I think it is a fair question.  Here’s what I know.  My team and I care deeply and passionately about delivering the top summer technology camps in the country.  Are we perfect?  Absolutely not.  Are we a human business that needs to continually refine?  Absolutely.  Are we an inexpensive camp?  No.  But are we worth the cost?  Here is why I say “yes!”  And here are some of the reasons why we are the World’s #1 Tech Camp.

• Track Record.  We’ve been running technology programs since 1999, and we are entering out 14^th season.  When I started, I didn’t have any gray hair (now I have plenty)—but I knew that kids and teens were not getting the exposure to technology that would be necessary to compete in the new economy.  It was clear back in 1999.  It is even more clear today.  In 1999, my family set out to do things differently.  We’re still an independently run family company that defines quality on our terms.
• Personal Approach.  The iD Pedagogy is quite simple…we guarantee ratios of 8 students per instructor for personalized, 1-on-1 instruction.  Kids have different learning styles.  If you have 20 or 30 kids per educator, the end result is what you’d expect…you have to teach to the middle.   Likewise, if you are an educator and have a maximum of 8 students, you can deliver a whole lot better instruction, on a much more personal level.  It’s much more expensive to guarantee our small ratios—but the end result speaks for itself.  And when we say guarantee, we mean it.  If we go beyond ratio, you get a free week of camp.  Read more about the iD Guarantee.
• Risk Management.  Safety has to be job 1.  I am personally involved in developing our risk management training.  It evolves every season.  I ask myself one simple question… “would I send my own kids to iD Tech Camps?  Would I trust every staff member to care after my own kids?”  The short answer?  Yes.  And Yes.  Then we get to work.
• Software.  Anybody can go to the Web and learn just about anything these days.  But let’s face it, I am not going to spend 30-40 hours in a week teaching myself how to make iPhone Apps, learn Maya, edit in Final Cut Pro or program in C++ or Java.  It is great to have an energetic coach and role model who is passionate about teaching the specific software applications.  At iD Tech Camps, we teach the best of the best…products from Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Microsoft, etc.  And staff better know their stuff!!
• Adult-Only Instructors.  Years ago, we bucked the summer camp trend.  We decided on a “No Counselors in Training” policy.  We just saw that too many camps were cutting corners by “hiring” 15 and 16 and 17 year old teens to actually be the counselors.    Imagine running a camp and not having to pay anyone to work there.  That’s how many camps cut costs.  We do things differently.  We seek out the best talents, pay them better than other summer programs, and attract (and retain) the best.
• Top University Locations.  A college degree is pretty much a must-have for the new generation.  It is important to get kids and teens thinking about college right now.  Expose them to as many university campuses as possible.  At iD, they can experience over 6o of the top Universities in the country.  Down the road, when it’s time to apply to college, they can make a more informed decision.  “Hey, I studied a week at iD Tech Camps Stanford, I really love the campus.”  “I got to spend 2 weeks learning programming at MIT.  I want to apply there!”
• Where Are the Jobs?  STEM-based jobs (those focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) are some of the highest paid in the country.  And recently in January of 2012, CNN Money reported that college grads in this field are the top paid, and most sought-after grads in the country.  Take that to the bank!
• Top Workplace.  We’ve been named a Top Workplace by the San Jose Mercury News for the past two years.  It may seem like a just another award, but I know that happy staff = happy campers.  If our staff hated their jobs, what kind of camps would they deliver?  Likewise, if they love their jobs and love the iD mission, what kind of camps will they deliver?  It’s not math, but it kind of is.
• Continuing Education Units from Stanford.  Students who want to beef up their portfolios for college can purchase Continuing Education Units at ALL iD locations.  CEUs are accredited by Stanford Continuing Studies or Villanova University (depending on the iD program you attend).
• Culture of Excellence.  It starts with the little things.  Do we pick up the phone when you call?  If you email us, do we get right back to you?  When you drop off your student at camp, do you fee comfortable that we are on top of the details?   Are we delivering on our promises?  The answer should be “yes” to all of the above.  Talk is cheap.  We want to deliver on our promises.  That is the expectation.

