(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!

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.

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:

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…

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 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)

iD TECH CAMP RPS VARIATIONS

We were overwhelmed with new versions of RPS in 2009 and hope to gather even more this summer. The goal is to have a different version for each of the 70+ technology summer camps, which will make for a super-long blog entry in 2011! Here are some of our favorites:

The 2010 Winter Olympics are into their second week of competition in Vancouver, British Columbia. Each time the games roll around, I am amazed at how technology has enriched my experience of the Olympics over the years. The modern Winter Olympic Games started back in 1924 in Chamonix, France. The original members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) could have no concept of how far these games would come in a century.

1924 Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix, France

2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Cutting-edge technologies play a part in every aspect of these games, from the first torch relay hand-off to the closing ceremonies. There are so many behind the scenes stories of how creative thinkers adapt existing computer technologies to gain a competitive advantage. Athletes and trainers use technology in preparing for the games to optimize their training. Sports equipment manufacturers use design technology to build improved apparatus, gear and more that will enable their clients to deliver a high level performance. Broadcasters use technology to better inform viewers of all aspects of the events. Everyone involved is looking for technologic tools they can use to give them the competitive advantage to get on the podium.

Technology allows us to more fully appreciate everything about the competition and the athletes who commit their lives to fulfill their dreams. At internalDrive, we are proud to be laying a foundation for young people at our summer camps to explore computer technology and find ways they can express their dreams. We have kids and teens learning about and creating computer-generated projects that amaze us. We’ve been doing this for eleven seasons now and we continue to be impressed by what our campers accomplish in just a week or two of summer learning.

Whether a student chooses to learn filmmaking, digital photography, programming, modeling or 3D animation, they could be taking that first step towards their own professional goals – perhaps even in a future Olympic Games event. Here is a sample of the courses offered at our computer camps and teen academies across North America. Perhaps your son or daughter can jumpstart their dreams with us!

• Maya® – 3D Modeling & Animation
• Graphic Design
• Video Editing and Special Effects
• Digital Photography & Photoshop
• Programming in C++ or Java
• Film Production with Final Cut Studio at iD Visual Arts Academy

It is inspiring to see athletes who break through previously attained heights in speed, technique, style and spirit. There is no doubt that the Winter and Summer Olympic Games will continue to be influenced and enhanced by the use of computer technology in preparation for and during the events. It’s the way of the world. And as they say, “The World comes to these games.”

Interested in visiting Canada this summer? Check out our new summer computer camp held at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and our two-week summer program iD Visual Arts Academy for teens offered at McGill University in Montreal.

iD Visual Arts Academy students hitching a ride at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec

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!

Hey All – it is I, (the other) Pete once more with a glorious food craft!

Now, I know that I normally blog about activities that are happening at iD, but I wanted to share these cool iDeas for the BIG GAME!

Football is not a sport that we normally play at iD during the summer, but aspiring game designers can learn a great deal from observing this popular sport. Because we are, in part, a game creation camp, I love to have discussions with the teens about how they can learn to design a fully functioning, high quality experience. Also, I believe that any opportunity can be turned into a learning opportunity!

Football has risk and reward, a fundamental concept for all gaming. Should they kick or go for it on the fourth down? Strategy plays a huge role as well – in fact, matching the opponent’s play is almost equivalent to picking Rock, Paper or Scissors. Another major component is the clock – 2 minute drills reinforce the importance of resource management, as well as the challenge flag.

We constantly find teachable moments at our overnight summer camps – and here’s a delicious moment that you can make this weekend, courtesy of Bryan and I!

NOTE: These crafts require some cooking, sharp objects and marshmallows. Please get a parent / guardian to observe / give permission FIRST. Thank you.

NACHO STADIUM

KRISPY FOOTBALLS

Full instructions after the break(!)

Remember – Clean hands first!

NACHO STADIUM

KRISPY FOOTBALLS

krispy_football_

We’ve all heard the statement, “Actions Speak Louder Than Words.” Has it become cliché? I looked up its origins and found it’s referenced as an American Proverb. Yet, the sentiment is not unique to America. People the world over understand and believe this statement to be true.

