When designed creatively and effectively, icons are a great way to convey a simple, universal message without having to use words. If you look around at the iD site, you can find icons everywhere.  Take a look at the Web & Graphic Design Course page…it has a nice large icon right at the top of the page so right away the viewer has an idea of what the course is about. If you look deeper into the iD site, you’ll be sure to find other icons.

After seeing  how we use icons, you might be thinking to yourself…how can I find some cool free icons to use in my projects? Easy…create your own! Let’s get our design fingers ready, our genius minds in gear and create some awesome icons.

WHAT YOU’LL CREATE
Each of the icons we’ll be creating won’t require any intense drawing skills, since they’ll all be created by merging different shapes that are already available in Adobe Illustrator.

We’re going to create three iD youth summer camp icons; an iD Texas Summer Camp icon, an iD Arizona Summer Camp Icon and a fun, Summer icon. Here’s an example of the style of icons that we’ll be creating and the final result that you’ll have after this tutorial:

TOOLS OF THE TRADE
There will be four main tools that we’ll be using in Illustrator for this project. These will be:

The Shape Tool: This tool gives you the option to create all different kinds of vector shapes. Unlike Photoshop, where you create raster shapes, vector shapes can be enlarged or minimized within Illustrator or another vector program without losing their quality.

The Direct Selection Tool: This tool allows you to select a specific point or path on a shape. Each shape you create will have multiple points and paths, which will combine to make one final shape.

The Selection Tool: When you want to move an entire shape rather than a specific point or path on a shape, you’ll use this tool. It picks up your entire shape and lets you move it around your screen to another location.

The Fill and Stroke Tool: You’ll use these two tools to choose which colors you want your shape to be. The Fill Tool will be the color of the inside part of the shape, while the Stroke Tool will be the color of the outside stroke of the shape.

The Pathfinder Palette: This palette allows you to combine and subtract different shapes to one solid shape. Since this is an intermediate tool, we’ll be getting more in depth later on in this tutorial.

PREPPING YOUR WORKSPACE
Since it’s sometimes difficult to draw things from memory, it can be helpful to grab images off of the web so that you can get an idea of how something looks. Below are the starting images that we’ll be using. You may want to right click and save them to your computer so that you can bring them into Illustrator.

Open Illustrator and create a new 8.5” tall x11” wide web document. Then bring in the image that you just saved, by going to File>Place>Select the image you want to bring in.

Just like Photoshop, Illustrator has a Layers Palette. It’s always a good idea to name your layers for better organization. To rename a layer, double-click on the text that reads Layer 1, then re-name it “Original Clipart”. Now lock the layer and create a new one labeled, “Icon Circles”.

Now let’s create our circle for the icon. Click and hold on the Shape Tool to select the Elipse Tool. Then draw circle that has a black fill color and a 10-point green stroke color.

Copy and past three more icons to use later on for the other icons. Lock this layer and create a new layer, called “Icon Artwork”.

SHAPE UP: CREATING THE TEXAS STAR SUMMER CAMP ICON
What we need to do now is figure out which shapes will make up the Texas icon. Looking at our image of the star , we can pick out two shapes. The circle shape and the five star shapes.

Using your ellipse tool again, draw a circle in one of the four icon circles you drew previously. (Remember you’ve locked the “Icon Circles” layer, so your new shapes shouldn’t interfere with the original image.)

Now go to your Shapes Menu and click on the Star Tool. Change the fill color and stroke color to white and draw a star inside the circle you created in the previous step.

Change your fill color and stroke color to green and draw four, tiny stars to surround the star and circle you just created.

And you’re done with your first icon! How easy was that? Think you’re up for the next icon creation challenge?

FEEL THE HEAT: CREATING THE ARIZONA SUMMER CAMP ICON
To create the cactus icon, we’ll be using the Rounded Rectangle Tool from the Shape Menu. Click anywhere on your artboard to bring up your Options Menu and then change the Corner Radius of your shape to 25 px.

