California Summer Camp Locations Summer Camps: UC Irvine Computer Camps

UC Irvine Computer Camps

Camp Overview
Course Availability

Camp Overview
About This U & Maps
Staff Ratio Guarantee
Safety & Peace of Mind
Sample Week
In the News
Testimonials
FAQ

Computer Camps Held at UC Irvine

iD Tech Camps, Ages 7-17

WEEKLONG | CO-ED | DAY CAMPS | OVERNIGHT CAMPS
COURSE TOPICS: VIDEO GAME DESIGN, PROGRAMMING, APPS, WEB DESIGN & MORE

Ignite your internalDrive and do something BIG this summer! iD Tech Camps is a family company – and our company is a unique place. Some call it magical. We’re the World’s #1 Tech Camp – consistently ranked a Top Workplace. One of our big secrets? Ridiculously small ratios. Small ratios mean personalized instruction – just 8 students per instructor or fewer – or you get a free week of camp, guaranteed! Our adult-only staff are tech-savvy undergraduates, graduate students and professionals, passionate about teaching game design, film, computer science and more.

This is our 14th season hosting summer camps at our UC Irvine location in the Orange County area, CA. We strike the right balance between off-computer activities (creative games, sports, life skills, etc.) and essential technology education to foster STEM skill development (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Our popular UC Irvine summer day camps and overnight camps are among a handful of elite CA summer camps in Orange County accredited by the American Camp Association.

We offer a variety of cutting-edge summer camp courses for beginner through advanced learners. Kids and teens learn one course topic per week, specializing in video game design, iPhone® app development, Flash® animation, programming, video editing and more – using the best brand name products from Adobe®, Apple®, Autodesk®, Google, Microsoft® and beyond. Come explore the college campus and gain skills that will last long after summer camp ends. Continue to Step 2 for Course Availability, Tuition & Dates.

About UC Irvine

NOTE: Looking for our exact location on campus? You must first be enrolled; you can then access that information through My Account. Not yet enrolled? Go to Step 2 to enroll. The maps included here are for general information only.

Many students use their summer camp experience with iD Tech Camps to explore colleges that they’re interested in attending in the future. Learn on campus, eat in the dining halls and ages 10+ can even stay overnight (at most campuses).

We have chosen UC Irvine to host our kids summer camps and teen camps in Los Angeles and Southern CA because UCI offers iD students an excellent opportunity for a rich and rewarding summer collegiate experience. The gorgeous UCI campus has become an arboretum of trees and lush landscaping from around the world, forming a park-like setting. The beautiful campus is ideal for an intense week of indoor tech-study and outdoor California fun in the sun, making it the perfect day camp and overnight camp location!

UC Irvine

The University of California at Irvine is ranked among the top 50 universities nationally, and ranks tenth among all public universities. Originally a quiet and sunny vacation getaway for Los Angeles residents, Irvine has developed into a booming metropolis with nearby Newport Beach and the presence of a dynamic business community.

UC Irvine Facts

Mascot: Peter the Anteater
Founded: 1965
UC Irvine Academics: There are eight undergraduate Schools, two graduate Schools, one Department, and one field of Interdisciplinary Studies at UC Irvine. These include the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, School of Biological Sciences, Paul Merage School of Business, Department of Education, Henry Samueli School of Engineering, College of Health Sciences, School of Humanities, School of Law (due fall 2009), and others. Additionally, UC Irvine’s campus-wide Honors Program has implemented an independent study program which gives students the opportunity to develop their own curriculum across Schools. The end result for students is being able to graduate with their own self-created major.
Student Population: UC Irvine has approximately 22,122 undergraduate and 5,509 graduate students.
Rankings: Many of UCI’s graduate programs received top 50 rankings from U.S. News & World Report, including (but not limited to) literary criticism and theory, criminology, behavioral neuroscience, creative writing, health care management, engineering, mathematics and organic chemistry.
Athletics: UC Irvine’s athletic teams participate in NCAA Division I sports and are members of the Big West Conference with other schools like Cal State Fullerton and UC Santa Barbara, both of which are big rivals of UC Irvine. UCI’s athletic teams include basketball, baseball, cross country, track and field, volleyball, soccer and water polo.
Distinguished Alumni and Personnel: Many UC Irvine alumni have achieved great things after their time at the university. Athletes include Greg Louganis and 34 other Olympians. Famous actor Jon Lovitz graduated from UC Irvine, and tech innovators Roy Fielding and Paul Mockapetris also attended UCI. Additionally, in 1995, two UC Irvine Professors earned the Nobel Prize – Dr. Frank Sherwood Rowland for his work in Chemistry and Dr. Frederick Reines for his work in Physics.