It’s said that the United States is the most generous nation in the world. I don’t have the data to confirm. What I can say with certainty is there are places where, and times when, our neighbors across the globe need help. There’s no more graphic example than the tragedy being experienced in Haiti now. The earthquake’s devastation and the resulting toll it has brought to this small nation are unimaginable to those of us safe in our homes. We see pictures and our hearts ache. We hear cries of grief and tears come to our eyes.

When the tragedy struck, our work family couldn’t help but ask what our responsibility was to our Haitian neighbors. We didn’t talk about it, we just did it. The “loud-speaking” action that iD Tech Camps took was matching, 1-for-1, donations from our employees. It was already happening within the team; we just upped the ante. You can help too. Please take a minute to contribute to the American Red Cross or any organization you choose to support Haitian relief efforts. The giving is the action, not the amount given.

iD Tech Camps is more than a corporation that runs summer camps. We consider ourselves a family. We are family-owned and many of our year-round staffers are related. Also, we are very lucky that many summer staffers return year after year to help us create an environment that is special and uplifting for all our kids. We care about each other and those communities we serve.

iD Tech Camps offers our programs in 60 locations nationwide and we recently expanded into Canada with a Montreal summer camp and a Vancouver summer camp. In many of our locations, we provide scholarships to children who otherwise could not afford to attend a technology summer camp. Additionally, we receive several hundred applications as part of our Tuition Assistance Program. A group of us reads every submission. It is not an easy decision to select those kids who will take the limited number of spots available each year.

Last fall our President, Pete Ingram-Cauchi, and his wife became aware of a boy’s orphanage in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, that is doing good work in this region and needs support. Michael Pearce is the President of Casa Hogar de Caba San Lucas. Michael says on their website, “Our boys come from many different backgrounds and circumstances but their needs for security, shelter, food, education, a value system and a loving home environment are the same as any child growing up in the 21st century.”

Pete put out a call to action around the office that this home needed clothing and financial support. I remember seeing bags of boys clothing stacked around Pete’s desk! And, many contributed financial support. We are all about kids so this call went straight to our hearts.

We differentiate our summer program with the inclusion of life skills objectives in our technology curriculum. Technology improves the day-to-day lives of people across the world. We hope our campers take these new skills and adapt them to fit in their lives and act in ways that serve.

It has always been part of our culture to give back. Each year, we participate in the Family Giving Tree program. We collect Christmas gifts and volunteer at their collection warehouse to sort through mountains of donated gifts going to children who would otherwise not receive a gift. It’s a great team-building activity and a way to give back to our own local community.

Most of our team from our corporate office we’re able to help at the Family Giving Tree while a few stayed back to man the office.

Jason, in our Client Services group, knew a lucky boy was going to VERY HAPPY this holiday.

The iD Tech Camps family is driven to serve and we will continue to follow that old American Proverb by ACTING in ways that speak for themselves.

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!

We at iD Tech Camps wish you and yours good health and prosperity in 2010.
-Alisa

On the heels of the 2009 summer camp season, our team huddled together in our office in Silicon Valley and we hit on a major theme moving forward.  2009 was a tough year for many companies–and this was true for lots of camps out there–computer camps, sports camps, any type of summer camp, really.  We fared better than most.  Some camps are no longer standing.  We’re still standing–and we might say, thriving.  And we’re appreciative.

We made a little money.  We tightened the belt while still running amazing camps.  But we still had this feeling that we wanted to take our company to a whole new space.  We thought, “We worked hard to survive the Great Recession, so how can we thrive in 2010?  What are we going to do differently to take it to another level?”

One of our initiatives?  POSITIVELY OUTRAGEOUS SERVICE.  Southwest Airlines is one of my favorite companies…and we already have a bit of a whacky culture anyways.  So, we stole the POS acronym from them.  (Full disclosure.)  But I cannot expect my staff to provide POS if I don’t live it myself.  Today, I made Cuban coffee for the team and went around the office with a cart.

That's me, serving my Client Service manager.