I could keep going and going and going.  In the end, iD Tech Camps is really about bringing out the internalDrive in each student.  Did you know that is what the i and D stand for?  Yep.  internalDrive.  We hear from students every year… “I learned more at iD Tech Camps in one week than I learned in a semester at school.”   Maybe the reason is that we have built a culture that is un-school.  We package learning in a summer camp setting…so our students learn to love technology without feeling like they will be tested.  They can unleash their creativity without being competitive.

So, if you want to know if iD Tech Camps are worth the price, at least now you have heard from me.  I will never say we are a perfect summer program, bu we set extremely high expectations for ourselves–and that is part of the reason we have such a loyal following.  Feel free to leave a comment on my blog–I’d love to hear from you.  I hope to see you out there this summer, and I hope to start you on your path toward doing something BIG, like so many students have already done.

Yours Truly,

Pete

Basic Hollywood knowledge suggests that robots will eventually take over the planet (see the Matrix, Terminator, i,Robot, 2001, etc). The only question for us lowly, carbon-based beings is when. Luckily, there are several steps along the way before automatons take arms against us that will make life pretty sweet (that is, of course, as long as the Grey Goo scenario doesn’t play out first).

1. You will never run out of milk.

Let’s get this out of the way – robots will do menial tasks for a long time before they start firing. Right now, robots are already cleaning our floors and vacuuming our rugs. Soon, they’ll be going out at 2am to make sure we have enough milk for breakfast – and I can’t wait!

2. The Earth will become significantly smaller.

Robots will allow for new forms of mass transportation that are virtually accident-free and completely automated. This allows you to constantly travel the globe without consideration of the normal time restrictions or hassles. In addition, you can always have a surrogate attend your meetings while you’re out and about, completely eliminating the need to stay stationary ever.

3. You will lose weight.

Although Wall*E alarmed us of the dystopian possibility of sitting around doing nothing and becoming fat slugs, I suggest that the opposite will occur. Without having to run around doing chores all the time, the average workday will include a significant amount of recreational time that can be spent on healthy activities. And I don’t mean boring treadmills – I mean full out sports simulations from partnerless tennis to a fully automated game of football. Personal training robotic assistants will be so common and so persistent that perhaps the revolution actually starts from their sense of empowerment… All of that extra exercise will come in handy once the revolution goes into full swing!

4. You will not need a kitchen.

Why have a kitchen, when a centralized super-kitchen serving robots only will allow all of your epicurean delights be met every day and night? Your robot will simply scoot off, gather precise amounts of the freshest ingredients, cook them to perfection and deliver them in the sealed warmth of their inner chamber – you know, the one that’s farthest away from the waste chamber.

5. No one will bully you.

Well, perhaps they will bully you, but you won’t have to take it for long! Robots will fight our battles for us, to the extent that fighting in general becomes completely pointless. Sure, there will be professional robot fights (ala Rock’em Sock’em Robots) but us regular folks won’t want to damage our expensive companions by pitting them against one another constantly. You wouldn’t smack someone in the face using an iPad, would you?

6. Your “bucket list” will appear much more ambitious.

Climb Mt. Everest? Sure. Learn another language? Why not 5? Do a handstand on 7 continents? No problem! Your robot dream team will always be there to make sure your every goal and need is being met – they’ll even identify goals before you do. You’ll never need to write another New Year’s Resolution, knowing that you’ll have a companion with you 24 hours a day dedicated to controlling you bettering your life.

7. You will never ever have to wait in another line again.

From getting a coffee to shopping during the holidays to Disney World, you will always have a robot there to jump into a queue and wait patiently for your turn. All you will need to do is listen for an alert and proceed to the front, where you will be served instantly. This is, of course, if you need to physically be present, because in many cases, your robot will simply deliver the goods to you as you need them. In fact, robots may be able to replace the need for your to physically be at a specific place at all…

8. You will never need to use a public toilet.

Being a robot is messy work and you will be the main beneficiary of that fact until, of course, the robot decides that enough is enough…

9. You will never have to see another lolcat.

With robots around, there will be more than enough memes centered around their zany antics to fill much of your digital humor inbox. 100% customizable creations that are free from cruelty protestations of the masses will make for some of the funniest bloopers on the web! There will be borderline hilarity when the robots start “misunderstanding” human desires in an attempt to subtly take over, before the facade drops completely and the human race is enslaved.

