Computer Camps held at UCLA

Camp Overview

About This U & Maps

Staff Ratio Guarantee

Safety & Peace of Mind

Sample Week

In the News

Testimonials

FAQ

Computer Camps Held at UCLA

iD Tech Camps (Ages 7-17) and iD Programming Academy (Ages 13-18)

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, guaranteed! Our adult-only staff are tech-savvy undergraduates, graduate students and professionals, passionate about teaching game design, film, computer science and more.

At UCLA, we offer two distinct programs: iD Tech Camps and iD Programming Academy.

 

iD Tech Camps, Ages 7-17

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

Computer Camps in Los Angeles

This is our 14th season hosting summer camps at the University of California, Los Angeles campus. 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 UCLA 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 cover cool topics from video game design to iPhone® app development, programming, video editing, web design, robotics and more. Most courses are for beginner to advanced learners. Learn the best brand name products from Adobe®, Apple®, Autodesk®, Google, Microsoft® and more. Ultimate Gaming Weekends serve as a bridge for overnight students attending multiple weeks.

Continue to Step 2 (iD Tech Camps) for Course Availability, Tuition & Dates or jump to the iD Programming Academy.

Note: Our program is not affiliated with nor endorsed by the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television or its camp.

Additionally at UCLA

iD Programming Academy, Ages 13-18

TWO-WEEKS | CO-ED | OVERNIGHT ONLY | TEEN-ONLY | INTENSIVE PRE-COLLEGE EXPERIENCE IN COMPUTER PROGRAMMING & APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT

The iD Programming Academy offers 2–week sessions of intensive study in computer science programming. Gain a deep understanding of application development–and a broader knowledge of how programming can be applied to the real world. The iD Programming Academy is perfect for students with previous programming experience who are looking to take their code to a whole different level.

About UCLA

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).

Our summer camp held at UCLA is located in the residential neighborhood of Westwood/Bel Air in Los Angeles, California (approximately 15 minutes from Hollywood). During their stay, campers may have the opportunity to walk to local shops and movie theatres in Westwood Village. Movie and television stars are often sighted. UCLA also boasts the best dining halls in the nation!

Los Angeles International Airport is located approximately 12 miles south of the campus, making UCLA the perfect day camp and overnight camp option for our Southern California summer computer camps. Come check out our awesome summer camp held at UCLA!

UCLA

UCLA has a world-renowned reputation in research and technology. Many of its programs are rated among the best in the nation and the world. UCLA faculty members have received four Nobel Prizes and seven National Medals of Science. It is the most sought-after university in California.

UCLA Facts

Mascot: UCLA Bruins
Founded: 1919
UCLA Academics: UCLA’s College of Letters and Sciences (humanities, social sciences, life sciences, physical sciences, and the International Institute) has 34 academic departments and 900 faculty. The majority of UCLA’s 129 undergraduate majors can be found in the College of Letters and Sciences.
Student Population: UCLA has approximately 25,000 undergraduate and 11,000 graduate students. In 2009, UCLA was named the “most selective” public university in the entire United States, beating out Northern California’s UC Berkeley.
Rankings: With its rich history and prestige, UCLA continuously has more applicants than any other university in the US. It is 12th in Newsweek’s Top 100 Global universities ranking, and in 2007, it was ranked 13th in the world by the Institute of Higher Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. UCLA’s undergraduate program is ranked second among public universities in the United States.
Athletics: UCLA’s Bruins participate in NCAA Division I-A as part of the Pac Ten Conference alongside Southern California rival USC. UCLA’s football team plays home games at the well known Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California; UCLA’s men’s basketball team (made famous by the legendary John Wooden who coached the team to 10 NCAA championships) plays its games at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA’s athletic teams have won a staggering 104 NCAA team championships as of 2009, more than any other university.
Distinguished Alumni and Personnel: Two current faculty members (and four former faculty) and four alumni have been awarded the Nobel Prize for their work in science and peace. UCLA alumni have also accomplished the following: 15 Academy Award winners, 10 National Medal of Science winners, 3 Pulitzer Prize winners, and 1 Pritzker Prize in Architecture winner. A number of professional athletes have come out of the university.

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.

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.