We don’t want to feel good about what we’re doing.  We want to feel great about it.  Most of our moms, dads, campers and staff know that we have a passion for service, but we always think we can do better.  In this case, I think my team was excited about the fact that I would go out of my way to make them coffee, and serve it to them personally.  They didn’t ask for it, and didn’t expect it.  And that’s the basis for how we define POS.

It looks staged, but they truly loved the coffee.

OK, back to POS.  Here are some things we already do.  We’ve been doing things this way since iD was born.  It’s just part of our DNA:

• We don’t have a phone tree.  When you call us up, our benchmark is to pick up the phone within 3 rings.
• I personally don’t have an office.  I sit with the client services group.  It keeps me in the know, and close to our clients.  It allows me to listen, and to act fast.
• When a client emails us, I expect the email to get answered the same day. Max 24 hours.
• Out at camp, we expect personalized diplomas from our staff.
• We expect our summer staff to assist with luggage for our overnight campers.
• We expect our technology instruction to be energetic, informative, and unlike anything the students have done before.

These are simple examples of some of our current expectations–and things we do very well already.

So, where do we want to go this year?  Here’s what Positively Outrageous Service means to us:

• We know we want to routinely perform “the unexpected.”  (Think delivering coffee at 3 PM on a random afternoon!)
• We want people to talk about our organization and our brand.  (The CEO of iD made coffee and carted it around!)
• We don’t want to pre-define POS in concrete terms.  It limits our creativity.  (What will I come up with next?)
• We do, however, want to illustrate samples of POS for our internal departments and summer staff, so individuals can visualize what the possibilities are.
• We want our employees to feel empowered to deliver POS–to take some risks and have fun along the way.  (It was fun today.  It gave people a reason to laugh.)
• POS can come in many forms, but the bottom line is to thrill the client in new and unexpected ways.  (It is OK to thrill your employees too!)  Sometimes it might cost a few dollars to make a client happy.  But it is not about money.  Is is about going the extra mile on behalf of the client or camper–and not treating them like another number or commodity.

POS, to us, is something that comes to our team naturally.  It doesn’t bend us in unnatural ways.  We can only deliver POS if we already have a strong culture of service–and if all the people in the company “get it.”  So, be careful who you hire!  We have an awesome foundation already.  The team has to want it, and understand it.  And be smart enough, and sensitive enough, to deliver it.

I am meeting with my client service group weekly to ask each individual how they have delivered POS.  I want to see the proof.  I want the stories.  And I want people to talk about us.  This attitude extends out to our summer camps as well.  The spirit of service is partly why we survived 2009, and will thrive even more in 2010.  A lot of companies talk about great customer service.  Most of it is blah blah blah, right.  Truly, few companies get it.  We do.

And, if you have any doubts about POS, please remember this.  You can always call Captain Curry.  The Captain heads up our Client Services group.  Really.  Don’t believe me?  Give us a call.  We’ll pick up in 3 rings or less.  If we don’t, I owe you a coffee!

Hope to see you out at camp!

Sincerely,

Pete I-C

Captain Curry delivers POS

Howdy iDer’s – It is (the other) Pete, AKA Activity Pete or iDPeteV (on Twitter).

My job is to try to make camp fun while the Campers are not on the computers, and to do this, I really have to think up cool games and activities that are truly unique and interesting. Sometimes, though, I rely on the incredible iD staff to come up with creative solutions to some of the challenges I put forth – I call these challenges “Nachos.”

The staff at Internal Drive Tech Camps comes from around the world and are amazingly talented. Beyond teaching Digital Video, Digital Photography, Video Game Creation, Role Playing Game Design and so forth, these (mostly young) adults have secret lives as artists, teachers, designers, programmers, soldiers, leaders and more. I realized very quickly that simply telling them what to do neglected to acknowledge the skills that they already had – instead, we (Bryan and I) developed Nachos to give them an incentive to share their talents.

One of the Nachos was called the Lunch Lady, which required staff to make a non-ice-cream dessert for or with their Campers. We had some fantastic submissions, one of which I’m sharing, but first there is a HUGE DISCLAIMER:

(pause for dramatic effect)

The Lunch Lady Nacho was only one of *many* Nachos and it happened to request an event that included eating food that can be considered junk (although there are alternative recipes that are healthier). iD Tech Camps *always* encourages Campers and staff to eat and live healthy. In fact, SEVERAL of the Nachos were all about eating well and exercising every day. So remember, this recipe is a special treat that I believe is more fun to make than eat, but that’s my opinion!