10. You will never be too far away from home.

Regardless of where you travel, your home will only be a short bit of manual (automated) labor away. No one needs a permanent piece of property when a robot will construct a perfect replica of your home (or office, or bedroom) wherever you desire. Time to move on? No worries! The robot will simply deconstruct everything as if the house was never there!

11. You will be a better artist.

For many of us, our artistic hopes were dashed the first time that we picked up a paintbrush – no matter how many classes or layers of color can produce exactly what’s in our mind. Other media offers similar results, particularly when I picture Cinderella’s Castle in the sand and get a crummy old shack instead. Robots will change all of that. If I want a 40 foot tall sculpture of Mr. Belding made out of limestone, my wish can be granted perfectly in a series of hours. Now that’s progress!

12. You will never have to hear Nickelback again. Ever.

The robots will take over music as well – at least formulaic pop-alternative. Sure, there will be human contributions, but they will be offering complexity and beautiful mistakes, concepts that are too counterintuitive for robots to comprehend. The entirety of pop music, however, from Gaga to Bieber, will be outdone by machines with perfect pitch, rhythm, rhymes and a lyrical body supported by every top 100 hit to nonsensically blather about love, parties, and misused emotional cliches.

While the coming Robopocalypse may seem terrifying, we have a long time to enjoy the perks before our extinction. And who knows? If you decide to hop on board the robotics bandwagon and help bring about this dismal future, you may be spared and even celebrated!

The Sunrise in New Orleans, by Pete Vigeant

I grew up with this level as the standard of photography and I can’t remember not having a camera of my own. Unfortunately, for years I was never able to get the same level of detail or focus in my photos. I was given an endless array of basic film cameras that (at first) had no focus at all or handled everything automatically. And these were film cameras, meaning that every photo cost money and was taken with a large dose of mystery. I remember sitting underneath a race track trying to get a single photo of a Hot Wheels car flying through the air… I never saw that picture, which likely means that by the time I got the film developed, I was stuck with a couple of ceiling shots that made no sense.

I met several photographers in college. They had similar cameras to my father and spent endless hours taking photo after photo, nervous that the exact shot they need wasn’t going to make it to film. As an outgoing dynamic performer, I was the subject of many long and tedious shoots – solidifying my concession that I would never be a male model (yes, that was my decision and I’m sticking to it!)

The Riverboat, by Pete Vigeant

Near the end of my college career, I took an Adobe Photoshop class. I had already used Photoshop a million times, but on a very shallow level. The professor had taught photography for over a decade and completely quit film in the early 2000′s, much to her peer’s dismay.

“A revolution is coming,” she told us, “The revolution of digital.”

I marveled at the power of Photoshop and I believed her that digital was the future, although my photography friends argued otherwise.

Eventually, I was given a digital SLR from my wife. It’s the greatest camera I’ve ever had – and I’ve always had a camera. Finally I was able to take the photos that I saw in my head. I can review the pictures instantly and still have advanced control over my scene – although I’m still (after years) fuzzy on all of the functionality. Truth be told, if I could take the class at iD, I would!

New Zealand - Mount Tongariro, by Pete Vigeant

I can experiment in ways I never could with film and bring my pictures to a new place using tools like Photoshop. In general, though, I don’t even need to get that far – I have the ability to take stunning memories and capture them the way I remember (like a pensive!)

Anita on a Pumpkin, by Pete Vigeant

I don’t think it’s likely that I will ever out-photograph my father, but because I am committed to documenting my world, my family and friends will remember the world from my point of view – and I will be able to share that point of view exactly as I want.

Anyway, I attend a conference every year called “Games for Change,” where professional designers, educators, programmers and more all gather together to figure out how to educate (and other things) better using games. This past year, Gabe Newell gave a talk about using Valve software in education – particularly centered around a game called “Portal 2.”