8:1 Staff Ratio Guarantee

iD Guarantee - Small Class Sizes

We guarantee ridiculously small class sizes, with a maximum of 8 students per instructor. Why? Because our teaching philosophy is premised on personalization - your path, at your pace. iD's passionate, adult-only instructors guide students through customized curriculum with 1-on-1 teaching. The immersive environment (typically 5, 6, 7 or 8 students - but never more than 8 per instructor) is ideal for fostering creativity. Read more about the 8:1 iD Guarantee.

Adult-Only Instructors

iD Tech Camps recruits energetic, adult-only instructors to teach our technology courses and supervise our students. Our summer staff is passionate about technology. We do not cut corners by employing Counselors-in-Training. We recruit from top colleges and universities to find staff with great credentials in game development, filmmaking, web design, programming, photography, etc.

Personalized Instruction

Most courses are beginner through advanced. Our innovative curriculum is premised on a blended learning strategy. Students receive blended (or hybrid) instruction through use of the brand new iD Game Plan engine along with live 1-on-1 instruction from our team of educators. Our approach allows students to move along at an appropriate, customized pace.

Project-Based Curriculum

We encourage a hands-on, experiential approach to technology; students learn by doing. Each student is provided with a computer and works with the same products that professionals use in their fields. Students complete a project showing off their new technology skills. By focusing on practical skill development of STEM topics (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) 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 UCLA over the years.

• “Peeps”: Peeps is a seasoned iD Tech Camps Director, having directed camps at Stanford, Santa Clara, and UCLA for the past 5 summer seasons. Peeps hails from the great state of Michigan with a degree in Film and Telecommunications. In his off-iD season, he works as a full time editor for an educational company in Burbank, California. Part of what keeps him coming back to iD every year are the amazing campers and energetic instructors he gets to work with. iD is not just a summer job, but a culture, a family, and a way of life!
• “H*Bomb”: H*Bomb has been with iD Tech Camps for over 6 summers. She is an aspiring Film Producer with a bachelor’s degree in Film and Media Production from Arizona State University. H*Bomb is a big movie buff, and in her free time she loves watching and making movies. She also loves web design, and in college she started a business designing websites for local businesses, which she still maintains. She returns to iD Tech Camps every summer because of the awesome students, staff, and parents at UCLA!
• “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! He loves teaching courses that involve the UDK.
• “Ecco”: An interdisciplinary artist from South Florida, Ecco has a bachelor’s degree in Music Performance/Music Business, and a master’s degree in Music Performance from NYU. Currently, she is working on a second master’s degree at CalArts in their contemporary Performer/Composer program, where she is focusing on sound art, game design, experimental animation, and the modern flute. She is also a founding member of Young Revolutionaries (a music app development firm) and Mochi Moch! Games, both with titles slated for launch this fall.
• “Helo”: Helo was a camper in ’04 and ’05, and when he found some free time 5 years later, he could not help but return to the place where he had so much fun – this time as an instructor. He loves helping kids gain the knowledge necessary to create work they can be proud of. Helo currently lives in San Diego finishing up his bachelor’s degree in Media Production at UCSD.
• “Hawke”: When Hawke is not teaching at iD Tech Camps in So Cal, he’s all the way in Chicago tinkering with computers, playing video games, and studying biology at the University of Chicago. Having been a camper for two summers, he’s ready to make camp as fun and memorable for his students as it was for him. He’s super excited to be teaching game design courses, especially because he’s considering getting into professional game design after college!
• “Lumberjack”: Lumberjack is a returning instructor with iD Tech Camps. He is a graduate from Pratt Institute where he earned a BFA in Computer Graphics and 3D Animation. In his last year at Pratt, Lumberjack’s work was shown at the prestigious Pratt Show at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan, NY. When not working at internalDrive, he is a freelance artist in the Los Angeles area and works on various projects for clients all over the world.

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 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
			Raffle
1 pm		Instruction – Back to the labs, woo hoo!	Showcase Prep
2 pm
2:30 pm		Techtivities – Ultimate Frisbee?  Apples to Apples anyone?  Gaming tournaments?  We’ve got it all!
3 pm			Family Showcase*
3:30 pm		Instruction – Back to the labs!
4 pm			All campers - Check Out
5 pm		Day Campers - Pick Up & Closing Activities Overnight & Extended Day Campers – Open Lab/Free Time	Ultimate Gaming Weekends – Option available at select locations.
5:30 pm
6 pm	Overnight Campers - Check In	Dinner
6:30 pm	Welcome	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
8:30 pm	Drills
9 pm	Chillax
10 pm	PreTeen Lights Out
11 pm	Good Night Teens