I believe Chris from the Arizona State University computer camp (forgive me if I’m wrong) submitted this awesome project, along with some of his pics. A pictorial recipe for 6 different variations is found after the break.

Candy Sushi

6 Simple & Fun Recipes after the break…

Candy Sushi

Possible Ingredients:

Fruit Rolls

Marshmallows

Toasted Rice Cereal “Treats”

Gummy Worms

Swedish Fish

Small Chocolates

Powdered Chocolate Milk Mix

Pretzel Sticks

Honey Snack Sticks

Cherry Licorice

Jelly Beans

Tools:

1 Butter Knife

1 Clean Table

1 Cutting Board

Variation 1

Variation 2

Simple.

Variation 3

A little tougher…

Variation 4

Yummy.

Variation 5

Sashimi!

Variation 6

Wonderful.

Bon Appetite!

Howdy iDers – I’m (the other) Pete.

(the other) Pete in front of a geyser

Bryan – And I’m Bryan. The *only* Bryan.

Bryan at Cataract

How did you get here – this is supposed to my big camp blog debut!

Bryan – Don’t worry. I’m just here to keep it exciting.

I’m not exciting?

(the other) Pete Sulking

Bryan – You’re pretty exciting, but look at this hair.

Bryan's Hair

Fair enough. Anyway, I’m (the other) Pete – the activity expert of iD Tech Camps. I do my best to unplug the campers and get them physical. Over the next handful of months I’ll be writing about some of the awesome activities that we did in the summer of 2009 and give hints about what is on the horizon for 2010.

Prior to iD Tech, I helped run an outdoor version of Pacman called PacManhattan, which used the city grids surrounding Washington Square Park in New York City as a Pacman board.

(the other) Pete as Ghost in Pac-Manhattan

One of the challenges that we put on the Staffers in 2009 was to develop outdoor games based on video games. This proved to be an incredible success – the Campers loved being characters in their favorite games and the Staffers loved the idea of game creation. Also, it provided a great opportunity for the campers in our Digital Video Camp and Photography Camp to get interesting and some ridiculous shots!

Here are some of standouts – let us know your faves:

Inspired by: Pong by Allan Alcorn of Atari Incorperated, 1972.
Created by: Gadget at Rider University.

Pong Machine courtesy of Wikipedia.org

[PIC of Pong courtesy of Wikipedia]

Prep: Minimal – just set up some boundaries and choose teams

Players: 8 – 14 players (keep even numbers)

Props: Soccer ball and boundariesSpace: Medium field or Large Gymnasium

Time: 10-15 Minutes

To get the ball past the other team / to be the last team with players.

Separate the group into two even teams and create boundaries that are roughly half a soccer field. Each team links arms to form a “paddle” and faces the other paddle at either end of the playing field. The paddles can only move left or right (not forward!) and cannot unlink arms. The goal is to get the ball past the other paddle by kicking it toward the opposite boundary. If the ball exits the boundaries on the right or left, the last team to touch the ball loses a player.

Players that are lost from one team link arms onto the opposite team. If there is not enough room to add more players, another paddle can be made out of two players.

The game continues until only one player is left on one side.

All players must remain linked. If a paddle becomes separated, a player is lost from that team.

The paddles can only go left or right.

Players can only kick the ball.

If the ball goes out of bounds, the last team to touch the ball loses a player.

Variation 1: Use any extra campers or staff to make the boundaries on each side. They can be the wall that the ball bounces off of to keep the ball in bounds.

Variation 2: Use a camper to play the ball. They walk in a straight like and try to go past the “paddles”. If they hit the paddles, they must turn around and keep in a straight line. Each time the “ball” is out, they can trade off with another player.

Variation 3: Once a player is out, they are completely out of the game.