Now using the same shape multiple times in different sizes, recreate the cactus so it looks similar to the one below:

It’s time to use the Pathfinder Tools! This menu of tool can be a lot of fun and really helpful. You’ll see why in this step. First select all of the shapes that make up your cactus. An easy way to do this is to click hold the Shift Key, while selecting each shape with the Selection Tool (V).

With all of your shapes selected, go to the Pathfinder Menu. (If it’s not open, you can go to Window>Pathfinder.) Then click on the Unite Tool. (It will be the first one on the top row.) Your cactus should now be one, solid shape.

In design, the details make all the difference. So I’ve changed the color of my cactus to be green on the inside and have a white border. Then I added the cactus needles by using the line tool. I also added a slight highlight by drawing another thin rounded rectangle in white and setting its Opacity to 60%.

ADD & SUBTRACT: CREATING THE SUMMER CAMP ICON
The Summer Camp icon is going to sharpen your Illustrator skills even more. First we’ll create the bucket portion of the icon. To get started we’re going to draw a  green rectangle. Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) and click on the bottom right corner of the rectangle. Then use the left arrow key on your keyboard and move the Shape Point over about 5 spaces. Now, use this same process to move the other bottom point in.

Next, change your fill color to black and your stroke color to green and a thickness of about 2. Draw an oblong oval and place it on top of the shape you made in the previous step. Create another oval with a green fill and stroke color and place it at the bottom of your main shape.

To create the bucket handle, draw a circle with no fill and a white stroke. When you draw a circle in Illustrator, the circle is made up of four paths (or lines). Use the Direct Selection Tool to select to two paths on the top of your circle and delete them so you have half a circle left.

Now move your half circle over your bucket so that it looks like a handle hanging down. Depending on the size you made your circle, you may need to make it bigger or smaller to look correct. Let’s group all of the shapes that make up your bucket by selecting them all at the same time and going to Object>Group.

To create the sand castle, draw another green rectangle and this time, move the bottom corner points out about 3  spaces. Duplicate the shape you just modified and place it on top of the first one and make it a bit smaller so it looks like a tier on our sand castle.

Create another half circle, and place it in the bottom, middle of your castle to make the door. Then draw two squares on the first tier and a single square on the second tier for the castle’s windows.

To add the flag on top, use the Line Tool and draw a short, white line on top of your castle. This will be the flag pole.  To make the flag, draw a long, green horizontal rectangle. Next we need a triangle so that we can create the two points on the right side of the flag.

There’s not a triangle shape in our Shape Menu, but there’s an easy way to create one. Click and hold on your Shapes Tool and choose the Polygon Tool. Then click anywhere on your artboard and the Polygon Options Menu will pop up. Change the Sides Setting to be 3. Click OK and a triangle will appear on your screen.

Resize your triangle to be larger than the rectangle you just drew. You’ll begin to see the shape of the flag if you place it correctly.

With all of your shapes selected, go to the Pathfinder Menu. Then click on the Minus Tool. (It will be the second one on the top row.) Your new shape will look like the shape of a flag. Pretty neat huh?

Your new shape will look like the shape of a flag. Pretty neat huh? Place it on top of the small line that you made for your flag pole. You’ll probably need to resize it so it looks proportional to your sand castle. Once you’re satisfied with how it looks, you’ll want to group all of the shapes of your sand castle together.

WHEN ALL IS SAID & DONE
You can see that making icons really isn’t too difficult. You’ve just created three highly graphic icons by using simple shapes like rectangles, circles and stars. If you want, you can even bring them into Photoshop and add some cool effects like a glare or a drop shadow. Like any graphic design project, the possibilities are endless.

Now that you have an idea of how modify shapes into images for your icons, it’s easy to go out and create your own. A good rule of thumb for icons is to keep them simple. Many icons are resized to be very small on websites, so the less detail you can get away with the better. We here at the iD office would love to see some new icon creations that you’ve come up with, so if you create any, send them our way at info@internalDrive.com.

Until next time iD readers…here’s to hours of icon creation fun.

The use of technology from iPhones to Blackberry’s changed forever the way viewers followed the Olympic Games. Now that the Olympics are over and Vancouver is getting back to normal, a Silicon Valley based summer technology camp, iD Tech Camps, is hoping to make inroads in the local market.