After the talk, I met with Gabe and talked with him about – no joke – iD Tech Camps. One of our most popular outdoor games is “Outdoor Left 4 Dead,” inspired by one of Valves best-selling franchises. He said that he’d love to play! Perhaps we can get him at iD as a zombie this summer?

ANYWAY, Portal 2 is an incredible game and a perfect way to learn level design and develop critical thinking skills. And it happens to be the subject of a one of our new courses – 3D Game Modding. But the most important part of this post is that the STEAM THANKSGIVING SALE is happening RIGHT NOW (please forgive the caps, this is important!). From the timestamp on this very post, you have roughly 15 hours left to buy Portal 2 for $10. For a little more than $11, you can get the original Portal as well!

So don’t just sit there – buy the game now! And, when you realize how amazing it is (perhaps one of the top ten games of the last decade), sign up for 3D Game Modding. You won’t regret it.

BUT FIRST – Acknowledgements / Shout Outs / Big Ups to Ryan who is going going crazy-awesome with content development! It’s great. I love it. Keep it up!

SomethingAwful (an old Internet community that uses profane language to express their points, so no link for you!) recently published a well-read article called, “I’m Begging You, World, Shut Up About Angry Birds.” The article started similarly to mine, with an upcoming rant confession turned apology, followed by how awful the Angry Birds phenomenon is – mainly because it’s been popular for so long and everyone should move on. A similar, less-read article was posted months before on The Yorker called “It’s Time to Stop Talking about Angry Birds,” which appears to contain family appropriate language and focuses strictly on the gameplay, not the cultural phenomenon. Countering both arguments, although addressing little of the same points, Gamespot posted “It’s Time to Stop Ignoring Angry Birds,” an article that calls out some of the great achievements the game has had so far – claiming in conclusion that, “This game will sell more copies than any video game ever made before it is forgotten, and it will shatter every perception of what a video game can do” – a pretty lofty expectation, although likely true.

I’m taking a fairly different stance – it’s awesome that everyone, including your grandmother, knows about Angry Birds. Computer gaming to non-gamers used to simply be Solitaire or Minesweeper, while console gaming was Mario. This over-simplification led to too many insulting encounters preaching the uselessness of games. Parents, teachers, even strangers would take arms against the childishness of console gaming or the non-stimulating nature of computer games. It was easy to put all of gaming into a single category as useless and a waste of time, a low form of entertainment for the young and easily amused. Violent video games only made matters worse  - their loud graphic disturbances scared mature adults away from the living room and made games into an enemy rather than simply a time waste.

Video games became part of a generational divide – something that kids got and parents loathed. They opened a hole in communication and undoubtedly caused unnecessary friction between two sides that had no common ground.

Gamers (and iD Tech) know the truth. While there are many waste-worthy titles in the gaming landscape, hundreds of quality titles exist across all platforms – artistic masterpieces that challenge the mind and body in ways that cannot be achieved in any other media. The New York Times recently reviewed Uncharted 3 with such praise as, “From its engaging, heartfelt script and character performances to its meticulous pacing, dramatic cinematography and lush visual production, Uncharted 3 is mass-market interactive entertainment of the highest order.” The article scatters throughout the idea that Uncharted 3 is on par with a major motion picture – or even beyond one. But I’m not here to defend the honor of video games – it’s likely that you’re already a believer(!)

Angry Birds is a conversation between the gamers and the non-gamers. It’s an agreement that games can be worthwhile – even as something that’s basically goofy in spirit and design. Angry Birds goes beyond Minesweeper and Solitaire, as there is a strong narrative. It goes beyond Mario because the gameplay is accessible and understandable – a physics game is easier to grasp than a two dimensional platformer with magical mushrooms! The more that Grandma understands about Angry Birds, the better she’ll be at appreciating the value of Game Design I or II for the iPad and iPhone or even Android. Adults that start with Angry Birds may be more prepared to experiment with other forms of gaming, like amazing puzzle-game Portal 2 (and subsequent student mods).