Off-Computer Camp Activities

Students spend approximately 5 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 organized sports, 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. *At Stanford, Pre-Teen Family Showcase: 2:30 - 3:30 PM, Teen Family Showcase: 4:00 - 5:00 PM

Hours/ Camp Options

Day Camp - Day Camp runs Monday through Friday, with drop off between 8 - 9:00 am and pick up between 5 - 6:00 pm (3 - 5:00 pm on Fridays, varies by site).
Extended Day - Extended Day Camp runs Monday through Friday, with check-in between 7:30 am and pick up at 7:00 pm (3 - 5:00 pm on Fridays, varies by site).
Overnight Options - Overnight camps are available at most locations for students ages 10 and up. Overnight camp runs Sunday through Friday, with check-in between 5 - 6:00 pm on Sunday and pick-up at 3 - 5:00 pm on Friday (varies by site).
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 held at UCLA 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

UCLA News

Video Game Summer Camps Double in U.S. - Article as Appeared on Patch.com

Apr 23rd, 2013

Watch iD Tech Camps on NBC's Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda!

Apr 12th, 2012

Summer Camps in California - Article as Appeared in OC Family

Mar 21st, 2012

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

Testimonials From UCLA

What Parents Are Saying

“I want to thank you so much for giving my son a gift that he will always cherish. He went to the Flash animation class at UCLA two summers ago. He also went to the Maya class at UC Irvine last summer. I bought the CS4 suite for him and the Maya suite. Nathan has concentrated on Flash and has since posted a project on deviantArt. Kimberlyn H., parent, UCLA

“My son is seven and this is the first time he’s ever LOVED camp. I asked him his favorite part of camp and he said “EVERYTHING!” And the final games he created blew me away! Marjorie S., parent, UCLA

“My son’s 5th summer with iD Tech Camps has been another great experience for him. You have our confidence that he is safe, well fed and comfortable for the time he is away from home. He will be back! Thanks to all. Susan C., parent, UCLA

“My son has been attending iD Tech Camps at UCLA for the last four years in a row. He absolutely loves it and looks forward to attending every year. We pick two weeks during the summer of courses he’s interested in and they never disappoint. Through this camp, my son took away the confidence to create three steady performing apps on the Mac Store. One is called “Teleprompter” and he has been getting positive feedback from all over the world. Bethann B., parent, UCLA

“My son’s instructor was outstanding. She was helpful, courteous, but most importantly, patient. She was extremely intelligent and we hope to have her again as an instructor either this year or next. Todd W., parent, UCLA

What Campers Are Saying

“I have learned so much at iD Tech Camps! It was a blast working with Autodesk Maya and it really helps to have an awesome instructor. iD is the place to be! Lindsay S., student, UCLA

“The counselors were relatable, and seemed to really “connect” with us children without trying too hard. The gaming tournaments were very fun and competitive. Noah M., student, UCLA

“I loved iD Tech Camps at UCLA! All of the instructors were so nice, and all of the questions were answered within a few seconds. The software we used was perfect for making RPGs! Matthew B., student, UCLA

“I learned a lot more about photography than I ever thought was possible in one week – and the week didn’t even seem long. I had an AWESOME time…the counselors were super cool and nice. I had a great time and wish I could have stayed longer!! Amanda F., student, UCLA

“The amount of knowledge you acquire in a day is phenomenal. You feel like you learned weeks of skills in just a matter of hours. The staff are all great people – they’re funny and take the time to connect to their students. Overall, the experience was amazing, and I had the time of my life. Aaron J., student, UCLA

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 $779 to $999 per weeklong course. There are additional costs for program add-ons including lunch, overnight camp, and weekend stays.

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?
Yes. We have weeklong teen-only courses at iD Tech Camps, plus two-week pre-college Teen Academies. iD Tech Camps is for ages 7-17, and our courses and activities are divided between teen courses and pre-teen courses. In some cases, teens and pre-teens will study in the same lab (but will not be mixed in the same class). Students will be supervised at all times, but we attempt to strike the right balance of independence. Teens enjoy extra privileges appropriate for their environment and maturity levels. Special Teen Scene activities include computer gaming tournaments and Gamingpalooza.

iD also offers specialized iD Teen Academies in the topics of Game Design, Programming, Film and Photography 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.

Course Tuition (Program options are found on the next step)