Campbell, CA (PRWEB) March 10, 2010 — The Olympics are over. Countries are counting their gold, silver and bronze medals. One Olympian is even counting his self-awarded platinum. But the real winner? Technology. From mobile apps to summer tech camps, technology is changing the Vancouver landscape. iD Tech Camps, a Silcon Valley-based youth education company, is opening its doors at UBC this summer. When you think of camp, canoes, lakes and campfires might come to mind–not technology. That’s about to change. The tech camps, while popular in the US, are new to Canada. The camp has operated at 60 elite universities across the US for the past 12 seasons. Now it is expanding to Canada. But why now?

Smart phone equipped and very well-connected, this year’s Olympic viewer didn’t feel the need to be glued to the TV. Visitors to Vancouver could be seen physically attending the Super G with feet planted in the snow, while simultaneously watching curling from their mobile devices. Even Olympians participated in the social media phenomenon by Tweeting and posting timely updates to Facebook. The 2010 Olympic Games have been dubbed by many the “Social Games.” And for good reason. NBC recently released data showing there were 87 million total mobile page views (coming from NBC’s website and iTunes App) for the Vancouver Games, compared to 52 million views for the Beijing Games.

The propensity toward social media and technology blended with the excitement surrounding Shaun White’s Double McTwist and the stunning victory by the Canadian Hockey Team has caught the eye of people and business new to Vancouver.

“Our young students learn to make video games, they learn to program in C++ or Java, they learn to make iPhone Apps and websites,” said Pete Ingram-Cauchi, CEO of iD Tech Camps. “Vancouver is a great spot for our program. The buzz around the Olympics, the great university system, and the youthful, tech savvy population seem like a compelling match for us.”

“It’s no surprise that the more often kids use iPhone apps and other tech products, the more they think ‘This is pretty cool…how does this work?’,” said Mr. Ingram Cauchi. No stranger to kids and technology, the camp, whose presence is well known in the States, is offering tech courses at the University of British Columbia, and also hosts a Visual Arts Academy at McGill University in Montreal.

With the way things are trending, maybe the next hot new Olympic sport attracting the younger generation will blend both technology and sports. Speed texting, anyone? And now there’s even a summer camp for that.

About iD Tech Camps

iD Tech Camps is North America’s #1 provider of summer computer camps and technology camps for kids and teens with programs at 60 elite universities in the USA and Canada. Locations include Stanford, UBC and MIT. Established in 1999 in Silicon Valley, the company is family-owned and operated. iD Tech Camps offers technology courses including Video Game Design, 3D Game Modding, Maya®, Game Development, Programming in C++ and Java, Programming iPhone® Apps, Robotics, Web Design, Flash® Animation, Graphic Arts, Digital Photography and Video Editing. The summer camps consist of weeklong day camps and sleep away camps, and multi-week teen academies. Courses are appropriate for beginner to advanced learners. The company teaches the latest technologies from Apple®, Adobe®, Microsoft®, Autodesk®, Sony®, Valve® and more.

(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:

iD Tech Camps wants to congratulate Christine Suver! Christine has won a free week of Day Camp for iD Tech Camps! We are super excited to have you join the iD Family! Christine is the second Camp Fair Raffle winner of the season. Stay tuned! We’ll be holding 2 more raffles, one per month and announcing future winners here!

Come see us at a camp fair event near you and enter for your chance to win! To find a camp fair in your area, simply click here or call our client service department at 1-888-709-TECH (8324), option 1.

- Team iD

Hi Everyone! This blog is a Part II to my Ms. Pacman pizza blog. After making my Mrs. Pac-Man pizza, I had an entire pizza crust so I decided to make the “ghosts” from the Ms. Pacman game!