Field Pong

Outdoor Left 4 Dead

Inspired by: Left 4 Dead by Turtle Rock Studios and Valve Corperation, 2008.
Created by: Phozee at Purdue University

Prep: 5 minutes, set up boundaries / spawn point(s)
Players: 20 or more bodies
Props: 4 Water Guns
Space: Field; Grassy Area – NOTE: Area with obstacles and terrain works better
Time: 10 Minutes

Four survivors armed with water guns must stay alive for a set amount of time against a horde of zombies.

Create a large boundary in an area that ideally has some obstacles, such as trees. Make one (1) Spawn point out of a cone for every 10 or so players at random spots within the boundaries.

Separate the group into 4 Survivors and the rest as Zombies. The Survivors are all given water guns and must stay alive for a set amount of time – the less Zombies the more time that is given. Staffers should probably start as the Survivors to set a good example of safe play. The Zombies must take out all of the Survivors by tagging them each five (5) separate times before the time limit is over. A tagged Survivor must freeze and cannot move until they are tagged by another Survivor. They are still allowed to shoot the water gun while frozen. Zombies that land a successful tag must move on to another Survivor before tagging the same Survivor again. When a Zombie is tagged by a water gun, they must immediately retreat to the nearest spawn point.

Zombies must retreat to a spawn points immediately after being tagged by water.

Survivors must freeze if tagged and cannot move unless tagged by another Survivor.

Once a Survivor is tagged five (5) times, they become a Zombie and start at the closest spawn point (and give their water gun to a non-playing Staffer).

Both Survivors and Zombies must start the game walking. As the players become more advanced, the boundaries can be expanded and fast walking can be allowed. Use proper judgment to ensure safety – especially if there are a lot of obstacles!

Bryan – When Vassar played this game it was really fun and the kids enjoyed it. We had 4 survivors and the rest Zombies, but I made sure to start off only letting the zombies walk and his everyone in an square with boundaries. After a few minutes, I started letting the zombies run and it got wild. A round or two went by and then I opened the field up and created many different spawning stations so the survivors could run around and the zombie would spawn at the nearest station and the survivors could have a chance to run away. We took a lot of great photos! Ultimately it was a lot of fun and the summer camp kids were asking to play it everyday. Pete thought of using sponge balls, which would work well, except you have to the pick them up and zombies may be around.

Inspired by: Team Fortress 2 by Valve Corperation, 2007.
Created by: WoWZer and Greg at Rollins College

Prep: Fill up water guns and sponges; assign teams and classes; create strategies; create boundaries
Players: 10 or more bodies
Props: Various Sizes of Water Guns, Sponge Balls, iD Tech Crossing Flags, iD Tech Flag Football Flags, Sponges, Plastic Bags
Space: Field; Grassy Area – NOTE: Area with obstacles and terrain works better
Time: 30 – 45 Minutes

Capture the other team’s flags.

This is a complex version of Capture the Flag that uses class definitions for each player. Each player takes on a role that defines how they participate in the activity.

Create boundaries over a large area. If there are many obstacles, be sure to make the group aware of potential safety threats.

The game of Capture the Flag is simple: one team has to bring the other team’s flag back to their home base without being tagged. This variation builds on the concept while integrating some aspects of the popular video game, Team Fortress 2. Place one flag on either end of the playing area. Each of these acts as a base from which the two teams begin the game and eventually try to place the opponent’s flag. Separate the group into two equal teams and assign classes to each player. Allow each team to formulate a strategy and begin. The first team to bring the flag to their base wins.

Each class needs to be represented at the beginning of the game. Once a class is assigned, a player may not change classes until a new game begins.

Grenadier – The Grenadier class only has a small water gun and is able to wield water bombs and sponges. A bag is tied to the waist of the grenadier with a limited supply of water bombs. When this ammunition is out, the Grenadier must go back to his designated side in order to reload. The Grenadier is the only member allowed to use the water bombs and sponges besides the Staff.

Scout – The Scout class is your main flag runner, meaning that they are the only member of the team that can capture the opponent’s flag. The Scout has to wear a flag around their waste and can only be tagged out by having the flag grabbed or by a water bomb or sponge. The Scout does not carry a weapon.