Let Angry Birds be the bridge to comprehension. Allow everyone to talk about it, buy stuffed birds,  and reenact it – none of those activities hurt gamers. Remember, non-gamers have to talk about *something*, they might as well talk about something that mildly resembles a modern game, particularly if it helps broaden their gaming horizons.

I don’t want to sell you the idea of iD Tech Camp on the iD Tech Camp blog – that’s kind of silly. You’re already here. There’s already something that appeals about this organization – or maybe you just enjoy the color scheme and subject matter of the blog. Maybe you’re a huge fan of my rants… Unlikely, I know.

I don’t want to sell you the idea of iD Tech Camp because I’d rather teach you about where the world of technology is today and where it will be tomorrow. I want you to think about the skills that are necessary for 21st century learners and workers based on the new world of connectivity and digital interactivity that is opening around us. When I was growing up, there were few computers. People with the right kind of eyes could see that the personal computer would soon invade every home. It wasn’t until my early teens that those same innovators saw the early Internet as something of value, something that would change our culture forever.

At the same time, game design was left to the experts – a brilliant few that had both coding and artistic chops, as well as thousands of hours and tons of patience. Luckily, we’ve moved beyond that – way beyond that.

Angry Birds has been downloaded 400 million times and has subsequently spiraled into a billion dollar piece of intellectual property. Billion. With a “B.” Does that seem like an impossible feat for a company with 12 people? But that’s a company – what about the indie developers; the kids?

Minecraft, a PC sandbox creation game, was originally created by a single programmer and now has 15.2 million registered users, almost 4 million of those folks actually paid for the game!

How can this be?

There are more gaming platforms now than ever before. According to VGChartz, over 400 million current generation gaming consoles have been sold on the planet. Additionally, almost 130 million iPhones have been sold and about 50 million iPads by the end of 2011. Android, the main competitor for iOS devices, currently has over 190 million devices in use. This, of course, does not count the countless number of personal computers and laptops, also tremendously capable of gaming. Impressive numbers, right?

The problem with so many devices is that they all need interesting software. A screen is nothing without something interesting to show! Over the years, various screen creators have made different development engines. These starts as very basic SDK’s, or “Software Development Kits.” These kits were incredibly expensive and hard to use. Not only that, but hardware manufacturers only gave the kits to reputable companies, meaning that only a few developers even got a chance to create something great.

Software development has left the hands of the super techies. Now, just about anyone can create an app for the iPhone or an Android device or even a game for the PC or XBox. The point is control – if you imagine it, you should be able to build it. The tools are out there and anything is possible.

So what exactly is the point?

When you read a book to a kid, at some point you want them to realize that they too can craft their own story. When you show a kid some art, at some point you want them to know that they too can paint their own picture. Our world is turning to interactive media – and it’s a user-created universe. It’s time to realize that when you use a piece of software, whether it’s a game, an application, a website, or a cool artsy interactive, at some point you too can create your own vision and make your interactive dreams a reality. It’s not about making money, although that’s can be a welcome side affect. It’s about claiming creative rights and becoming a 21st century contributor.

One Camper One Tree is iD’s way of giving back.

iD Tech Camps donates to the Arbor Day Foundation for each camper that attends our summer technology programs, effectively planting one tree for every camper.  It’s pretty simple: One Camper One Tree.

Last year we planted over 20,000 trees – which means that not only did 20,000 students receive critical STEM education, but 20,000 students also learned what it is to make a difference in the world.  The trees were planted in Bayfield County Forest in Wisconsin, and will help reestablish forests lost to insect problems and clear-cutting.  They’ll also provide a habitat for Kirtland’s Warbler, an endangered bird species.  Not a bad byproduct for STEM education.

Why do we do this?  Because we care.  We’re a family company, and we’re always looking to the future.  As we give students hands-on experience with real-world technology skills, we want to make sure that their world stays green.

New Season, More Trees

This year, we plan to break our record and plant even more trees.  We’ve expanded our university summer camp locations and our summer course offerings, giving students even more choices. Our STEM education programs are among the most accessible – and entering a 14th season, the oldest – programs in the U.S.  The ultimate goal is to plant one million trees by 2015.