Meals

All meals are included with our overnight and extended day programs. Day campers have the option of purchasing the lunch plan or bringing a sack lunch. The lunch plan is recommended, but not mandatory. If the lunch plan is purchased, lunch is provided Monday-Friday. Many university dining facilities do not permit outside food to be brought into the dining hall; students bringing bag lunches may eat outside of the dining hall with their classmates and instructors. Lunch is provided to all students on Fridays, as part of an iD-style picnic.

Maps/Carpool

See maps and driving directions in My Account for detailed directions on how to get to our exact location on campus.

Want to Carpool? Go green and save some green when you carpool to camp! Sign up for our Carpool app in My Account to see the other families in your area that are interested in carpooling.

Staff Ratio Guarantee

iD Guarantee

Students learn in small classes for a personalized experience. How small? Classes typically have 5, 6, 7, or 8 students – but never more than 8 per instructor. That's the iD Guarantee - if we ever go over an 8:1 ratio, you get a free week of camp!

Adult-Only Instructors

iD Tech Camps recruits energetic, experienced instructors to teach our technology courses and supervise our students. Our summer staff is adult-only, with no Counselors-in-Training.

Personalized Instruction

Courses are personalized to students' abilities, and therefore suitable for beginner to advanced levels in most cases. Because of the ridiculously small ratios (max 8:1 or a free week with the iD Guarantee), instructors have time to consistently work with students 1-on-1 and adjust curriculum to their interests and experience level.

Project-Based Curriculum

We encourage a hands-on approach to technology; students learn by doing. Each student is provided with a computer and learns to work with the same products that professionals use in their fields. Students complete a project showing off their new technology skills by the end of each weeklong session they attend. By focusing on practical applications of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skills, iD prepares students to take their new tech knowledge back into the real world.

Staff at this Location

Meet some of the amazing instructors that have taught at UC Irvine over the years.

“KRunCH”: KRunCH has been an educator since receiving his B.A. in Education from the University of Northern Colorado. He has volunteered as a Youth Mentor and Tutor, and also ran a computer company. He enjoys video and computer games, movies, and traveling. KRunCH is excited to bring his knowledge and teaching experience to iD Tech Camps!
“Pixel”: Pixel is a returning instructor at iD Tech Camps with over 4 years of experience teaching tech skills to kids. She grew up in San Bernardino and then moved East to pursue a degree in Graphic Communication from RIC. She specializes in graphic arts, page design and publishing, and she loves teaching game design for smartphones.
“Dazzler”: Dazzler attended the University of Notre Dame and received a B.A. in Film Production. When he’s not inspiring iD Tech Camps students with photography and digital arts, he is a professional videographer in LA and pursues a career in music with his band.
“Gypsy”: After receiving her B.A. in Computer Science from LSU, Gypsy studied game development at DigiPen Institute of Technology. Independent game projects are more than a passion, and she has experience teaching C++/Java and game design courses.
“BroHam”: BroHam’s love for media grew during his college years, leading to a B.A. in Media Production (Audio Engineering and Post-Production). A substitute teacher during the school year and a DJ on the weekends, he also composes music and creates videos and web pages – which allow him to acquire fresh methods for teaching. Broham is always stoked for iD Tech Camps!
“Cactus Cooler”: Cactus Cooler is a veteran iD Tech Camps instructor and a grad of Chapman University with a degree in Computer Science. His specialties are robotics and game design. An inspiration for many campers, he creates numerous Flash and epic Fusion games. He loves teaching!
Rosie: Rosie currently attends CSUF, majoring in Special Education (Early Development Preschool & Kindergarten) and works as an Aide in a Special Ed classroom. Rosie hopes to inspire the video game campers to use their imaginations and she is ecstatic to work with them to create the most unique games ever!
“Carmine”: Carmine has been teaching with iD Tech Camps at UCLA for over 4 years now! He graduated from Villanova University in 2010 with a double major in Business Management and Management Information Systems. He is an avid gamer and now runs his own game review site for parents , Side Story Games ! He loves teaching courses that involve the UDK and Starcraft 2.

Safety & Peace of Mind

Risk Management

Adult staff and instructors supervise all activities. iD has a policy of never using Counselors-in-Training (CITs).