Medic – The Medic is one of the most important classes. Medics are the only class that can revive other team members. When a member of their team is tagged, they must squat out of play and call for a medic. The Medic tags the player on the field and instantly that player is back into the game. Medics may carry a small water gun and must put their team color around their arm.

Soldier – Soldiers represent the bulk of the players. Most people who play this game will fall into the category of Soldier. The Soldier is given a medium sized water gun and have free reign of the field. In order to gain an advantage in this game, the Soldiers must work together with strategies in order to overwhelm their opposition. Soldiers must put the team color around their head.

Staff – The Staff are hired mercenaries. The Staff are able to switch sides at any time, however rules do apply. If you are shot out, the way you are hired on that team is by being tagged by a Medic. The Medic of any team is able to revive a Staff member and that Staff member has to play for that team until they are tagged out again. Staff are encouraged to bring their own water guns and/or water bombs for an advantage.

Staffers are encouraged to create their own classes and add them to this game. Engineers, for instance, could resupply players on the field.

When a player is shot on the limb by water (except for the Scout) that limb is no longer functioning until a Medic heals that player.

Medics may not heal themselves.

A body shot, water bomb and sponge hits equal an immediate out until revived by a Medic. If two limbs are hit, the player is also out.

Players may be revived either by a Medic or by walking back to their home base.

Inspired by: World of Warcraft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_of_warcraft) by Blizzard Entertainment, 2004. Specifically, this refers to a player named “Leeroy Jenkins“  by Ben Schultz.
Created by: Chris at ASU

Prep: Create boundaries
Players: 10 – 20 bodies
Props: 1 Flag
Space: Open Space; Large Field
Time: 10 – 20 Minutes

Rescue Leeroy from the Bosses.

Create boundaries that are roughly the size of a soccer field. Assign roles to all of the team members: 1 Leeroy Jenkins, 5 – 8 Bosses and the rest are Leeroy’s teammates. The goal is to rescue Leeroy from the Bosses before he crosses from one side of the field to the other and have all of his teammates also escape. Everyone starts at the edge of the boundary and the Bosses surround Leeroy. Leeroy screams, “Leeeeeeeeeroy Jeeennnnnnkins” and starts running without regard to the other side. His teammates have to rescue him by grabbing Leeroy and leading him to the opposite boundary, while avoiding being tagged by the Bosses. If a player is tagged by a Boss, they have to sit and wait to be revived by another player. The game only ends if either all players have been saved or all have been tagged out by a Boss.

Players tagged by a Boss must squat out of play and wait to be revived by another player.

If Leeroy is successfully saved, all squatting players are simultaneously revived.

Kids playing Leeroy Jenkins

A colleague of mine just sent me a link from the Canadian Press.  Most people in the U.S. know we host our summer technology camps at the top universities in the country – Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Princeton, UCLA…

As we begin our expansion into Canada, it is interesting to get a lay of the land.  Here’s a quick read on some of the top schools in Canada.  We’ve launched iD Tech Camps at the University of Waterloo.  We’ve also launched the iD Visual Arts Academy at McGill University.

The Canadian Press

Date: Thursday Oct. 8, 2009 5:55 PM ET

TORONTO — The prestigious Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings are out and 11 Canadian universities have made the Top 200 list.

Six Canadian universities have even advanced in their standings over the previous year’s list, with Montreal’s McGill University ranking the highest at number 18.

McGill, which is the only Canadian university in the top 20, was also one of the six Canadian institutions that advanced in its ranking this year over last year’s list.

The University of Toronto was the next highest on the list at number 29, improving from 41st spot last year, while the University of Alberta made a huge leap from 74th spot last year to number 59 this year.

The universities of Waterloo, Calgary and Western Ontario also moved up on the list, with Calgary soaring from 170 to 149.

The other Canadian schools that made the grade were UBC, the Universite de Montreal, Queen’s, McMaster and Simon Fraser.

So, rest assured, when you attend one of our summer programs in Canada, you’ll have the peace-of mind-in knowing that your are not only learning great technologies–but you are doing so at an institution of prominence not only in Canada, but also the rest of the world.

Have a great day!