But we don’t stop at trees – our programs follow environmentally friendly practices like recycling and turning off computers when they’re not in use.  iD also gives campers the option to carpool to camp, connecting nearby families so that they can save fuel, time, and the earth.

So what can you do to help?  Go to camp.  Learn something cool.  Let iD plant a tree for you.

Here’s to a green future!

Pitfall II: Lost Caverns(Atari)

Yes, I realize that Pitfall II was a groundbreaking game for the Atari and platform games in general. This also happened to be the very first game that I beat, at the tender age of 5, in fact! The game, though, required ridiculous patience. Identifying the single ledge that had a special jump that triggered a balloon was enough to make anyone mad with rage. Follow that with the final climb through bats and vultures and bats and vultures (again and again and again), any mistake in timing resulting in falling all the way to the bottom was infuriating. The only true positive from beating Pitfall II as a child is that Super Meat Boy does not really phase me… at all.

Swordquest: Fireworld (Atari)

Swordquest was some sort of contest game – there were clues that inside the game needed to solve a real world puzzle. I never knew that. I just played this game (and the other Swordquest) again and again without any purpose. There was no save, so I just thought that I was running from room to room collecting items that would eventually bring about a grand end-state. Instead, hours of my life were spent running around with the notion that a purpose would present itself – and it never did.

Smurfs: Rescue in Gargamel’s Castle (Coleco)

The music from the Smurfs game still haunts my nightmares. Yes, I did rescue a couple of Smurfs from Gargamel, but most of the time I was cursing out the screen because of the mind numbingly impossible jumps (which was difficult, because at the time I didn’t know any curses)! The game was so frustrating that I eventually decided that if the Smurfs cannot in a world of fences or bushes, they do not deserve to be saved.

Looping (Coleco)

Fly a plane through some hazards and unlock a door – that’s fairly easy, right? Now fly through the inside of some wacky building with pipes and water hazards – still not bad. Now try to make it to the end without getting hit by a giant bouncing ball… Yeah. Looping is an incredibly bizarre joystick and shooting game that defies reality and rides the fine line of too difficult and satisfyingly successful. The music is great, but the premise is so overwhelming weird that it falls under the “what the heck did I just spend 3 hours playing?” category. I can imagine a 2012 sequel could put sense the insanity, but for now, I’m still scratching my head.

The Adventures of Bayou Billy(NES)

I do not even want to write about Bayou Billy. I was terrible at this game! I know that’s an unfair way to judge a game, but the only was I got past the first level or two was with Game Genie – and that went for all of my friends as well. I think I made it to first on-rails shooting level only a couple of times without completely dying. Yet I kept trying, day after day, because I really had no other option.

Remote Control (NES)

In the late 80’s, MTV had a game show that was actually based on music. I loved the show because it didn’t involve music videos, which I was too young to enjoy, and contained PG-13 level humor, which I was too young to understand. Somehow I was given the NES version of the show, which I played over and over again until I memorized all of the questions – otherwise, how would I know ANYTHING about Jon Bon Jovi? The game wasn’t broken, except that a 9 year old could easily win if he or she happened to play for more than 10 – 20 hours a week. I showed them!

Caveman Games (NES)

This game is impossible. There’s no other way to describe the mildly entertaining Olympic-like exploits of these cartoony cavemen. Young gamers may know some Wii games that are merely based on shaking the controller endlessly – this was an early variation that required the player to repeatedly hit the “a” or “b” button at a machine-like pace. We bought a “turbo” (read *cheat*) controller specifically for this game and it made it much more interesting. My hands still hurt from the pre-turbo days.

The Three Stooges (NES)

I actually still love this game – it’s a series of mini-games where the Three Stooges try to accumulate the most amount of money to save the orphanage (?) or something noble like that. Perhaps they were kicked out of their house or grandma was dying – I do not recall and I’m much too busy to Google right now. The games were interesting and scattered throughout was real-life digital voice sound effects, which was novel outside of “Blade of Steel.” I included this because the whole game was fairly mindless and it distracted me from replaying the first 3 minutes of “The Adventures of Bayou Billy.”