Remember, never cook with out an adult present. I am no exception to this rule. Fortunately, my good friend, adult and former iD Tech UCLA director, Jeff was still around to help me out:

1) SHAPE THE CRUST
The difference between this and the Ms. Pac-Man Pie mainly the shape of the crust. Each pizza crust will yield two ghosts, so start by a cutting a line right down the diameter of the crust, thus halving it:

Next, make two vertical cuts on either side of the crust. How deep in to make the cuts will depend on the size of your crust, the distance from the edge should be about 20% the width of the pie. Then, to round out the top a bit, shave a bit off of the edges:

PROTIP – Don’t waste food! Dip the excess dough in the sauce you are making while you wait for the pizza to bake – yum!
Next cut out three triangular shapes from the bottom of the pizza:

(again, an example of “real life” subtractive 3D modeling, a modeling method taught at our 3D animation camps)

And repeat on the other half of the pizza.

2) MAKE THE SAUCE

Next is time for the sauces, unlike Ms. Pac-Man, we actually have some options other than making an Alfredo “White” Pizza depending on which ghost(s) you want to make:

Blinky – the red ghost – Just as I was about to stir up some red food coloring I realized that I could just use the most fundamental of all pizza ingredients – tomato sauce! A pizza that only has tomato sauce as a topping is called a “tomato pie” (my favorite, a Philly tradition), however as we’ll be adding mozzarella slices for the eyes, this will be a “margarita” pizza.

Pinky – the pink (duh) ghost – for this we can use an “blush” sauce which is usually used for pasta, typically gnocchi and ravioli. A blush sauce is a mixture of tomato sauce and Alfredo (more or less). Refer to my Ms. Pacman blog for an Alfredo recipe or just use your favorite off the shelf!

Sue (or Clyde in the orignal Pac-Man) the orange ghost – for orange, you can also use a blush sauce however , you’ll want to vary your ratio of tomato : Alfredo sauce. You’ll want to use more Alfredo sauce and possibly even add some cheddar.

Inky – The blue ghost – No “natural” options here. Time to get our the blue food coloring! To achieve light blue a little bit of color goes a long way. Fill a small bowl with Alfredo and stir, stir, stir:

Once the sauce is made, pour the sauce on slowly and smooth it out with a knife or spoon, remember to leave room around the edges:

I decided to make Blinky and Inky.

3) ADD DETAIL

Next, for the ghosts eyes. You’ll need a tube of mozzarella. Cut down a slice of it into a rectangular shape:

BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN USING KITCHEN KNIVES AND ALWAYS HAVE AN ADULT PRESENT

Next, simply cut a black olive in half and place each half in the corner of each eye:

4) BAKE THE PIE!
Now it is time to bake! Preheat the oven 450 degrees and let Ms. Pacman bake for about 10-15 minutes, checking frequently as cooking time will vary depending on what kind of crust you are using.n While you are waiting, you should get some fresh air and do something outside, like gardening:

DO NOT LEAVE AN OVEN UNATTENDED! MAKE SURE YOUR PARENTS ARE WATCHING THE OVEN WHILE YOU GARDEN!

6) TIME TO EAT!!!
Another master piece! Now let’s eat those ghosts like we were Pac-Man!

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!

Hello iD Nation,

This email was just sent to one of our client services reps.  Roque received this email yesterday and sent it to me.  I love, love, love hearing stories like this.  We often hear that students at our summer camps learn more in a week with us than they do at a year in school.  The below email pretty much sums it up:

_______________________________________________________

From: Susan (Last Name Withheld)
Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 3:29 AM
To: roque@internaldrive.com
Subject: ID Tech Camp experience 2009

My son, Andrew, attended ID Tech Camp C++/Java class at the University of Michigan in the summer of 2009.  This year, Andrew is in the 10th grade and attends our high school’s math/science program.  One of his classes this year is Java 1 and he is scheduled to take Java 2 next year.  I would like to share with you the progress Andrew has made this year because of the education he received at your camp.

The instruction he received at your camp in one week was the equivalent to about half a year of his Java 1 class.  His computer teacher would like him to work aggressively through the remaining modules so he can complete Java 1 and 2 this year.  I would like to commend you on your dedicated and talented instructors that provide such an excellent education.

Sue (Last Name Withheld)

_______________________________________________________

Sue, thanks for writing to us!  It is great to see that Andrew had such a positive experience at our summer camp for teenagers.  He is now on the fast track.