American Camp Association^® Accreditation

iD Tech Camps is accredited by the ACA at multiple locations, meaning we have met over 300 health and safety requirements. All camps follow ACA guidelines.

Background Checks

We conduct criminal background checks, sexual offender background checks, multiple reference checks and identification checks on all summer staff.

CPR & First Aid

All camps have Directors and Staff that are CPR and First Aid Certified.

Sample Week

A typical day varies depending on session and location, but it might look something like this:

	SUNDAY	MONDAY - THURSDAY	FRIDAY
7:30 am		Extended Day Campers – Check In Overnight & Extended Day Campers - Breakfast
8:30 am		Day Campers - Drop Off & Arrival Activities
9 am		Welcome & Opening Activity	Finesse Projects to Gold Version
9:30 am		Instruction – Jump on the computers!
10 am
11 am			Friday Activity
12 pm		Lunch – Overnight and Extended Day Campers eat in the campus dining hall. Day Campers can choose to bring a bag lunch or purchase the meal plan.	Picnic Lunch
12 pm			Raffle
1 pm		Instruction – Back to the labs, woo hoo!	Showcase Prep
2 pm		Instruction – Back to the labs, woo hoo!	Family Showcase
2:30 pm		Techtivities – Ultimate Frisbee? Apples to Apples anyone? Gaming tournaments? We’ve got it all!	Family Showcase
2:30 pm			All campers - Check Out
3:30 pm		Instruction – Back to the labs!	Ultimate Gaming Weekends – Option available at select locations.
5 pm		Day Campers - Pick Up & Closing Activities Overnight & Extended Day Campers – Open Lab/Free Time
5:30 pm	Overnight Campers - Check In
6 pm	Welcome	Dinner
6:30 pm	Dinner	Evening Activity - Movie Nights, Local Outings, Gaming Tournaments & more!
7 pm	Dinner	Extended Day Campers – Pick Up
7:30 pm	Evening Activity	Evening Activity – cont’d.
8 pm	Evening Activity
8:30 pm	Drills
9 pm	Chillax
10 pm	PreTeen Lights Out
11 pm	Lights Out!

Off-Computer Camp Activities

Students typically spend 5-6 hours on the computer each day. iD Tech Camps is careful to balance technology and fun - giving students Tech-Reation time. When they're not on the computer, students participate in fun summer activities like talent shows, play board games, compete in sports, take part in gaming tournaments and more.

Family Showcase

Every Friday afternoon, we invite parents and friends to come and experience iD Tech Camps. See the labs where students learn, explore campus, meet our staff, applaud students' course projects and attend the personalized diploma ceremony.

Hours/ Camp Options

Day Camp - Day Camp runs Monday through Friday, with drop off between 8:30 - 9 am and pick up between 5 - 5:30 pm (3:30 pm on Fridays).
Extended Day - Extended Day Camp runs Monday through Friday, with drop off at 7:30 am and pick up at 7 pm (3:30 pm on Fridays).
Overnight Options - Overnight camps are available at most locations for students ages 10 and up. Overnight camp runs Sunday through Friday, with drop off at 6 pm on Sunday and pick up at 3:30 pm on Friday.
Ultimate Gaming Weekends - Stay the weekend and game with us. UGW is fully supervised and includes housing, meals and supervision. It is available at the end of an Overnight Camp week or as a bridge between two consecutive weeks of Overnight Camp. Not available at all locations.

Attention Southern California Teens!

Our summer camps in SoCal at UC Irvine just got even cooler for our teen students. We have specialized teen activities including free time to hang out, movie nights, extra project time, and as always, plenty of gaming. Check out our other cool teen-only programs like the iD Gaming Academy, iD Programming Academy, iD Visual Arts Academy and Ultimate Gaming Weekends (offered at select locations).

iD in the News

UC Irvine News

As appeared in the Santa Barbara Independent - UCSB Computer Camp Challenges Kids

Aug 2nd, 2011

As appeared in the Santa Barbara Independent - article about our UCSB summer camps

Aug 2nd, 2011

As appeared in the San Diego Union Tribune - Kids develop video games, apps at "Tech Camp"

Jul 21st, 2011

As appeared in the Daily Pilot - article about iPhone app creation at our UCI camps