Chester Cheetah: Too Cool to Fool (Genesis)

This game looked great. At the time, Chester Cheetah was one of the sharpest looking cartoon-like games out there. The game even had a cool platform twist, which was that Chester would be invincible whenever he was dancing. Unfortunately, the designers saw fit to use that skill against Chester as often as possible. One level includes some fast-action boat platforming on the high seas – every move must be perfect or splash! Toward the end, almost unavoidable, is a nice dancing power-up that changes the music and sends Chester right into the water. Oh – did I mention this game is based on a character from a bag of cheese-covered junk food? Yeah. Gross.

Aero the Acro-Bat (Genesis)

I know it is unfair to (again) judge a game simply on how difficult each level is, but this is my blog entry and I’ll do what I want. Aero was so horribly hard that I could not fathom how someone could find any enjoyment from loading up the cartridge. I’m pretty sure I never got past the flaming ring in the first level. The *first* level. Yeah. I have no idea what the rest of the game looks like or if the “Sabre Dance” continues over and over again, nor will I ever find out. I prefer to live with the understanding that the game was an impossible hoax without any subsequent story or challenges…

As co-activity czar (with Brylock),  I have helped shape several initiatives to make the camp experience more fun. One such program is our iDX competition, an all out battle for team supremacy in the fashion of a traditional camp colors war (iD Tech-style, of course)! Another is the popular staff incentive program, Nachos, which encourage staffers to go above and beyond in interesting and unique ways.

To highlight the feats of excellence performed by staffers across the country (and Canada!) Brylock and I host our very own weekly Vlog (video blog) called “The HiD.” Here’s our latest episode, the 2011 Year in Review, where the 2011 Nacho & iDX champions are announced – enjoy!!!

In the Fortune article entitled “Computer games as liberal arts?” David Kirkpatrick explains that “though many adults imagine the frightening Grand Theft Auto when they think of video games, kids appear to be subtler thinkers on the subject. Not only do many of them intuitively realize that games can embody any values and be on any subject, many want to make games themselves.”

It’s not uncommon for kids take apart and re-build their computers, assemble their own robots, or try their hand at creating video games and mobile apps. Soon, they’re looking for an outlet to gain more technological knowledge in their field of choice.

That’s where iD Tech Camps, iD Gaming Academy, iD Programming Academy and iD Visual Arts Academy come in, allowing kids and teens – of various levels of interest and expertise – to gain real-world experience taught by inspiring industry professionals. Kirkpatrick explains how this works:

Some educators [like iD Tech Camps] are going a step further, teaching kids to make the games themselves. It turns out to be perhaps the ultimate form of liberal arts. In order to create a computer game you have to think about the content. You have to write a script. The programming involves logic, math and science. And to understand how you distribute a game you have to get into issues of marketing, sociology, and Internet culture.

Recognizing a need for this type of creative, technology-based educational opportunity, iD Tech Camps offers young people a wide array of course options ranging from video game design to programming and robotics to video editing and photography.

It’s opportunities like this that allow students to thrive. After attending camp, kids gain valuable skills while new ideas take shape and passions are developed. Students even have the option to stay overnight on-campus at more than sixty prestigious university locations, introducing them not only to their potential college major through courses at camp, but allowing them to explore – and live on – a real university campus like Stanford, NYU or UCLA. This well-rounded experience culminates in a project that students take home on a USB drive at the conclusion of camp, giving them the opportunity to take their learning even further.

So the answer to Kirkpatrick’s question is a resounding YES! Computer games (and technology in general) have indeed become our recent generation’s creative, liberal arts movement. We’ve seen this pattern develop first-hand for years with our students. Just as writers pen novels and artists paint on canvas, video game designers, programmers, and web developers write, plan and draw out their own masterpieces. They create works of art for our digital world – and kids and teens are at the helm.

Want to cultivate crazy talent and develop serious tech skillz while having an amazing summer camp experience? You’re in the right place. We’re proud to be the world’s #1 technology camp.