-Pete

Dear iD Nation,

I want to personally welcome you to the iD Family.  To our returning families, I know you’ve been looking forward to our 2010 launch.  Yesterday we started taking registrations at 8 AM, and the phones were ringing busily all day.  That’s a good sign!  We had  a banner year in 2009, so we think 2010 will be even better.

An obvious question many families are asking is “What’s New?”   I am going to cut and paste some content from our “What’s New” page on our website:

• Digital Catalog – Our summer camp catalog is now available.
• Registration is now live! – Register with our latest promotion and save $100 by 12-15-09.  And when you refer-a-friend, you now save $50 and your friend does too!
• New Locations – New prestigious university locations including the campuses of Harvard, Princeton, Adelphi, Bentley, the expansion of our Teen Academies nationally, and our expansion into Canada.
• New Courses at iD Tech Camps – Awesome new courses include iPhone® App Development, Digital Photography & Photoshop®, RPG Game Design & Graphic Arts Hybrid, Game Modding with titles including Warcraft® III, Starcraft®, Half-Life® 2 and more.  Go to courses and programs.
• Expansion of our Teen Academies – The  iD Programming Academy has expanded to MIT.  The intensive game development program, the iD Gaming Academy has expanded to Chicago and Seattle.  We’ve also launched the new iD Visual Arts Academy. The Teen Academies are for ages 13-18.
• iD 365 – Endless Summer – Upon registration at iD, you now get access to our monthly FREE online workshops, taught year round by live instructors.  More.
• Receive Continuing Education Units from Villanova University or Stanford Continuing Studies.  Details.
• The iD Guarantee – We average 6 students per instructor at iD Tech Camps.  If we exceed an  8:1 ratio, you get to return for a free week of camp at equal value.  It’s that simple!  It’s iD quality.  And it’s only at iD!  Note:  Not valid for Teen Academies. Get details.
• New Games – Hot new commercial gaming titles used in our gaming courses, gaming tournaments and Ultimate Gaming Weekends.
• Learn Valuable “Life Skills” – We’re building new life skills content for this year.  The curriculum will round out the summer experience. See the benefits of iD. We’ve also got fun new camp activities for students.
• Technology Isn’t Just for Boys – We’ve created more courses and modules that are be appealing to girls including Web Design & Flash® Animation, Graphic Design, Video Editing & Special Effects, Digital Photography & Photoshop and the new teen-only  iD Visual Arts Academy.
• Go Green – We continue our iD Greening initiative by promoting carpooling, reducing travel and energy consumption and establishing new outreach partnerships in the communities we serve.
• The Basement.  For Students Only! – Find out what the buzz is about.   Facebook, Twitter, YouTube.  Blogs.  Student Project Uploads.  Camp Photos.  iD 365.  And more.  Head down to the The Basement!

OK, I’m back.  As you can see, we’ve been a bit busy preparing for this launch.  You might expect that we kick back and take a few months off in the Fall, but nothing could be further from the truth.  We’ve got the hardest working crew in the summer camp industry.  We’ve had teams working round the clock to pull all the pieces together…working with new locations (including the expansion of our Teen Academies and a push into Canada), developing curriculum, developing back-end applications, signing contracts, overhauling our website, developing content, designing our camp brochure, working with new corporate partners, creating new courses, and so much more.

The launch is a big, big, team effort, and it is a sign of our company’s organization and dedication to providing the very best.

On behalf of all our employees, we want to welcome you to the new camp season.  We hope you’ll take a few minutes to look around our website.  And, as always, we’re just a phone call away.

Best,

Pete Ingram-Cauchi

CEO, iD Tech Camps

iD Nation,

We’re rounding the corner to Summer 2009.  Our camps are thriving right now, and interest is at an all-time high for our summer computer camps.  But what makes a camp unique?  What makes iD Tech Camps unique?  SImply put:  It’s people.  Check out a few of the cool photos from a few of the very cool and creative people that are responsible for bringing iD Tech Camps to you.

A company that celebrates its employees is a company that thrives.

From our team of Regional Managers, Client Services Representatives, Admin folks, Field Services, IT and Marketing…the best team in the camp business is counting down the days until summer.  We are ready for an amazing summer.  Climb aboard!

-Pete