Jul 8th, 2011

As appeared in The OC Register - article about tech camps in CA held at UCI

Jul 24th, 2010

Testimonials From UC Irvine

What Parents Are Saying

“My son has learned an incredible amount in every camp session he has attended. It is the only forum where he has the opportunity to learn about and participate in the field he plans to enter. The quality of instruction is superb, he has a fabulous time and always leaves counting the days until he can return! Karin G., parent, UC Irvine

“The camp offered an opportunity for my child to socialize with like-minded kids, all while do something he loves. Plus, he gained new skills. Thank you very much! Leopoldo C., parent, UC Irvine

“My son was so excited to attend his first camp session! He had a great start and because of the expertise of the instruction, he was able to work through everything. He felt confident in his abilities by the end of camp and we will definitely return next year! Shannon H., parent, UC Irvine

“This is David’s third year and he has enjoyed each year. The classes have helped him in school – he was editor of the year book and did the DVD for his class graduation. Melane B., parent, UC Irvine

“My child came home every day with a smile on his face and so many fun and exciting stories to tell about iD Tech Camps. The staff went the extra mile every day with a smile on their faces and great conversations about my child’s progress. I will send my child every summer and will tell others all about this great camp! Thank you! Samantha G., parent, UC Irvine

What Campers Are Saying

“The courses that iD Tech Camps offer are very much like a classroom learning experience, however they make it fun like a camp. It is a good mixture so it is a good place for people to send their kids to if they are interested in doing anything tech. Anthony N., student, UC Irvine

“This camp experience really allowed me to explore choices in video game design and let me experience something different! Jack G., student, UC Irvine

“I had a great time! The memories will last your whole lifetime. You can make new friends and find old pals. The instructors can teach many things… Brian W., student, UC Irvine

“iD Tech Camps was an awesome camp! I met a nice friend and the lunch was just so amazing. I learned a lot about programming my Mindstorm robot. Harris S., student, UC Irvine

“iD Tech Camps is great! I would recommend this camp for anybody who wants a perfect summer. FOR PARENTS, your children will learn a brain full of technology. Jacob K., student, UC Irvine

Frequently Asked Questions

What courses are offered at this location?
Go to Step 2.

When does camp start?
See Step 2 for the dates of our weeklong university summer computer camps.

How much does camp cost?
The cost of tuition varies depending on the course, location and camp option that you choose. Basic Day Camp ranges from $749 to $1,049 per weeklong course. There are additional costs for program add-ons.

How can I save on tuition?
There are many ways for you to save!

Register early to take advantage of our seasonal promotions.
Refer-a-Friend and you and your friend both save $50.
Sign up for multiple weeks to save $50 off each additional week.
Register multiple siblings and save $50 for each sibling.

Do you offer financial aid?
iD Tech Camps is proud to offer tuition assistance for families who qualify. Application deadlines are announced each year in the Spring.

What is your cancellation policy?
Balance payments, less the non-refundable deposit, are refundable up until 3 weeks prior to the start of the confirmed camp week/session. No refunds will be issued for cancellations or withdrawals within 3 weeks of the start of confirmed camp weeks/sessions. All cancellations must be made online in My Account or submitted in writing to the internalDrive Inc. office no later than 3 weeks prior to the start of camp. For more details, please see our Terms & Conditions.

Does my child need to have a high computer IQ?
No, our courses are for beginner to advanced students. Because of our small ratios, instructors can work with students 1-on-1 and personalize the curriculum for each student's level.

Should my child bring a personal laptop to camp?
No, students do not need to bring laptops to camp. We provide a computer for each student to use for the week. All materials necessary for the course will be provided.

Do you have any teen programs?
iD Tech Camps has a Teen Scene that provides older students with a more independent experience on campus. Teens enjoy extra privileges appropriate for their environment and maturity levels, and although we maintain standard supervision ratios, teens will feel a sense of freedom. Special Teen Scene activities include computer gaming tournaments and Gamingpalooza.

iD also offers specialized iD Teen Academies in Gaming, Programming and Visual Arts at select locations across the country. These teen camps are intensive, two-week courses with tours of nearby industry hot spots and bi-weekly portfolio building workshops. See our iD Teen Academies page for more information.

How do I register? How do I contact you?
To register, find availability at the location you desire, and you'll be guided through the process. Registering online is the fastest way to get into camp. Or, you can phone us at 1-888-709-TECH (8324) or 1-408-871-2227. You can also email us at info@internalDrive.com. And, if you'd like a brochure sent to you, please click the brochure link.

iD Tech Camps