Best,

Pete

That big red, white and pink holiday is just around the corner and there’s still time to send out a pop-up valentine card to someone you know. I learned how to make these pop-up cards way back in elementary school and they’re easy and fun to make. All kids and teens out there, think of how much Mom or Grandma would appreciate it if she received one of these cards? Who knows, she may even sign you up for that iD overnight summer camp right after she opens it. I might give one to my manager at the office and see if it gives me clearance to attend a site visit at one of our Visual Arts Academies so I can brush up on my filmmaking skills. It’s always worth a try.

STEP 01: GRAB THE CARD TEMPLATES
Below are two templates that I’ve created that you can choose from. The first one allows you to have one pop-up image; the second template gives you spots for two pop-up characters.

Download: PDF Template 01: One Pop-Up Card
Download: PDF Template 02: Two Pop-Up Card

Once you download them, don’t print them out just yet, since you’ll want to first decide what and how you’re going to write a phrase on the inside of the card (the template you just downloaded.) You have two options here. The first is that you can grab art supplies you have at home and hand-write a phrase. If you decide to do this then go ahead and print the template.

If you have Photoshop at home, you can also open the PDF template into Photoshop and create your text there. After you’ve created your text phrase and any other design elements in Photoshop, then you can print the template on your home computer. Being that I love to use Photoshop, I decided to open my card up in Photoshop and add some of my own flair using the skills I’ve learned as a graphic designer.

STEP 02: GRAB THE POP-UP CHARACTERS
Download the page of gaming characters to add as the pop-up elements to your card. You’ll be doing the same thing here as before; you can either color them with art supplies or you can color them in Photoshop.

Download: PDF Template 03: Character Cutouts

If you thought all valentines were adorned with mushy hearts and flowers, think again. I’ve picked out some cool characters that could be in your projects this summer if you attend one of our game camps.

STEP 03: ASSEMBLE YOUR CARD
Now that you have all of your artwork prepped, let’s recap what you should have in order to assemble your card.

• The inside part of your card taken from the downloadable template.
• An outer part or cover for your card. You can use a nice piece of construction paper or just another piece of printer paper.
• Your cutout characters, colored and ready to go.
• Glue or another adhesive like double-sided tape.
• Scissors

Assembling your card is really easy. Let’s go through the steps:

1. First take your inside template, cut out the card to be 8.25”tall x 5.5” wide. Fold it in half and cut on the dotted lines.
   
   

2. Next, open your card up and fold it the opposite way so that your text is on the inside of the fold. Open the card slightly, and use your finger to push forward the flap(s) that you just created by cutting on the dotted lines in Step 2. Slide a pencil into the flaps, so it’s easier to do the next step. With the pencil still in place, fold your card so that you crease the flap you just pushed in. 
   

   Your card should now look like this.
   

3. Cut out the characters you want inside your card. Then on the front area of your pop-up flap, place an adhesive like glue or double sided tape.Take your character and stick him on the front of the pop-up flap. Open and close your card and see how cool it looks!
   
   

4. Now we just have to put the last finishing touch on it. We need the cover so that the person who receives the card doesn’t see the big pop-up hole(s). Cut out a piece of construction paper to the dimensions of 8.25” tall x 5.5”wide (if you want your card to have a border on the inside, cut it a bit bigger). If you don’t have construction paper handy, white printer paper will do just fine.Fold your outer cover in half, then using an adhesive, stick the cover to the outside of the card.
   Once your card is dry, you can decorate the outside. I created my outside design in Photoshop.
   
   

That’s it! You’ve now created a 3D card adorned with your favorite gaming characters. The cards you make don’t even need to be used for valentine’s day…they can used for birthday’s or other holidays too, so feel free to modify the graphics by using your own designs. It would be great to see some photos of your pop-up card creations, so if you make some and want to share, send them to info@internalDrive.com. We here at the main office always love to see the creative side of our campers (and parents too!)

(PS: If you want to mail your artwork to someone, your card will fit perfectly in an A2 envelope. A2 envelopes are sized to about 4.375”x5.75” and can be found at most craft stores since it’s a common envelope size for cards. )

For Immediate Release

San Francisco, February 9, 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

###

Written by Ryan Barone

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_