activities. They’re really a diverse group of individuals. They’re what makes this all worth it.”

You can check out the camp for yourself at www.internalDrive.com.

ASU Offering Summer Game Design Classes

iD Tech Camp teaches how to develop programs, Web sites

By Travis Roemhild

Playing video games may not be the first option chosen by parents for how they want their kids to spend those hot summer days. However, a day camp hosted by Arizona State University can teach creativity by way of video game creation and design.

Located at the Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus in Mesa, the iD Tech Camp offers several classes specializing in 3-D game design, game modding, Web site design and programming to kids ages 10 to 17.

Participants have full access to professional design and creation of computer programs. They spend most of their time tweaking ideas with close guidance from four experienced counselors.

In the 3-D game design class, students use what is called FPS Creator to create “first person shooter” games that are similar to the popular Halo and Call of Duty series. In the program, kids produce levels from scratch and tweak preloaded character models to create their own unique computer game. Popular games are shown as examples to display what works and what can be expanded upon.

“We tell them that people have already built just about every concept imaginable,” said Ricky Bennett, director of the iD Tech Camp. “We tell them, ‘Let’s build on it, take it a step further.’”

Several Ahwatukee Foothills kids are attending the camp this week, including Aaron Madsen, 12, of Kyrene Akimel A-al Middle School and Connor Gutman, 10, from Horizon Community Learning Center. Aaron has spent his time at the camp building an “escape” game from scratch called Missile Defense and Connor is learning the ins-and-outs of Adobe Dreamweaver to create his own Web site.

“I wanted to make a fan page about this game I’m obsessed with,” Connor said. “It’s fun to create something that anyone can see.”

Bennett and the other instructors take the kids out during the day to play kickball and do other exercises as a break from staring at a computer monitor all day.

“We do a lot of fun stuff besides making video games,” Bennett said.

The camp started as one class 10 years ago and has expanded to 50 campuses nationwide.

“It’s obvious the owners want it to be the best computer camp,” Bennet said. “We want the kids to be creative but at the same time there are measurable standards for every class.”

At the end of the camp, each participant receives a disc with everything they have done for the week.

The weeklong camp comes with a price tag of $749, running Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Find out more about the program at www.internaldrive.com.

iD summer tech camp includes design classes

Participants work for one week to finish video game projects

By Ines Min

On a UT blackboard Wednesday, 15-year-old Tyler Bautista worked out the equation for an algorithm to make his video game function properly.

Bautista came to the solution a few minutes later using the Pythagorean theorem and guidance from an instructor. The algorithm would keep the video game’s enemy from fruitlessly entering a tower’s line of defense and dying senselessly, Bautista explained.

For the past eight years, internalDrive, a family-founded technology education organization, has put on a summer technology camp for kids ages 7 to 17 on the UT campus. The camp is a technology-driven educational program consisting of week-long specialized courses in robotics and video game and Web design.

Every summer, the kids and staff members come from countries around the world, including Canada, Egypt, Norway and France, to participate, said Jennifer Suarez, director of the Austin program and first-grade teacher who has worked at the camp for two summers.

Up to 70 kids enroll each week and are allowed to take as many of the courses as they want. A week-long overnight course costs about $1,200, and a week-long day course is about $750.

The most popular courses at UT are 3-D game design and video game creation, Suarez said.

Kids in the 3-D design class build video games from scratch using a special design program. The robotics class started with a basic square bot and focused on making their robots able to move before making more sophisticated robots that can fight with each other using weapons.

“I was blown away by the kids here,” Suarez said. “They are all brilliant.”

Freda Li, a 14-year-old from Houston who took the Web design course, spent the week creating a Web site of her favorite bands and worked Wednesday to create an animated background for her site using Adobe Photoshop.

“I think it’s really fun. I like working with computers and we get lots of time to hang out,” said Li, who is one of three girls enrolled in the camp.

“We’ve found that the girls in the camp are really creative,” Suarez said, adding that the program is trying to recruit more girls. “They create the most visually appealing games.”

Peter Golightly, a 15-year-old who recently moved to Austin and partook in the program’s camp at Stanford University, based his work on a popular online game. Using a computer program, a designer creates a game by first starting with a model, then creating a skeleton, adding texture and eventually a script, Golightly said.

“It’s like a jigsaw, but the pieces can be molded to any shape you want,” he said.

Staff member Eric Cooper, 22, said the game can become as complex as the designer wants and depends on the time and effort put forth. Kids are given the entire week to finish a game, working for approximately six hours a day on the computer. Outdoor activities are integrated into the schedule.

Walker Summers, 13, spent his week in the game programming course. His game combined elements from the video game World of Warcraft III and the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.

“It’s a lot of fun here,” Summers said. “[The programs] are easy to work with, and it’s fun to make maps.”